REFERENCE MANUAL



Contents

Introduction
Reference Information
Features
Instrument Tour
    PFD
    MFD
    Switches
    Circuit Breakers and Refueling
Control Autopilot with GPS



Introduction
(excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_500

The Eclipse 500 is a small six-seat business jet aircraft manufactured by Eclipse Aviation.

Eclipse 500 became the first of a new class of Very Light Jet when it was delivered in late 2006.   The aircraft is powered by two lightweight Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan engines in aft fuselage-mounted nacelles

The Eclipse 500 is based on the Williams V-Jet II, which was designed and built by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites in 1997 for Williams International.  The V-Jet II had an all-composite structure with a forward-swept wing, a V-tail, each fin of which was mounted on the nacelle of one of the two engines.  The prototype and only V-Jet II aircraft was obtained by Eclipse Aviation along with the program by founder and former Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn, who was one of the first business executives at Microsoft. Subsequently, Bill Gates became a major stake-holder in the Eclipse project.  The V-Jet II was donated to the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 2001.

The airframe was significantly redesigned as an all-metal structure with a T-tail and straight wings. The main cabin shape is essentially all that was retained from the V-Jet II.  The prototype Eclipse 500 first flew with a pair of Williams International EJ-2 engines in 2002, but as the aircraft's weight increased, performance was not satisfactory.  Pratt & Whitney Canada modified the design of their PW615 engine for the Eclipse 500, designating it the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F.   The first flight of the Eclipse 500 with the new engines occurred on December 31, 2004.

An Eclipse press release says that its aircraft is "the quietest jet aircraft" and that it is "quieter than virtually all multi engine turboprop and piston aircraft".

Eclipse Aviation halted production of the E-500 in October 2008 at serial number 267. The company indicated that it lacked the funds to continue production.

In March 2010 Eclipse Aerospace began offering refurbished EA500s. Company president Mason Holland explained: "In their rush to deliver the aircraft, the former manufacturer of the EA500 [Eclipse Aviation Corporation] delivered to owners an aircraft that was only about 85 percent complete. These aircraft were great performers, but still lacked several important features. We now have completed the design and engineering of the EA500." The used airframes now feature GPS-coupled autopilots.

 



REFERENCE INFORMATION


Aircraft Performance
    (from AOPA Magazine - July 2005 Issue)
    Takeoff distance, ground roll

2,155 ft  
    Maximum Operating Altitude

41,000 ft  
    Single--engine Service Ceiling

25,000 ft  
    Landing Distance, ground roll

2,040 ft  
    Rate of Climb, sea level

2,990 fpm
    Single-engine Rate of Climb, sea level

888 fpm  
    Maximum Cruise Speed

375 KTAS  


Aircraft Weights
    (from FSX Fuel and Payload)
    Empty weight

5,640 lbs.
    Max Payload

720 lbs.
    Max Fuel weight (230 gallons)

1,541 lbs.
    Total weight with full fuel

8,081 lbs.


Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds
    (from AOPA Magazine - July 2005 Issue)
    VM0 - Maximum Operating Speed

285 KIAS
    MM0 - Maximum Operating Mach Speed

0.64 Mach
    VS0 - Stall, in Landing Configuration

67 KIAS
    VLO - Maximum Gear Operating Speed

250 KIAS
    VLE - Maximum Gear Extension Speed

285 KIAS
    VFE - Maximum Flap Extension Speed

250 KIAS



Features

Some of the features in the Eclipse 500 FSX are:

  • No Smoking switch lights up sign on Overhead.
  • Seat Belt switch lights up sign on Overhead.
  • Functioning circuit switches for the PFD and MFD.
  • Functioning oxygen system.
  • Switch operated animated clam shell style door.
  • Original paint and panel model (bottom is from FS9):
  • Repaint of N116EA with Burrelwood panel:
  • PFD lower section has five seperate displays.
  • Left PFD and right PFD lower sections are controlled seperately.
  • MFD has five seperate displays including full GPS.
  • Autopilot can be controlled by GPS.



Instrument Tour

PFD (Primary Flight Display)

The screens are selected by the buttons at the right of the Left-hand PFD and the buttons on the left of the Right-hand PFD.


Horizontal Situation Indicator

Expanded Rose

Radio

Autopilot Settings

ILS

If Nav1 Ident if blank
then Nearest Airlport is displayed in ILS view

Notes:
  • Horizontal Situation Indicator and the Expanded Rose do not have elements related to Nav2 or ADF.
  • Com and Nav1 are set with buttons on the lower left side of display.
    (the lower right side on the Right-hand PFD)
  • The lower left knob is used to set Heading Bug on the HSI.
  • The lower right knob is used to set Autopilot Nav Indicator.


MFD (Multi-Function Flight Display)

The screens are selected by the buttons on the lower left side of the MFD.


Logo Screen

Button Assignments

Engine Status

Digital Engine Status

Garmin 500 GPS


Switches


Overhead Switches


Main Panel Switches


Left Panel Switches



Circuit Breakers and Refueling



All switches work including the O2 switch (and gauge) and the circuit breakers.

PDF Circuit Breaker:  When a jet engine is started and the Push Back is engaged the PDF circuit breaker will trip and the PDF display will go dark.

MDF Circuit Breaker:  When both jet engines are started at the same time the MDF circuit breaker will trip and the MDF display will go dark.




Control Autopilot with GPS
Instructions for single leg flight
(based on "Flying The GPS With Ease - Part One" video by Charles Wood)

Keep in mind this only gets you to the destination airport, it does not line you up with the runway.

  1. Start with Nav/GPS switch in Nav position
  2. Click on Destination button
  3. On the CRSR knob, click on the red arrow twice
  4. Type Destination Airport ID
  5. Click on the Enter button to enter destination.
  6. To activate entered destination, click the Enter button twice.
  7. Turn on the Flight Director F / D button.
  8. This is a good time to enter desired altitude on the autopilot.
  9. After takeoff, when you reach desired altitude switch AP on
  10. Switch autopilot APP on
  11. Switch the Nav/GPS switch to GPS to couple the autopilot to the GPS.
  12. Switch the autopilot ALT on if desired.

Suggestion: use the Sim Rate Incr / Decr button on the MFD to speed up time.