Introduction to the Eclipse 400 Jet
The Eclipse 400 is a jet you may still see listed in older aircraft guides, but it is not one you can buy or charter. It was the second design from Eclipse Aviation, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, company best known for the twin-engine Eclipse 500 very light jet.
The aircraft started as a prototype. On July 23, 2007, at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Eclipse unveiled the Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ), which had already been flying for three weeks. It had been built in secrecy at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia by Swift Engineering and BaySys Technologies.
Eclipse first said it did not plan to put the ECJ into production. By May 2008, it had changed course and began taking orders for a production version, named the Eclipse 400.
Design and Features
The ECJ was a four-seat aircraft powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan. That is the same engine family used in pairs on the Eclipse 500, which flies with two PW610F engines.
Because the Eclipse 400 never went through certification, there is no final, certified set of specifications for it. Figures for its speed, range and weight that appear online describe a design target or the prototype, not a production aircraft, and they disagree with each other. This page leaves them out.
Performance and Specifications
For comparison, the certified Eclipse 500 from the same company is a twin-engine very light jet with two PW610F engines, a maximum cruise speed of about 370 knots, a range of about 1,125 nautical miles and a service ceiling of 41,000 feet. Those are the Eclipse 500's figures, not the Eclipse 400's.
Cost and Availability
The Eclipse 400 has no purchase price, because it never reached customers.
What happened, in order:
- May 2008: Eclipse begins taking orders for the Eclipse 400.
- August 2008: Eclipse announces that development of the Eclipse 400 is on hold and that it has not started the certification process. The deposits customers paid later became the subject of legal action.
- October 2008: production of the Eclipse 500 stops for lack of funding.
- November 25, 2008: Eclipse Aviation files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- February 2009: the case is converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation.
- August 2009: a new company, Eclipse Aerospace, takes over the assets and later restarts support and production for the Eclipse 500.
Eclipse Aerospace later merged to become One Aviation, which went bankrupt in 2018. No owner of the Eclipse assets brought the Eclipse 400 to market.
Pros and Cons of the Eclipse 400 Jet
The Eclipse 400 is best understood as a piece of very light jet history.
What it showed:
- A working single-engine prototype, flown in 2007
- Buyer interest: Eclipse took orders for the production version in 2008
Why it matters to a traveler today:
- It was never certified, so no operator can fly it on a charter
- There are no production aircraft, no service history and no resale market
Conclusion and Future of the Eclipse 400 Jet
The Eclipse 400 has no future as a production aircraft. Development stopped in 2008, and the company behind it was liquidated the following year.
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FAQs about What Is An Eclipse 400 Jet?
What is an Eclipse 400 jet?
The Eclipse 400 was a planned four-seat, single-engine very light jet from Eclipse Aviation, based on the Eclipse Concept Jet prototype that first flew in July 2007.
Was the Eclipse 400 ever built?
Only as a prototype. Eclipse put development on hold in August 2008, before certification began, and no production aircraft were delivered.
What engine did the Eclipse 400 use?
The prototype was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan.
Can you buy or charter an Eclipse 400?
No. It never entered production and was never certified, so it is not available to buy or charter.
Who made the Eclipse 400?
Eclipse Aviation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The prototype was built at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia by Swift Engineering and BaySys Technologies.