Eclipse Aviation has secured an agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada which sees the engine manufacturer’s PW610F turbofan become a permanent fixture on the Eclipse 500 jet. The aircraft now has a 375-knot cruise speed, improved performance across a wide range of conditions and improved durability in operation, said Eclipse.

Based on the PW610F develop-ment schedule, the Eclipse 500 is projected to receive FAA type certifi-cation and begin customer deliveries in the first quarter of 2006.

“I’ve spoken with several other Eclipse 500 customers and we’ve all been hoping Eclipse would choose P&WC as the new engine supplier,” said Jeff Rubenstein, a customer in New York. “I’m thrilled to hear the two are teaming up and anticipate that the performance and value of the new aircraft will significantly exceed my initial expectations.”

Eclipse has also announced that it will deliver its full order book, more than 2,100 aircraft, at a sub-$1 million price tag and will sell an additional 100 aircraft at $950,000.

Another customer, Kevin Padrick, added: “In light of the change in engine manufacturers, I’m impressed that Eclipse is stepping up at this time and committing to a final price. Many people in aviation, Eclipse customers included, wondered whether they would be really be able to deliver this aircraft for under a million. From what I heard at the meeting, Eclipse is still the only company positioned to deliver a world-class jet at anything near this price point.”