Recent meetings at Albuquerque (NM)-based Eclipse Aviation (with investors and position holders), has allowed ANN to get a feel for the true cost of the Williams "Divorce." With an announcement of a new powerplant manufacturer anticipated to be just a week or two away, details are coming fast and furious from Vern Raburn's fledgling bizjet hatchery.

The good news is that the bird should be flying again in March or so (the aircraft flew only once with the underpowered and ill-tempered Williams EJ-22 prototypes) and that expected cruise speed is now expected to be some 375 knots... up 20 knots from previous estimates. Useful load pops up to 2250 pounds, from 2000. Climb rates will increase, significantly, as well.

Significant Delays, Price Increase Expected

Unfortunately, there was a cost to this additional capability: the aircraft's deliveries may be delayed by as much as two years ('til 2006) and the price has risen to $950K for current position holders and $1.1M for the johnnie-come-latelies (about SN #1500 or so). The higher prices will come as a disappointment to those touting the first bizjet for "less than a mega-buck," but the price is still about a 30-40% of that expected from the competition by the time they deliver their birds (the recently-announced Cessna Mustang lists at $2.295M, but most expect the bird to flirt with $3M long before they see serious production).

The test-bed will be flying, again, next month with "stand-in" engines... 1000-pound thrust cruise missile powerplants (the 382-10c, otherwise known as the Teledyne CAE F408-CA-400 turbofan)... just like those used in the Mach 0.85 Teledyne Ryan BQM-145 Peregrine UAV (seen right).

In the meantime, Eclipse will reportedly settle soon on an engine supplier (from a number of serious suitors) and an announcement seems right around the corner. What we know "officially," is that the new burner should offer at least 900 pounds of thrust, but burn a bit more fuel... causing the production Eclipse to sprout tiptanks to carry the additional go-juice. Mind you, the new powerplants will weigh more than the 80-pound EJ-22s they replace... but they should also last a LOT longer than the last prototypes... and put out all the thrust promised (which did NOT happen with the Williams).

Flight testing with the new production engines should occur before the end of 2004.

Operating costs took a hike, too. The original plan for a 56 cent per mile ops cost is looking like it's going to take a thirteen cent (23%) hike (based on constant-price fuel). Regardless, this is bargain basement stuff in the bizjet world... even at (literally) twice the price.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com