The Eclipse 500 is a small twin-engine turbofan jet aircraft that seats six people, including the pilot. It is also the first very light jet to receive approval from the FAA. One of the design challenges was to ensure that the Eclipse 500, despite its small size, exudes the high performance and luxury of a full-size jet. Taking cues from the automobile industry, the Eclipse 500 has a fully integrated exterior and interior design with a consistent design language. The jet has a highly mechanized, automated, modular build, much like a model kit. It takes two hours to assemble the interior (versus three to six weeks for conventional jets) and an average of four days to assemble the entire jet (as opposed to three months). The Eclipse 500 is currently the least-expensive high-performance twin-engine jet to own and operate. Since Eclipse Aviation was founded in 2000, it has sold more than 2,500 jets.

Contact: Whitney Mortimer
[email protected]
650-289-3462

Credit: IDEO and Eclipse Aviation

Client: Eclipse Aviation Corporation