Eclipse Aerospace took an important and large step toward resuming new production of its light twinjet yesterday. The company placed a production order Innovative Solutions & Support (Booth No. 4331) for the initial 50 of 300 shipsets ordered of the Eclipse 550 Avio integrated flight management system (IFMS), which includes dual FMS, autothrottles, synthetic vision, integrated Taws and enhanced vision system (EVS). The IS&S suite also features electronic circuit breakers, radios, transponders and radar. The new IS&S panel features a larger MFD to display checklists, tall charts and systems synoptics and a dedicated standby display unit (standard at the pilot position and optional for the copilot) with built-in AHRS, attitude, airspeed, altitude and other information that had been displayed on the the MFD.

The new IS&S panel can be retrofitted on remanufactured Total Eclipses. Eclipse Aerospace was scheduled to make the last test flight of the new autothrottle system yesterday.

Eclipse CEO Mason Holland said the first new production aircraft, badged the 550, will roll out in July and be priced at $2.695 million for 2013 deliveries. He said that Eclipse already employs 200 people and has an immediate need for 70 assemblers on its way to a payroll for 350 to 450 by the time the aircraft reaches anticipated full production.