31 July 2017
One Aviation may have sold just eight Eclipse 500/550 light jets in 2016 but that isn’t stopping the company from further developing the aircraft. The new aircraft has been called ‘Project Canada’ but now it has its new formal title, the Eclipse 700.
The 700 is much more than a simple upgrade of the current model, the 550. For a start, it’s bigger with a 14-inch longer fuselage and a four feet wider wingspan. The changes are to make the 700 a true six-seater, explained company boss Alan Klapmeier, while retaining the performance of the 550.
Customers appreciate the light jet’s climb rate, fuel efficiency and range, and its ability to operate from small airports, and to keep these attributes with the bigger aircraft the engines will be Williams FJ-33 turbofans, derated to 1,200lb of thrust but that’s still 30% more than the EA550.
Garmin G3000 avionics for new Eclipse 700 light jet. Longer fuselage makes the 700 a true six-seater.
Another big change is the cabin avionics. The 700 will be fitted with Garmin’s touchscreen controlled G3000 avionics. That’s a good move – the EA500/550’s Avio Flight Management System worked perfectly well but is a bit odd and old-fashioned.
Price of the Eclipse EA700 will be $3.6m and One Aviation has 30 orders for the aircraft, apparently mostly from existing Eclipse owners. Klapmeier thinks there is a bigger market for the 700, particularly in China which is opening up its airspace to General Aviation.
