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Originally Posted by Boris Badenov  Last I heard they were using handheld GPS and flying under VFR because the avionics don't work. No kidding. |
I believe they finally got the IFR certification. Not sure about the handheld GPS, but I know they don't have onboard radar (XM downlink only), they're not approved for known icing and they're tiny, both up front and in the back. I sat in a cabin mockup at NBAA last year and I had to fold myself like an accordion to get in and out.
My personal opinion is that the project is set for failure, I just hope not in a tragic way. I seems to me that the Eclipse was a rush job; what other shortcuts were taken on the production line if the company can justify delivering a fleet of aircraft (to DayJet) that are not yet fully ready to do the job? It would be like Boeing delivering the super fuel efficient 787 to its launch customer even though the gear doesn't retract yet. Its a startup company, flying a brand new aircraft that is less than capable of doing the job (at this point). I'm not impressed.