Eclipse Aerospace has received an amended Production Certificate, authorizing the final assembly, test, and certification of the new production Eclipse 550 Twin-Engine Jet.
To earn this amended Production Certificate, EAI demonstrated all assembly, quality, inspection, and flight verification processes required by the FAA, company officials said.
The original Production Certificate (PC) granted to EAI last year allowed Eclipse to manufacture the EA550 and requisite parts in compliance with FAA approved type design, but required direct FAA oversight of the flight test and certification phases. The amended PC now allows EAI to not only manufacture the EA550, but also to flight test and grant airworthiness certificates for the aircraft under EAI’s FAA approved quality system, company officials explain.
“Manufacturers are typically required to build their first group of aircraft under the supervision of the FAA,” stated Mason Holland, CEO of Eclipse Aerospace. “The fact that every new Eclipse 550 will be delivered under a full FAA Production Certificate speaks volumes about our team and our systems. We have 550s moving down the production line in Albuquerque, and armed with our full green light from the FAA for final assembly and test, we are on our way to delivering jets this year.”
The amended Production Certificate is the final key to aircraft production for Eclipse, he noted.
New production Eclipse 550 jets will begin delivery in the third quarter of this year. The new jets will come complete with a dual Avio IFMS avionics suite, independent stand-by display units, a 20,000 cycle airframe, and owner selected options including synthetic vision, enhanced vision, auto-throttles, and anti-skid brakes.
For more information: ECLIPSE.aero