Spent Friday in Oskosh, WI (Experimental Aircraft Association Annual Meeting) I have to have one...requires $100,000 deposit...pre-production cost $1.3 M The Eclipse 400 Concept: www.Eclipseaviation.com
Yup. Come out to Albuquerque and I will get you a tour of their manufacturing plant. Alot of mechanics were recruited from the local dealerships by Eclipse... I must say though, it has been cool watching the company grow from start up.
Yeah, it does look like the new Honda jet. Pretty cool. If I had more money than I knew what to do with, I'd buy a couple.
Cirrus also has a new light jet...and it is pretty Kewl too! These single engine light jets are reverting the to "Bonanza Tail" which is a retro style that many of us old enthusiasts enjoy.
yeah thats a sweet little ride but it was only built to guage the interest in the platform. Last I heard there wasn't that much interest in it from those serious enough to get one. Long term plans:...scrap metal...
When in Florida our partner in the Keys Kottage had a Mooney M20F...I used to fly not any more, but Christine is avid! The Mooney was the perfect platform for trips between Jax and Marathon. The trip took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes, driving was close to 8 hours. She has not flown since we left Florida, but the trip to Oskosh re-fired the flames! Not much metal in that thing...lots of carbon fiber...and they were ready to take a $100,000 deposit...but you are correct, they have sold about 100 or their "500" twin jet...and just changed CEO's. Time will tell if they produce the 400 or not. Dave I know you are a multi-engine guy, with lots of hours in big stuff...but the future of general aviation seems to be the light sport crowd, single engine non-complex (fixed gear). There was a demo of a "jet-glider" at Oskosh...used the jet to take off and climb...then shut it off, would glide and dive and then re-ignite the single jet for aerobatics and shut it off again to glide...what a rush!
That's cool! Hope she gets to fly again! :future: I always like the Mooney's empennage.... very unique how it looks swept forward. :nerd:
Forward leaning tails were everywhere in Oskosh...I understand that hundreds of them fly in together from all over the country...many of them flying in formation for the final leg.
