According to this article, there is a great deal of faith in the Eclipse 500...................read on...........
Eclipse 500 Order Book Tops 2,000; Early Market Demand for Revolutionary New Jet Exceeds Expectations; 1,357 Orders and 715 Options in Place
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2002--Eclipse Aviation Corporation today announced that the order book for its lightweight, six-place, Eclipse 500 jet totals 2,072 aircraft. With 1,357 firm orders and 715 options, the company has secured more than $65,000,000 in non-refundable deposits for this breakthrough twinjet.
"Demand for the Eclipse 500 jet has been exceptionally strong, demonstrating the market creation and expansion made possible through not only the compelling purchase price, but more importantly, the low direct operating cost of this aircraft," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "To our knowledge, the Eclipse 500 order book is greater than that of any single civilian jet in the history of aviation."
Nonrefundable deposits secure all orders for the Eclipse 500 jet. Each order includes payment schedules that increase the amount of the customer's total deposit as the aircraft reaches certification and delivery milestones.
Included in the order book are deposits from individual customers for the purchase of 530 owner-flown aircraft.
First customer deliveries are scheduled to occur in January 2004. To date, approximately the first two-and-a-half years of production aircraft have been sold-out. Prospects interested in making a deposit toward the purchase of an Eclipse 500 today will be granted a mid-2006 delivery position. Fleet customer aircraft delivery commitments extend through 2008.
The Eclipse 500 is a six-person jet aircraft that sells for $837,500 (in June 2000 dollars). At this price, it costs approximately a quarter of today's small jet aircraft. The Eclipse 500 flies at 355 knots and can travel 1300 nautical miles (about the distance between Boston and Miami) at a cost of approximately 56 cents a mile to operate.
Production Rates
Eclipse Aviation expects to deliver approximately 140 aircraft in 2004, 500 aircraft in 2005 and 900 aircraft in 2006. At its full production rate, which the company expects to reach in 2007, Eclipse will be able to manufacture an estimated 1,500 aircraft per year.
High volume production is achieved by using innovative manufacturing practices including the use of friction stir welding, precisely machined parts, a modular approach to assembly, and modern supply chain management that leverages outsourced components.
Friction stir welding is a joining process that replaces 60 percent of the rivets in the Eclipse 500. The FAA approved the friction stir welding process specification in May 2002.
About Eclipse
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying revolutionary propulsion, manufacturing and electronics systems to produce aircraft that cost less than one quarter of the price of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation. Contact Eclipse at
http://www.eclipseaviation.com.
Eclipse and Eclipse 500 are trademarks of Eclipse Aviation Corporation.
EDITORS' NOTE: The current Eclipse 500 deposit program can be viewed in the News Room at
http://www.eclipseaviation.com.
09/09/2002 16:01 EASTERN