A VLJ That's Green?
At EBACE2006 in Geneva, Switzerland Tuesday, Eclipse Aviation
announced that early Eclipse 500 tests indicate the new very light
jet (VLJ) will exceed the company's already aggressive expectations
for low aircraft noise, engine smoke emissions and cabin
sound.
From the outset, Eclipse committed to meet Stage 4 aircraft
noise standards -- the newest and most stringent noise requirements
for jets. While this would require the Eclipse 500 to operate at or
below a maximum noise range of 88 decibels (dB) for the approach
point, testing to date shows that with an average maximum noise
range of 68 dB on approach, the Eclipse 500 noise signature is
multiple orders of magnitude less than this limit.
This means the Eclipse 500 will be significantly quieter than
the majority of piston aircraft flying in and out of today's
airports.
"Air and noise pollution concerns hit especially close to home
for airport communities and frequent air travelers," said Vern
Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "We have designed
the Eclipse 500 to be a great neighbor in every sense, whether you
are flying in one or sitting in your living room as it takes off
next door. The reality is that airport communities and Eclipse 500
passengers will enjoy all of the economic growth and convenience
benefits of this revolutionary new jet -- with none of the air or
sound quality sacrifices they might expect."
Of course, a jet that's quiet on the outside should be quiet on
the inside, too, right? Eclipse reports that interior noise tests
are yielding similar results, with the Eclipse 500 demonstrating
ultra-quiet cabin sound levels comparable to those of a Challenger
604 or Hawker 800 -- jets that are ten to twenty times more
expensive than the Eclipse 500.
Eclipse says that significant cabin noise reduction comes
through the Eclipse 500's innovative airframe design, which:
- Eliminates straight skin surfaces on the fuselage, helping to
dissipate noise before it enters the cabin
- Features engines that are positioned to the far rear of the
aircraft, moving sound generation behind the aft bulkhead and thus,
further from the cabin
- Establishes an angle between the engine inlet and the airframe
that serves as a "sound trap" for compressor noise coming from the
engine inlet
- Benefits from the enhanced rigidity of friction stir weld (FSW)
construction, reducing the tendency for thin-skin aluminum to
magnify sound
Not only are the Eclipse 500's twin PW610F turbofans very
quiet... but testing has shown them to be very clean, as well. The
regulatory limit for engine smoke emissions is a smoke number (SN)
of 50 -- and Pratt & Whitney Canada tests show the Eclipse
500's PW610F engines are registering a SN of less than five. The
PW600 series engines incorporate advanced technologies that
minimize emissions and smoke.
Eclipse says this finding underscores the company's continued
commitment to protect air quality -- which the company demonstrated
last year when it announced that the Eclipse 500 would include
PhostrEx, the world's first proven non-Halon engine
fire suppression system, at AirVenture 2005 in Oshkosh,
WI.
More effective and environmentally-friendly than Halon, PhostrEx
has no ozone depletion potential (ODP) and contributes nothing to
global warming. Approved by the EPA and FAA, PhostrEx is the only
fire suppression system that meets the standards of the Montreal
Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the depletion
of the earth's ozone layer.