Eclipse Aviation started building this six seat business jet in 2002 though due to a funding shortfall went into administration in 2008. The business assets were sold to Eclipse Aerospace and in 2011 announced a new version branded the Eclipse 550.

Early versions of this very light jet were affected by avionic software glitches and basic functions that appear to have been overlooked by Eclipse Aviation in the early days such as non coupled auto pilot/GPS. The Eclipse 550 has the ability to operate up to FL410, has the New Generation avionics as standard and can fly into known icing conditions unlike the early Eclipse 500. Many early generation Eclipse 500 were modified to iron out the initial glitches.

The Eclipse cruises at around 350 knots with range of 1,125 nautical miles with 45 minute reserves. Many Eclipse private jets have only five seats in total, to allow for easier access in the main cabin. Passengers need to be aware that the cabin size of the Eclipse is slightly larger than an executive car and so movement once seated in the aircraft is limited.

The Eclipse is a superb aircraft for two to four passengers travelling 2-2.5 hours from point of departure. It is a highly efficient aircraft burning less fuel per hour than its turboprop counterparts.

Eclipse 550 private jets are available at around $2.3m new, and from $700k for the older E500 series dependant on upgrades.

For more information on charter or purchase of Eclipse 500/550 aircraft contact us at [email protected] or call +44 (0)207 993 8368.

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