Eclipse 550 receives Production Certificate from FAA

Eclipse Aerospace has received Production Certificate #550 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet.

The certificate was presented to Cary Winter - Senior Vice President of Eclipse Aerospace – by representatives of the FAA at a ceremony held at Eclipse’s Albuquerque headquarters yesterday.

Winter said: "Armed now with a fully certified aircraft, a certified production process, and an established supply chain, Eclipse is well positioned to re-introduce the Eclipse Jet to new production.

“Earning our FAA production certificate means we have successfully built a reliable, high-quality manufacturing process, and are well positioned to expedite aircraft deliveries."

A production certificate enables a company to produce aircraft and parts in conformance with FAA-approved type design.

The FAA’s approval process includes the exhaustive evaluation of a company’s manufacturing processes, quality control, and production inspection system. Its inspectors also carry out multiple audits and check that approved design data is compliant.

The Eclipse 550 is a twin-engine jet, which is built upon the same platform as the company’s Eclipse 500. It will include a range of system upgrades including auto-throttles, synthetic vision, enhanced vision, and a redundant flight management system.

According to the company, first deliveries of the aircraft are expected to take place in mid-2013.