Eclipse Outsources Airframe Components

Eclipse Aviation Corporation announced earlier this month long-term contracts with two firms that will manufacture major components of the company’s forthcoming Eclipse 500 microjet. According to Eclipse, Ducommun AeroStructures in California will manufacture all of the fuselage and cockpit skin panels for the airplane while Empresa Nacional de Aeronutica (ENAER) in Chile will be responsible for the complete nose assembly. The selection of Ducommun and ENAER reflects Eclipses strategy of seeking out the best suppliers worldwide, said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. Ducommun is the United States largest independent supplier of composite and metal bond structures and assemblies, including aircraft wing spoilers, helicopter blades, flight-control surfaces and engine components. The Ducommun agreement represents one of the largest single contracts ever awarded to the company and has an estimated contract value at projected delivery rates of $120 million. The ENAER agreement has an estimated value of US$110 million. ENAER has more than 70 years of experience in aviation, according to Eclipse, and is one of the most important aeronautic centers in Latin America.