N506EA Achieves First Flight: Five Jets Flying, Nearly 300 Total Flight Test Hours Logged

It's getting pretty darned crowded in the skies over Albuquerque these days... and for all the right reasons. Eclipse has successfully tested its fifth conforming flight test aircraft and the second of its two beta test jets. The maiden flight of N506EA marks the completion of Eclipse's flight test fleet, and reflects the company's rapid advancement towards certification and first customer deliveries next year.

At 7:30 p.m. (MDT) on August 24, aircraft N506EA, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW610F turbofan engines, took off from the Albuquerque International Sunport. As Eclipse's certification program advances, N506EA will be used extensively for function and reliability testing under accelerated usage conditions.     

"We now have all five of our FAA-conforming flight test aircraft in various stages of flight testing and will be building flight hours at an unprecedented rate over the coming months," said Eclipse Aviation president and CEO Vern Raburn. 

"This fleet of test aircraft will allow us to meet our goal of achieving FAA certification for the Eclipse 500 early next year and delivering jets to customers shortly thereafter."

Eclipse's flight test fleet has accumulated nearly 300 flight hours, while reaching a maximum speed of 285 knots, stall speed of 67 knots and service ceiling of 41,000 feet.  Eclipse has now manufactured six out of its seven preproduction aircraft, which include five flight test aircraft, one static test airframe and one fatigue test airframe. The static airframe will complete testing over the coming weeks. The fatigue airframe is scheduled for completion by early fall and will then begin a testing program that will assess its endurance over the equivalent of two airframe lifetimes by certification in March 2006.

N506EA will be showcased on static display at upcoming trade shows including the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association (AOPA) Expo in Tampa, Florida from November 3rd to 5th and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana from November 15th to 17th.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com