Very Light Jets Come of Age

摘要

After more than eight years in development, Very Light Jets (VLJs) are a reality. The Eclipse and the Citation Mustang have earned their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Type Certificates and the first aircraft have been handed over to their new owners. Over the next couple of years, the VLJ manufacturers will discover whether the huge investment in development and certification has heen worthwhile - and the aviation community will find out whether the dire predictions of some aviation observers have been justified. For the record, Very Light Jets (VLJs) are single-pilot certified jet aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of less than 10,000lb (4,540kg). Because they have all been designed within the last six to eight years, they feature the latest technology in terms of avionics, automated management of powerplants and systems, and glass cockpit displays. In several cases, they have composite airframes. Credit for initiating the 'VLJ movement' must be given to Vern Raeburn of Eclipse Aviation, which leads the market in terms of orders and market visibility, though numerous other companies have climbed aboard the bandwagon, hoping for a slice of a lucrative market.