Dramatically Expands Operating Envelope For VLJ
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 06.25.08 1600 EDT: It's a major
step forward for the inaugural very-light jet. Moments ago,
Eclipse Aviation announced the Federal Aviation Administration has
granted Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) certification for the
Eclipse 500.
"This certification process is one of the most difficult things
to put a new model of aircraft through," said Vern Raburn,
president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "We've worked through
this process for some time, flying the Eclipse 500 in the precise
natural icing conditions that the FAA requires. We tested the
aircraft in some of the most severe weather conditions we could
find, wherever we could find it.
"By receiving the FAA certification, we proved that the aircraft
can withstand known icing conditions in a real-world operating
environment with no structural changes required of the airframe,"
Raburn added.
Though the company had promised imminent FIKI certification at
numerous times over the past three years, Eclipse says it conducted
its first test flight with an artificial ice shape in August 2007.
Since that time, more than 300 flight hours on three test aircraft
have been recorded, including more than 60 hours conducted in
natural icing conditions in many locations in the United States and
Canada.
Eclipse also performed extensive tests with the Eclipse 500 in
normal operation and ice protection system failure conditions in
icing tunnels and with artificial ice shapes (shown
below) to simulate ice build up attached to the aircraft's
airfoils.
The de-icing system on the Eclipse 500 includes pneumatic de-ice
boots on the wings and horizontal stabilizer leading edges,
electrically heated windshield and air data probes, and bleed air
heated anti-ice engine inlets.
Eclipse states aircraft delivered in late summer 2008 will
incorporate all the changes needed for FIKI, but earlier planes
will require a series of modifications -- some easier to
install than others. For starters, any EA500s prior to S/N 38 --
before a series of performance modifications were introduced, the
most prominent of which were larger tip tanks -- will need the
performance mods installed.The Albuquerque, NM-based planemaker
also changed deicing boot suppliers, starting with S/N 78... so
again, all previous aircraft will require that change.
All FIKI-compliant EA500s will require numerous changes,
including a rain-repellant coating around static ports, and changes
to static bonding and discharge equipment -- including windscreen
coatings, engine bonding straps, and new static wicks. The
planes will also need a new autopilot pitch servo installed,
as well as a new rudder centering spring.
Following its previous policies regarding post-delivery
upgrades, Eclipse says it will perform all necessary modifications
on the company's dime... but the planemaker isn't saying
yet when its maintenance facilities -- already struggling to
meet commitments to retrofit the performance mods to earlier
planes, as well as the post-S/N 104 changeover to the Avio NG
avionics system -- will be able to start work on FIKI mods, as
well.