http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2 ... lipse.html

I don't see how they can possibly make this work, but wish them all the luck on the world.

Paul

According to one of their former test pilots they have two brand new airplanes ready to go in a hanger about 30 on the line that could be finished and all the DayJet airplanes. I think that if they finish the airframes they have and just stick with service they will be OK.

Also they got at least 1 service center in the south and the real estate of the plant as well as all the full motion sims and equipment in the plants.

The source says this all comes without any notes against it so we will se what happens

I'll do it.

I wonder how much money they need.

Think I can make some money?

How much do I have to pay them to be "CEO"?

That would look good on my business card. I could be a "hotshot" at Sun 'N Fun and AirVenture...at least for a year...or until the next promises fall through.

I never cease to be amazed at the numbers of people who keep starting aviation/airplane manufacturing companies. Getting investors is a miracle (or are there just a lot of people willing to gamble on the "dream" deal?) Do they not read aviation history? The odds of success are extremely small. I do not know of many companies in the US that began the manufacturing of certificated airplanes since 1955 AND succeeded in selling a significant number of planes, except Cirrus, Lear and Gulfstream. Any others???

The list of failures is very, very, long.

My guess is the mgmt ends up making money, and the subsequent investors and owners get the shaft, again.

Maybe the job includes use of this as a perk. Eclipse is still listed as the owner. I'll take this over a company car any day.

There's no doubt in my mind that if someone would get a SE Jet to market that it would sell. Nobody has ever done it.

There are plenty of SE jets on the market. The F-16 Block 60, L-39, and Hawk 100 come to mind. At least the L-39 is available to civilians in the experimental/exhibition category. The greater task is bringing a SE jet to market certified under part 23. There is a modification to the De Havilland Vampire T.35 (DH.115) that puts a four seat cabin between the wings, the Jetcraft Executive Mark 1. The Jetcraft mod also replaced the DH.115's Goblin centrifugal flow turbo-jet with a more modern 2900 pound thrust P&W JT15-D5. Undoubtedly, the Goblin powered Vampire should be faster, but the Pratt should be much more efficient. The DH.115 has straight wings which should yield relatively good slow speed behavior. I don't know how far Jetcraft got with their project. There was a mockup at least floating around California in the late 1980s. I never saw it fly though.

Alan Bradley