Aero-TV: Vern Raburn 'Unplugged'

Vern Offers Some Substantial Details On The Eclipse 400 Program Yup... it sure seems like its jet week all of a sudden -- especially the single-engine persuasion. This time, though, we head back to get some details on THE OTHER new single engine jet... the recently announced Eclipse 400. ANN's Aero-TV crew caught up with Vern Raburn right after he gave the public go-ahead for this program and got some juicy details in Part One of a VERY FRANK discussion with Vern Raburn. It was just a little over a month ago that Raburn told ANN that he was "thrilled" to have the opportunity to introduce a new aircraft to the Eclipse Aviation family – the Eclipse 400 single-engine jet, the production version of the Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ), which was first revealed at EAA AirVenture 2007 and profiled exclusively by Aero-TV. After completing 10 months of extensive research on the ECJ, Eclipse claimed that they were "confident this is the perfect aircraft for the emerging single-engine jet market. As many of you have experienced firsthand, this jet inspires people. It immediately captures their imaginations, and when they look a little closer and begin to grasp the level of performance and value it delivers – they are truly blown away." Previous Eclipse customers were the first allowed to place deposits on the 1.35 million dollar Eclipse 400. Public deposits will be accepted starting at EAA AirVenture 2008. The Eclipse 400 will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F engine. Eclipse expects that at an estimated 330 knots, it will use less than one pound of fuel per nautical mile — making it the world’s most fuel-efficient jet aircraft. It seats four and cruises at 41,000 feet, nearly four miles above its closest 'competition.' It will also feature the most sophisticated flight deck and complete aircraft integration available in general aviation. The Eclipse 400 is priced at $1.35 million in June 2008 economics. They expect to start delivering Eclipse 400 jets in the 4th Quarter of 2011. Vern ...