The term Very Light Jet (VLJ) is relatively new, being coined in the last 10 years. The hype surrounding very light jets was generated by the Eclipse jet. It promised to be revolutionary in its construction performance and most importantly its cost. The concept was simple, a jet carrying 4 people that would sip fuel and be offered for just over 1 million dollars. The secret to their success was the advancement of small jet engine technology and using automotive manufacturing techniques to mass produce the airplane. Promises were made and an aggressive timetable established to entice buyers and the media. Their plan worked, a huge buzz was created and many investors/buyers made down payments on their own Eclipse very light jet. One company, DayJet, created a business plan for a private jet charter service based entirely on the promises of the Eclipse jet. Their order alone was for over 1400 airframes.
Several huge hurdles remained in the path of the Eclipse before is winged its way to success. First and foremost the engines that all the performance and cost saving hinged on were only in early development. Secondly the manufacturing process adopted from the automobile industry, stir friction welding, had never been done or approved for aircraft production. After much competition and some waffling between companies, a choice was made on the engine manufacturer which seemed most likely to deliver. Eclipse aviation also successfully pioneered friction stir welding for aircraft production.
After these initial problems were solved new issues reared up. The avionics suite of the Eclipse jet began to cause significant delays in its development process. As with the other features, Eclipse had made big promises when it came to the instrumentation of the cockpit. They almost had to offer a revolutionary cockpit due to the fact that the jet was intended to be flown by a single pilot. Many of these lone aviators and future owners were moving up from much lower performance propeller driven aircraft. A huge leap forward for any pilot, not to mention that many of these new owners were feared to be amateur weekend warrior types with the cash to buy an aircraft type that previously was way out of their price range. As Eclipse worked out these issues and time passed it became apparent that the engine manufacturer would not be able to deliver. More delays mounted and Eclipse chose to mount a pair of modified Pratt and Whitney engines just to get their dreams off the ground.
In the end after many delays, increased cost, and shortcomings in features, the Eclipse jet flew. Around this time the economy started to falter. Buyers began backing out, most notably DayJet decided to cancel their huge order and turning a profit seemed more elusive to Eclipse Aviation. Buyers began to sue for refunds on their deposits which it seems Eclipse had begun to use just to stay afloat. Desperate measures began to be taken by Eclipse, from laying off half the company to attempting to move production to Russia in a cost saving effort. The writing was on the wall and Eclipse filed chapter 11 and ended up in chapter 7 to the tune of $700 million of debt.
Eclipse delivered just over 250 airplanes to a mixed reception on the part of owners. Some owners love the airplane and sing its praises while others are fearful to even set foot in one. The jet performance is there and it is said to fly like a little fighter plane. However it is lacking some of the big jet safety features and functionality.
In conclusion the Eclipse jet is not a luxury private jet and is not going to revolutionize jet charter. It was the first failed attempt that many larger aircraft manufactures have emulated and successfully improved upon. Improved efficiency and reliability of small turbine engines is at the core of the very light jet future. As those engines improve and shrink so too will the very light jet.
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