Turbine Pilot

A new pair of very light jets could stand convention on its ear

Here in the twilight of the first century of flight, we humans think we have this transportation thing down pretty well. Sprinting through the skies at speeds of 300 to 500 mph in modern, glistening airliners, we smugly relax in climate-controlled comfort while munching on caviar and watching the latest movies….

Well, OK, it isn't very relaxing, and the climate isn't that controlled, and the food, well, it ain't caviar. But the airliners are going 300 to 500 mph, right? No, that part isn't exactly true, either. The airplanes are going that fast, but our trips in them are really progressing more at Piper Cub speeds—50 to 60 mph. Yep, on trips of 300 to 400 miles, your airline trip progresses at not-so-smug highway speeds. On trips of that stage length, you might as well drive because your door-to-door time will be about the same. If it makes you feel any better, highway speeds are decreasing too, so the airline experience isn't the only form of transportation becoming less efficient.

Congestion on the highways and at hub-and-spoke airline terminals has reduced the efficiency of both forms of transportation over the past couple of decades, according to NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. As he reported during his speech at AOPA Expo '98 in Palm Springs, California, Goldin believes that NASA, in cooperation with the aviation industry, can make general aviation an efficient alternative to airline flight on shorter trips—those up to about 500 miles. The goal of NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) is to reduce the expense of aircraft that utilize smaller airports and to better utilize the existing aviation infrastructure to increase transportation efficiencies.

Building from the Advanced General Aviation and Transportation Experiments (AGATE) and the General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) Program, SATS plans to bring together new airframes, engines, and systems to make flying easier, safer, less expensive, and more efficient than ever. Lancair and Cirrus both put technology from these programs to work in the development of their all-new piston-engine aircraft, the Columbia 300 and the SR20, respectively. Now, with a new generation of very light jets sprouting, we're beginning to see some fruit on the turbine tree, as well.

As you'll see on the following pages, two new companies are developing similar new light jets, the Eclipse 500 and the Safire S–26. Both marry fairly conventional airframe shapes with brand-new engine technology. And indeed, it is the engines that will make or break these new projects. If the engines perform as their manufacturers, Williams and Agilis, plan, we could well see a revolution in general aviation over the next decade. If the engines don't meet the projections for thrust, fuel specifics, and weight, it will be situation normal for the foreseeable future.

Neither Eclipse Aviation nor Safire Aircraft has built or certified a new aircraft before. But they have laid out for themselves some very aggressive goals for performance, pricing, and timing. Both companies expect to deliver certified six-seat, pressurized, twin-jet aircraft in about three years for about $800,000. No other company in modern aviation times has ever been able to construct and certify an all-new aircraft of any sort in that short of a time. Cirrus and Lancair each took about five years to develop and certify their unpressurized, single-engine aircraft powered by known engines.

Officials at Safire and Eclipse have been quietly at work on their respective projects for a couple of years or longer. They believe they can meet the schedules because of advances in computer modeling. The aerodynamics of each aircraft will be carefully tweaked and tuned with the click of a computer mouse before any metal is cut or any composite cloth laid in a mold.

The companies are confident that they can meet their price goals by adapting modern manufacturing processes, tapping into off-the-shelf electronics and digital avionics systems, and because the tiny engines should be less expensive than conventional powerplants. By aggressively pricing their products, the companies hope to be able to sell them in large quantities and to thus be able to offer vendors large orders for components, such as engines and avionics systems—driving down costs and driving up efficiencies. For example, Safire committed to 1,000 engines to launch its program. It was apparently a good move, because already the company has about 600 orders with more coming in every day. If all were to be filled, that equates to 1,200 engines.

With prices equivalent to those of a piston twin, these new jets look interesting to pilots who might never before have considered a turbine aircraft, particularly a turbofan. So if you're a Beech Baron owner or Cessna 310 pilot looking to move up, what should you do?

If you place an order, make sure it is in an escrow account until the company has proven that its airplane will meet the performance specs. Recognize also that at this point you will be well more than three years from delivery. Both companies have built large order books, so if you get on board now, you will be buying a delivery position a year or more into the production stream.

You might also begin looking at how you can build some precious turbine time. With no history on either of these particular models and nothing at all in this category of very light jets, the insurance companies will obviously be reluctant to provide insurance to someone with no jet time. You can get a leg up by perhaps moving into a turboprop or light jet now. You will recoup part of your investment through the insurance savings you will receive in the future. On the other hand, if these two revolutionary aircraft are successful and are able to be delivered at the prices now promised, we may well see in the future erosion in the values of conventional turboprops and light jets.

While there are still plenty of unknowns about this market, there is one certainty: The second century of flight is shaping up to be just as interesting as the first. Stay tuned. — Thomas B. Haines

Inspired Safire

An inspiration grows into a new light jet

By Thomas B. Haines

When speaking with Safire Aircraft founder and President Michael Margaritoff, you get the impression that the S–26 light jet project is personal. He wants this aircraft and if you want one too, he'll be glad to bring you into the fold.

Indeed, the S–26 is the culmination of Margaritoff's decades-old dream for an efficient personal transport—a personal general aviation aircraft that truly makes sense for travel. Until now, he says, personally flown GA aircraft just don't have the performance and safety capabilities to make them efficient transportation vehicles. But, he says, with new engine, avionics, and manufacturing technology, his dream can now be realized.

Margaritoff's passion for such an aircraft was born 25 years ago when he saw a magazine cover featuring a kitbuilt Bede jet. He saved the cover and over the years has gathered bits and pieces of information about new developments in aerodynamics and jet engines. All of this has fueled his desire for an aircraft optimized for personal flight on trips of about 150 nm up to 1,000 nm. It is on such stage lengths, with the hassle of busy airline airports and the hub-and-spoke system, that airline flight is most inefficient. Likewise, automobile travel on trips greater than 150 nm is also inefficient.

If there is one thing that Margaritoff understands, it is moving people and goods efficiently. He learned to fly in 1973 and started a multimodal transportation company in his native Hamburg, Germany. He operated the company, Alpha Trans, in Hamburg and Berlin for more than 25 years and still owns half of it. He also founded an air charter company in Hamburg called Alpha Air. Holding commercial and flight instructor certificates along with multiengine and instrument ratings, he for many years owned a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle.

He moved to the United States in 1995 and has been developing the Safire concept in detail ever since.

The airplane

In Margaritoff's mind, the ultimate personal aircraft would be a twin-engine jet because it could fly higher, faster, safer, and farther—with a greater chance of reaching TBO—than any other type of aircraft. Making the fuselage of composite material would allow him to optimize the shape for the most efficient aerodynamics.

Margaritoff says the time is right to launch his project because of three fundamental shifts in GA: the introduction of new-generation, small, low-cost turbofan engines; rapid developments in engineering design systems, combined with the reliability and performance of composite structural materials; and the application of digital technology to avionics, safety, and navigation systems.

Margaritoff had worked closely with several engine manufacturers, including Williams, in developing his concept. His original plan was to use the new-generation Williams engines. However, once Eclipse signed an exclusive arrangement with Williams for its EJ22 engines, Margaritoff penned a deal with Agilis. Agilis is a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, company that until now has not been in the business of building complete engines for manufacture. Instead, the company has provided consulting, development, and engineering services to other turbine engine manufacturers.

To convince Agilis to enter the engine manufacturing business, Safire, located in nearby West Palm Beach, Florida, agreed to purchase a minimum of 1,000 engines. The engine under development at Agilis is the TF-800 turbofan, designed to produce 800 pounds of thrust. By comparison, the Williams FJ44 engines on the Cessna Citation produce 1,900 lbst. Agilis New Business Manager Frank Henderson said that the company would not provide specifics about its engine, saying, "At this stage of the turbofan development program, [the release of specifics] could possibly jeopardize any competitive edge that we may have."

Margaritoff says that the S–26's fuselage will be constructed of carbon-fiber pre-preg because it by now is a known product. "It works for us. Others have perfected other materials and methods that work for them," he comments. The airplane will be designed to seat six: two up front and a four-seat club arrangement in the back. The S–26 will also have a "private aft lavatory," although, admittedly, the term private is a relative one in a six-seat aircraft. The baggage compartment will be in the tail. The S–26 will be built to FAR Part 23 specifications with a 4,510-pound maximum takeoff weight, allowing single-pilot operations.

An avionics suite for the S–26 has not yet been chosen, but Margaritoff envisions a low-cost digital system with three 8-by-10-inch flat-panel displays that will take advantage of the "highway in the sky" and synthetic vision programs under development through various NASA/FAA/industry partnerships.

Safire recently completed the computational fluid dynamics review out to Mach 0.7—a computer analysis of the design's aerodynamics. As a result of the review, the engineers are making a slight adjustment to the positioning and shape of the engine pylons. The next step is modeling, and then wind-tunnel tests. The production prototype's first flight is expected to occur in mid-2002. First deliveries are scheduled for May 2003.

At this point, the specifications for the S–26 include the ability to fly 1,400 nm with IFR reserves, to climb as high as 41,000 feet, and to cruise as fast as 330 knots with a maximum full-fuel payload of 620 pounds. Safire expects the S–26 to be able to operate from runways as short as 2,400 feet. With a wingspan of just over 33 feet, a length of 31.5 feet, and a height of 10.8 feet, it will be slightly larger than a Beech A36 Bonanza, but not quite as large as a TBM 700. The cabin is projected to measure 13 feet long and a maximum of 57 inches wide.

While those are the goals, Margaritoff also hopes the aircraft can be designed to fly efficiently at an altitude of about 25,000 feet. He recognizes that climbing high into the flight levels is ideal from a fuel efficiency and true airspeed standpoint, but most individuals probably won't want to climb that high or spend that much time in a climb for shorter flights. In his mind, the requirement to fly high shouldn't be an impediment to flying. "People won't use the aircraft for shorter trips if they have to fly it so high, so our goal is to be as efficient as possible at lower altitudes as well."

Buyer's bonanza

Apparently Margaritoff isn't alone in his desire for such an aircraft. As of May 2, a total of 598 people had placed orders for the S–26, and several new orders were arriving every day. At this point, all it takes to become an order holder is $8,000, which is deposited in an escrow account managed by a law firm. Once the prototype flies, order holders will be asked to sign a binding purchase agreement, at which point the money will be nonrefundable. Up until that point, a depositor can request his money back at any time. Total purchase price is set at $800,000.

To assist him in what he describes as a $175 million-to-$200 million project, Margaritoff has hired David Humphries as the program manager. Humphries was formerly vice president of engineering for AAR Composites, which provides composite materials and structures for many aeronautical applications. Also on board is Joseph Soderquist, who formerly worked for the FAA as a specialist in composite materials. Dean Rotchin handles marketing. Engineering and sales personnel hail from various aviation and nonaviation companies. Safire will rely on subcontractors to develop major portions of the project, such as the avionics panel and systems.

"Because so many people have failed [in building new-generation aircraft], people believe it can't be done," laments Margaritoff. "What's so bad about a start-up, if you can get the best team?"

Margaritoff has funded the project so far with his personal wealth and private financing. On May 31, the company was to close on a $27 million financing package that will carry it through development of the conforming prototype. Those funds then leverage additional dollars that will carry the project through construction of the production facility. Company officials are fielding queries from many communities interested in hosting the manufacturing plant. Eventually, Margaritoff hopes to have an initial public offering that will assure long-term financing for the company.

Everything about the S–26 project is aggressive: the price, the performance, the production schedule. If Safire is able to deliver the S–26 at the price, performance, and schedule outlined, it will be a truly revolutionary product. Margaritoff is convinced that by leveraging the new engine and avionics technologies and advances in manufacturing the project is doable; talk to him for a while and you come away believing that if anyone can do it, he can—he is that passionate about the project.

For more information, write Safire Aircraft Company, 400 Clematis Street, Suite 207, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401; telephone 561/650-0830; fax 561/659-6319; or visit the Web site ( www.safireaircraft.com). Additional information can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/pilot/links/links0006.shtml). E-mail the author at [email protected].

Eclipsing the Competition

This new jet comes with an air transportation concept

By Michael P. Collins

Eclipse Aviation Corporation, which on March 6 announced its Eclipse 500—a new six-passenger twinjet expected to cruise at 368 kt—has a goal that may be loftier than its new airplane's anticipated service ceiling of 41,000 feet. The company intends to redefine air transportation by developing a series of next-generation aircraft "that will provide value, safety, and convenience to air travelers while enhancing the flying experience."

That mission statement evokes thoughts of NASA's Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) program. And perhaps it should—key to the Eclipse 500's success will be its Williams International EJ22 engines, derived from the 700-pound-thrust FJX-2 that Williams developed under AGATE's General Aviation Propulsion program. "I believe this will be the first of many entrepreneurial programs resulting from NASA's investment in general aviation technology," said NASA Administrator Dan Goldin.

The EJ22 engine will share the FJX-2's 14-inch diameter, but it is expected to produce 770 pounds of thrust and weigh only 85 pounds. That performance would allow the Eclipse 500, with a maximum gross weight of 4,600 pounds, to take off in 2,400 feet (FAR Part 25 balanced field length at sea level, standard conditions, and max gross takeoff weight) and cruise 1,450 nm (NBAA IFR range with four occupants). The airplane, of conventional aluminum construction, is expected to sell for $775,000 (in year 2000 dollars) when deliveries begin in 2003.

Not only will Williams certify and produce the Eclipse 500's engines, but Eclipse Aviation has contracted with the engine manufacturer to design, develop, and certify both the aircraft and its production facility. Dr. Sam Williams, Williams International's chairman and CEO, sits on the Eclipse Aviation board.

Although Scottsdale, Arizona-based Eclipse was formally launched on March 6, development of the airplane has been under way for two years. A segregated area at Williams International's facility in Walled Lake, Michigan, near Detroit, was established early last year.

On May 8, Eclipse Aviation announced that its new corporate headquarters would be in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company said that it will build a headquarters and manufacturing facility at Double Eagle II Airport, but will initially occupy existing facilities at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport. The ability to recruit technical expertise was cited as a key factor in the decision. Although Eclipse will employ only 20 people in Albuquerque this year, it expects to have 2,000 on the payroll by 2007.

The company

Some pundits might say that the general aviation industry is accustomed to announcements about interesting new aircraft with appealing performance (and cost) figures—most of which are never heard about again. Eclipse Aviation CEO Vern Raburn has assembled a team that might dispel that image.

Raburn himself has an extensive background in technology and financial management. He was one of the first employees of Microsoft Corporation and became president of its consumer products division. Raburn then went to Lotus Development Corporation, where he served as executive vice president and general manager, and played an integral role in the launch of Lotus 1-2-3. He also served as chairman and CEO of Symantec and Slate Corporation, and most recently was president of the Paul Allen Group, overseeing high-technology investments for Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen.

Raburn, who learned to fly as a teenager, is a 5,000-hour commercial pilot with type ratings in 15 aircraft from the North American B–25 Mitchell to a Cessna Citation. He owns vintage aircraft including a Lockheed Constellation and a North American SNJ–5 Texan. Raburn is on the board of directors of avionics manufacturer Avidyne Corporation, as well as the Experimental Aircraft Association and its Warbirds of America affiliate.

In 1997, Raburn recognized the convergence of digital technology, efficient lightweight engines, high-volume manufacturing, and computerized management systems. He met Sam Williams through mutual business acquaintances, discovered that they had similar views, and Eclipse is the result.

Eclipse's vice president of product development, Oliver Masefield, was vice president and head of research and development at Pilatus Aircraft, where he was responsible for the development of the Pilatus PC–7, PC–9, and PC–12. Masefield also served as program manager for the Beech (now Raytheon)/Pilatus JPATS team, which in 1995 won the competition for a multibillion-dollar contract to provide primary training aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

Eclipse Chairman Harold A. "Red" Poling is a former chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company. Kent Kresa, chairman, president, and CEO of Northrop Grumman, is an Eclipse director.

Its most recent staff additions came on May 1, when Chris Finnoff joined Eclipse as vice president of sales and Jack Harrington was named vice president of business affairs. As president and CEO of Pilatus Business Aircraft, Ltd., Finnoff was responsible for aircraft sales, service, support, and aircraft completion in North and South America. He was a sales executive for several manufacturers during his aviation career. Harrington has been in private practice as an aviation lawyer since 1986.

Perhaps more important, Eclipse has already raised an initial capitalization of $60 million.

The aircraft

Eclipse will employ conventional aluminum construction, but will adopt automobile-manufacturing technology, which the company believes will result in better quality while reducing assembly man-hours. The company's target here is to trim 90 percent from the manufacturing man-hours required for a typical aircraft. Eclipse's interior design will also borrow heavily from the automotive industry.

The Eclipse 500 will feature an all-glass cockpit and avionics, with operating systems derived from the computer industry. Like the engine and airframe development agreement with Williams International, Eclipse anticipates an "unheard-of" partnership with an avionics company. "We're trying to change the business practices as well," Raburn noted. Such relationships minimize risk and make the company attractive to investors, he explained.

Eclipse is working closely with NASA's Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) program (see " Future Flight: Your Future General Aviation Airplane," January Pilot), which includes a "highway in the sky" concept intended to revolutionize small-aircraft travel. Raburn said that Eclipse plans to participate in SATS demonstrations scheduled for 2003 and 2005.

The technology for AGATE/ SATS capabilities exists, and the remaining issues are primarily operational, he said. "The key is upgradability," Raburn commented. "This whole concept is really one of the biggest challenges from a regulatory standpoint."

The Eclipse engines will be controlled by a dual-channel FADEC; both engines and controls can be upgraded. The Eclipse 500 will not be fly-by-wire, relying instead on conventional mechanical flight controls. "There's not really any benefit of fly-by-wire except envelope protection in this size aircraft," Raburn said.

Raburn said that the aircraft would be best suited to trips of 200 to 1,000 miles. "I'm pretty confident that we're going to be looking at a 45-cent-per-mile direct operating cost," he said, offering as comparisons a Mercury Marquis at 28 cents per mile, a Cessna 182 at 44 cents, and Raytheon's Beech Baron at 77 cents.

Four EJ22 engines are currently being tested; by early May they had accumulated more than 200 hours. Some of that time was logged in an altitude test chamber at NASA's Glenn research facility in Cleveland. "The engine ran at full power at 27,000 feet. It's a measurable milestone, without any question," Raburn said, "but there's still lots and lots of work to be done."

In late March, Eclipse successfully completed comprehensive wind-tunnel testing of the Eclipse 500 at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratories in Seattle. The tests were conducted over a three-week period in February and March on a 22-percent scale model of the aircraft.

"Essentially, our work at the University of Washington was focused on confirming the computational fluid dynamic calculations of the aircraft," Masefield said. "During the test series we found some discrepancies which led to changes that optimized the wing-root fairings, but overall we verified the stability, control, and handling characteristics of the aircraft."

Raburn said that the wing root was modified in the wind tunnel with body putty, and that the modification will be verified with additional wind-tunnel tests in June. "Aerodynamically, there's a whole lot happening at that rear wing-root area," where the fuselage narrows to protect the engine inlets and to keep the engines close together for optimal single-engine handling, he explained. "It proved to be a pretty easy, straightforward problem to solve."

The June tests are also scheduled to include some using ice shapes, especially on the leading edges of the tail. Raburn said that the company has not made a final decision on deicing equipment but was looking closely at electroimpulse technology for the wings.

Eclipse will use the wind-tunnel data to program an engineering simulator, which will allow test pilots to simulate flying the aircraft almost three years before its production.

The company's target certification date for the Eclipse 500 is August 2003. "This is a multi-hundred-million-dollar" certification challenge, Raburn said.

He said that Eclipse has looked at several production scenarios and found a variety of acceptable production levels, but it will severely limit production in the early years "to make sure we're doing it right." He noted that the company can be profitable on production of a few hundred units per year. "We don't have to go to 1,000 or 5,000 units."

The concept

"We really believe that this is more than an airplane—it's a new concept in air travel," Raburn explained. Commercial aviation's hub-and-spoke system is in a "crisis stage" at a time when the economy is more distributed. "[Business people] are not just in major metro areas anymore, but face-to-face [meetings are] still important," he said.

To solve that problem, Raburn envisions a series of next-generation aircraft that will serve as the foundation of a distributed air-travel system. The Eclipse 500 is designed to serve both the existing general aviation market and a new market, which the company terms the "air limousine" concept. As proposed this will supplement the existing airline system, giving consumers more choices.

Air limo service will be provided by new or current companies utilizing Eclipse's aircraft to provide air travelers with an alternative for on-demand, point-to-point air travel. Ideally, it will be fast and inexpensive—NASA's SATS seeks to reduce public travel time by 50 percent in 10 years and by more than two-thirds in 25 years, at costs comparable to those of highway travel.

A new jet employing revolutionary engine technology, avionics integrated like we've never seen, and its own air transportation concept—for about the price of a new piston twin? August 2003 will be here before we know it, and then we'll know if the Eclipse lives up to its name.

For more information about the company or the aircraft, write Eclipse Aviation at 7916 East Beck Lane, Suite 200, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260; telephone 480/368-7978; fax 480/443-0092; or visit the Web site ( www.eclipseaviation.com). Links to additional information about Eclipse Aviation, the Williams EJ22 engine, and NASA's SATS concept can be found on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/links/links0006.shtml). E-mail the author at [email protected].

Second-century jets at a glance