Eclipse EA500  N50EJ                        (c/n 000087)

                                      

                                         The Eclipse 500, seen here in this shot by Bill Larkins at Buchanan Field, Concord, CA in December
                                         2011 was the first of a new class of Very Light Jet aircraft when first delivered in 2006.   Power is
                                         provided by two light weight (and very small) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines.
                                         Eclipse Aviation was founded in 1998 in Albuquerque, NM by former Microsoft employee Vern
                                         Raeburn.  As such, it had some original funding from Bill Gates.  Production of the all-composite
                                         5-6 seater executive jet ceased in 2008 due to lack of funding.   By this time over 100 of them had
                                         been built     Following a Chapter 7 re-organization the company has been re-born as Eclipse Aero-
                                         space and hopefully production of this neat little jet will contiunue.