Supplier Delays Postpone Eclipse 500 Certification
Eclipse Aviation tells
ANN that FAA certification of the Eclipse 500, which was originally
scheduled for March 2006, will move to late Q2 2006. The schedule
change was driven by supplier delays, including a slip in one major
supplier's delivery program.
"We have always been honest and forthcoming about our
challenges, and today we are sharing an issue that will affect the
timing of the Eclipse 500 certification program," said Vern Raburn,
president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation.
"Over the last few months, we have been working with our
suppliers to recover their schedules. Unfortunately, an in-depth
assessment of the new schedules has made it clear that these slips
will force a delay in our overall certification effort."
Eclipse's certification program has been reworked to accommodate
revised supplier schedules, and the Eclipse 500 is now slated to
receive FAA type certification in late Q2 2006. First customer
deliveries will occur shortly thereafter.
Raburn commented, "This development is clearly disappointing,
but the big picture is that we are heading into 2006 with a test
fleet of five flying aircraft, our first TIA from the FAA in hand
and more then 850 flight hours under our belts. Most importantly,
the Eclipse 500 will soon be certified and in the hands of
customers. Two years ago, most people considered this an
impossible feat, and today thanks to the unwavering support of our
customers and dedication of our employees - it's a near-term
reality."
ANN E-I-C
Note: The announcement comes at an interesting time
-- in that Eclipse had a fair chance to "bury" the downside of
this disclosure had they delayed this decision a day or so to get
lost in the holiday buzz. Not doing so that indicates that their
policy of staying fairly 'transparent' on the progress of the
program, positive and negative, is still very much in vogue. We're
pleased that this policy has been maintained and it gives us some
confidence that the Q2 date has validity.
Yeah, it's not the kind of news they want to make
-- but they're, apparently, unwilling to BS us about it. Good for
them...
ANN will be talking with Eclipse Boss Vern
Raburn later today, on the record, for our Aero-Cast audio news
programs and online reports. More info to follow. -- Jim Campbell,
Aero-News Editor-In-Chief