The story
The Eclipse 500 was meant to make jets cheap enough to launch a whole air-taxi industry. Its first maker went bankrupt in 2008 after building 260, but the little jet lives on: the updated Eclipse 550 followed, and a new owner restarted 550 production in 2023. Six seats, two engines, one pilot.
Much of the Eclipse's aluminium skin is friction-stir welded to the structure instead of riveted, a manufacturing technique Eclipse adopted to build the jet cheaply.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Eclipse 500/550?
Tiny twinjet with a T-tail, straight wings with small tip tanks, and two engines in pods on the rear fuselage. Barely bigger than a piston twin on the ramp.
What does a Eclipse 500/550 sound like?
Two small PW610Fs, about 900 lb of thrust each — a soft, high whine for a jet.
How fast is the Eclipse 500/550?
Top speed is 375 kts.
How many passengers does the Eclipse 500/550 carry?
Up to 5. A typical layout is 4 (owner-pilot).
How far can the Eclipse 500/550 fly?
Range is about 1,125 nmi.
How big is the Eclipse 500/550?
It is 33 ft 6 in long and 37 ft 11 in across the wings.
When did the Eclipse 500/550 first fly?
Its first flight was in 2002.
How many Eclipse 500/550s have been built?
295+ (260 Eclipse 500s, 35+ 550s) built.
How rare is a Eclipse 500/550 in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Eclipse 500/550 catch is worth 25 points.
