Transcript
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Where does one find the most appropriate words to describe the Eclipse? If you page through a fashion magazine you would come across words like elegant, good looking, pretty, stunning, sexy, sporty, cute, awesome, amazing and many more. All these descriptive words would form part of the list of labels one could attach to the Eclipse Jet.
The Total Eclipse When I was first invited to fly the Eclipse, I approached it with an open mind and a lot of curiosity. I was told by the Executive Director of fixed wing aircraft sales at NAC, Mr. JP Fourie, that this aircraft was vastly different from the average small business jet. This statement left many questions in my mind. His statement was spot-on and I was pleasantly surprised by what this ‘Pocket Rocket’ had to offer. From the few pictures I found of the Eclipse before I saw it in real life at Lanseria airport, I formed an idea of the concept of a ‘compact jet’ in my mind. What I saw in reality was much better than what I had expected. At first glance she meets the description as advertised. The curves of her rounded nose gracefully flow into a tapered body that spreads out elegantly along the slender wings, around the tip tanks to meet up again at a sporty, pointed high T-tail. A real eye catcher that attracts attention! The closer I got, the better she looked. The average small business jet takes up quite a bit of floor space, requires two pilots to operate and has a shocking price tag attached to it. The Eclipse is in a category of its own. It fits into a smaller space than a Baron 58, is designed and certified to be operated by a single pilot and has a very attractive price tag attached to it! There is a long history behind the design, development and certification of the Eclipse, so much so that a book was written on the history of this unique little aircraft, ‘The Great Eclipse’ written by Dennis D Maxwell. The ICAO designator for the Eclipse 500/550 is EA50. It is a twin turbo-fanned aircraft powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada
Photos: © Karin Roodt
of the heart
PW610F-A engines rated at 900lbs thrust each. It is a five to six seat low wing, T-tail aircraft using conventional semi-monoque structural elements joined together with both Friction Stir Welding (FSW) and mechanical fasteners. The primary structure of the aircraft is aluminium with limited use of composite materials in non-primary structural areas, such as the radome, fairings and floor panels. The cabin access door is located behind the pilot seat with an additional emergency exit opposite it, behind the second pilot seat. There is only one word to describe the cockpit – Impressive! Although the operational design of the aircraft is focused on single pilot operation, the standard design features full function dual controls. At first glance the cockpit might appear to be fairly small. However, the side-stick and compact centre pedestal creates a spacious atmosphere. Ingenious ergonomic design features were incorporated in the design and build of the ‘control centre’. Why use this term to describe the cockpit, you may ask? Well, if you take a closer look at exactly what is incorporated in the standard package, you will be equally impressed. The layout of the instrument panel is clean, neat and simple. Unlike most business jets, there are very few switches and circuit breakers in the cockpit. The main focus is centred upon the two Primary Function Displays (PFD) and one large Multi Function Display (MFD) positioned in the centre of the forward panel of the cockpit. The displays on all three panels are clear, crisp and colourful. To the left of the pilot PFD are three rows of simple, functional switches; to the right of the second pilot PFD, only one row of switches. All these switches are clearly marked and very simple to operate. Neatly tucked away beneath the glare shield, is the Autopilot Control Panel (ACP). It comprises of a row of simple switches and knobs arranged in a logic order with which the lateral and vertical modes of the auto flight system are controlled. Beneath the MFD are the landing gear lever and a single row of switches used to control the aircraft lights and anti-ice equipment. Another pleasant surprise is hidden beneath both PFDs. Two keyboards which can be pulled out after a gentle push on a flush cover, which can be used as an alternative method to enter data into the Flight Management System (FMS). The overhead panel is tiny with only two switches used to control the engine start and shut-down. Lastly the centre pedestal only contains two elegantly designed throttles, a flap control lever and electric rudder trim switch. Simplicity and ease of access are the most appropriate words to describe the cockpit design. With a maximum ramp weight of 6 034 pounds, the aircraft is easy to manoeuvre on the ground. The basic empty weight is around 3 650 pounds, the maximum zero fuel weight is 4 900 pounds and it has a maximum fuel capacity of 1 700 pounds. At the
maximum take-off weight of 6 000 pounds the aircraft is capable of climbing directly to its service ceiling of 41 000 feet. Once again, impressive! It is not a fast jet, however, the certified maximum indicated speeds of 285 knots (kts) and ,64 mach and True Air Speed (TAS) of around 360kts is more than adequate for this cute sports model. Up at cruise level, she maintains ,62 mach with no effort. Add a true airspeed of 360kts and a total fuel flow of 380 pounds per hour at service ceiling to the fact that you started the engines at maximum ramp weight and you have a range of at least 1 100 nautical miles, it brings a smile to your face. Around every corner, the Eclipse holds surprises and impressive features. The calculation of performance data and weight and balance information has never before been so simple and user friendly. A function on the FMS menu takes the pilot step by step through the actions required to calculate accurate performance data. As the data is entered into the FMS, either through the keypad or selector knobs, the information is instantaneously displayed on a weight and balance graph on the MFD. Whenever values are entered that may cause the plane to exceed its performance limitations, the display colour changes to red. By accepting the results of the correct data entered, the V REF is automatically transferred to both PFDs and the manoeuvre margins on the speed tape is automatically adjusted. As part of the package, Eclipse presents the owner with an application that can be loaded on most popular handheld devices similar to the Apple iPad. This application enables the pilot to do accurate flight planning at home and does not require access to the internet. Refuelling the aircraft is as simple as refuelling any low wing light aircraft. One filler cap on each tip tank is used to fill all the fuel tanks on each side. An oil tank inspection panel is located on the outboard side of each engine. The oil quantity is clearly displayed through a glass port and adding oil is a no mess business. All inspection panels are very easily accessible. You might however, attract a bit of dust to your kneecaps when inspecting the main gear brake pad indicators. The aircraft is fitted with two powerful lead acid batteries of which one is dedicated to starting the engines. Starting the engines by using external power is a non-event as no additional electric switching is required. The Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system takes care of engine start and control. By turning the engine switch to ON/START, the start procedure is taken care of. The FADEC system will also automatically protect the engine against any start malfunction. For the first flight of the day there are a few aircraft systems that need to be checked. This is done in a simple left-to-right, top-tobottom fashion. Once all systems checks are completed and the required checklist items have been accomplished, there is little to
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be done before you can take this baby to the sky. The aircraft is easy to taxi with responsive nose wheel steering through the rudder pedals. Sharp turns in a confined space do, however, require a significant amount of power and a bit of finesse. Lined up on the runway and cleared for take-off the fun really starts! The two quiet Pratt & Whitney motors are responsive and grunty. At max all up weight and 3 000 feet elevation in ISA conditions, she accelerates quickly and leaps to the sky at a mere 90 knots while using less than a thousand metres of runway! Once airborne, the game only gets better. The side stick is comfortable to use and the electric ‘Chinese hat’ trim for pitch and roll is easily manipulated with small thumb movements. The well balanced flight controls offer a pleasant control harmony while you can enjoy the feel of a responsive, willing machine. At speeds in the excess of 200kts, she becomes quite sensitive in pitch and a bit heavy in roll. Then again, it is not a fighter jet and operating the aircraft under normal conditions, there is no need for a rapid roll rate at 250kts. The cabin is very quiet and the environmental control is simple to operate and extremely efficient. The large windows offer an excellent view of the scenery unfolding around you for both crew and passengers. One might have a negative comment regarding the space inside the cabin but if you plan to walk around the cabin of a small jet, you will definitely be writing a much bigger cheque. Part of the success story of the Eclipse is the fact that it is a true single pilot jet. The simplicity in design and level of automation of all systems in this aircraft is absolutely mind blowing! The aircraft is fitted with a very robust yet sophisticated auto flight system. Only a few seconds after lift-off, passing 400 feet above ground level, you can engage the autopilot and yaw damper with the confidence that it will do exactly what you program it to do. It allows you to leave it engaged throughout the entire flight right down to 200 feet above ground during the approach to land. This instantaneously reduces the workload of the pilot and allows him to pay attention to an ever changing environment in which the aircraft functions. Yet in the background a bank of micro processors is monitoring and controlling a magnitude of flight parameters, while capturing in the order of 4 000 channels of data every 30 seconds. Not impressed yet? Just wait, there is more! This little lady is not only capable of out-climbing many jets, once she is up there in the troposphere, she can join in all the fun of playing on the RVSM field while her TCAS and radar systems are keeping open their watchful eyes. The large MFD makes flight progress monitoring and forward planning an absolute pleasure. Once the aircraft settles down in the cruise, you can simply set the throttles at Maximum Continuous Trust (MCT) and watch the fuel flow indicators reducing to less than 200 pounds per engine
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per hour. The new models will even be fitted with an auto throttle system as part of the standard equipment! This is taking light jet aviation into a very exciting direction. The quiet cabin and sophisticated environmental control system allows the occupants to enjoy a comfortable journey. Arriving at your destination, there is a variety of approach options available. The standard avionics equipment fitted in the Eclipse enables it to fly VOR, ILS, RNAV GNSS and LPV approaches. Aircraft exported to African countries are also equipped with an ADF and a DME to enable it to fly the aging approaches which are becoming obsolete in the USA and Europe. The aircraft is able to fly all these approaches through the auto flight system. This advanced level of automation is an important link in the chain of elements required to supply a platform from where a safe and low-stress single pilot operation can be managed. Add the phenomenal feature of the Jeppessen charts, which are easily accessible and clearly displayed on the MFD, to the colourful map and Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS) displayed next to it on the large MFD, and you have a state-of-the-art executive jet! When it is landing time, you are met by yet another pleasant surprise. Jet aircraft are invariably characterised by fast approach speeds and long runways. Not the Eclipse! Even at the maximum landing weight of 5 600 pounds, the approach speed, with landing flap selected is only 94kts with a landing distance of 1 150 metres at an elevation of 2 000 feet and a temperature of 25 degrees C. At a more realistic landing weight of 4 500 pounds, the approach speed for similar conditions is 85kts with 1 000m of runway required. The new models will have the option of anti-skid, which will not necessarily reduce the landing distance but will certainly provide additional safety for landing on a wet runway. Getting used to all the bells and whistles of this little jet takes time. One easily underestimates the level of sophistication behind the design of the Eclipse. This potential problem has, however, been catered for in the training philosophy of the manufacturer. The conversion onto the Eclipse comprises of an extensive ground and flight training course done at the Eclipse Training Facility in the USA. I was truly impressed with the way the ground school was presented. Two flight instructors presented all the technical lectures and fixed base training sessions. They know the aircraft and its systems inside out and gave a tremendous amount of information on the development history of the aircraft systems and combined it with practical applications based on their operational experience on the aircraft. The training syllabus makes provision to train a diverse group of pilots, ranging from a pilot with single engine piston experience
Photos: © Karin Roodt
as his only reference datum to an experienced multi engine qualified and heavy jet pilot. For the less experienced pilot, fascinating elements such as upset training in a L39 jet, RVSM, TCAS, RNAV GNSS, single pilot CRM, and many more related aspects are incorporated in the training sequence. There is an option of doing the type training on a simulator followed by a mentorship programme on the aircraft or a comprehensive training programme on the aircraft only. Whichever route is followed, the end result is a competent, skilled, safe, type rated pilot. When we talk about training, there is one aspect which is definitely worth mentioning; an engine failure in flight on the Eclipse is no major event. Due to the fact that the engines are mounted far aft on the fuselage and very close to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, a total loss of thrust on either engine results in very little yawing motion. So much so that if the Eclipse is the only multi engine on which a pilot is rated, the FAA will regard him as not ‘asymmetric’ qualified. If an engine would fail in level flight, the pilot simply has to increase thrust on the remaining engine with 15 percent N1 and the speed will remain constant. On one engine, the aircraft is still capable of cruising at 35 000 feet at a moderate weight. My training on the Eclipse was done under the watchful eye of Ken Ross, the President of Eclipse Aerospace. The company is based at Chicago Executive Airport, situated a mere 15 kilometres north of the busy Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The training staff at Eclipse is customer orientated. Michael Vaupell, Director of Operations for North American Jet, took the lead in presenting the ground school during my conversion. He knows the aircraft inside out and presented us with detailed information about the aircraft systems. I was privileged to do my flight training with Paul Burns, Director of Flight Training for Eclipse Aerospace. Paul has an impressive résumé, which includes a colourful career as fighter pilot in the US Air Force, a few years flying as an airline pilot on medium jets and more than 2 000 hours of flight experience on the Eclipse. Working closely with this highly experienced group of pilots was an honour. All tasks and requests during my training period were dealt with effortlessly and with utmost professionalism. Learning to fly and manage the total package the Eclipse Jet has to offer was a remarkable and pleasant experience. I have flown a diverse variety of aircraft in my 30 years as a professional pilot and the Eclipse Jet left an everlasting impression. It truly deserves a top rating in the basket of favourite aircraft in my logbook. She left a big smile on my face! Francois Naudé
