Eclipse EA700 First Flight

Editorial Staff

Sunday, September 03, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

One Aviation successfully conducted the first flight of the wing designed for its new EA700 aircraft, with the 80-minute test flight reported as solid and positive by the pilot.
The EA700 is an enlarged and more capable derivative of the original Eclipse 500/550, previously known as Eclipse Canada or the Canada Project.
Key enhancements include a bigger wing, larger engines, and a 14-inch fuselage extension, enabling a direct climb to 43,000 feet, a 1500 NM range, and more reliable operation in high and hot environments.

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One Aviation has announced the first flight of the wing that will hold up its EA700, known as the Eclipse Canada until recently. The wing was attached to a modified legacy airframe for the testing. Details of the flight are unavailable because of technical issues with their news release but the company’s Facebook post says the first flight lasted about 80 minutes and went well. “The aircraft felt very solid, a testament to the engineering and build teams,” said test pilot Jerry Chambers.

The EA700, known until June as the Canada Project, is an enlarged version of the original Eclipse 500/550 with a bigger wing, bigger engines and a fuselage extended by 14 inches, including the addition of a third cabin window. The result is a significantly more capable Eclipse that can climb directly to 43,000 feet, has a range of around 1500 NM and can service high and hot locations more reliably.