Eclipse 500
Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 610F
In August 2002 the Eclipse 500 made its first flight using Williams EJ22s, each rated at 770 lbst. However, a few months later Eclipse announced that it was dropping Williams International.
There were several accounts of this development, but then-CEO Raburn said the EJ22 did not provide enough thrust and that “Williams International has not met its contractual obligations.”
In February 2003 Eclipse selected Pratt & Whitney Canada as the new engine supplier. As an interim solution, the company used Teledyne Continental Model 382-10E turbojets to power a test aircraft, which flew 55 flights before the new engines were installed. On 31 December 2004, the EA500 made its first flight with the new PW 610F engines.
The Eclipse 500 was FAA certified on 30 September 2006, and the first customer was delivered early January 2007.