Thursday, Eclipse Aerospace earned an amended production certificate from the FAA, “authorizing the final assembly, test, and certification of the new production Eclipse 550” jet, the company announced. Earlier this month, Eclipse powered up the first truly new aircraft to roll out of its Albuquerque factory in nearly five years. The amended production certificate grants the company approval of its quality system, allowing it to produce, flight test and grant airworthiness certificates to the aircraft it builds. New production Eclipse 550 twin-engine jets should begin reaching customers before year-end.
The company expects to begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2013. The jets are approved for 20,000 cycles, have independent standby displays and come with the company’s dual Avio IFMS avionics suite. Eclipse had earned a production certificate in 2012 that allowed it to produce parts for the EA550 but flight test and certification phases required the direct supervision of the FAA. According to Eclipse CEO Mason Holland, “Manufacturers are typically required to build their first group of aircraft under the supervision of the FAA.” Holland said that new Eclipse 550 jets will now be delivered under a full FAA production certificate and “we are on our way to delivering jets this year.”
