The Little Eclipse Concept Jet That Almost Was

The Eclipse 400 Jet bears a strong resemblance to the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 11:42 AM ET

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The Eclipse 400/Concept Jet performing at EAA AirVenture 2008 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

The Eclipse 400 (Concept Jet) was a four-place, single-engine, V-tail personal jet, rapidly developed by Swift Engineering for Eclipse Aviation to gauge market interest for a smaller aircraft, and predated the similar Cirrus Vision Jet.
Unveiled in 2007 at $1.35 million, it was lauded for its efficiency and innovative design choices like its dorsal engine and V-tail, attracting significant interest and deposits.
Despite its promising start, the program was ultimately abandoned due to Eclipse Aviation's severe business and financial troubles, leading to the company's bankruptcy.
The sole Eclipse 400 remains unflown in storage, a physical testament to clever engineering and market optimism, though it is unlikely to ever fly again.

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At first glance, it bears a strong resemblance to the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. A sleek, low-wing, V-tail jet with a single engine mounted in a dorsal pod, the two aircraft share the same layout and look nearly identical. But in fact, the aircraft pictured is the sole Eclipse 400, and flew a full year before the Vision Jet’s maiden flight.

Initially known as the Eclipse Concept Jet, or ECJ, the 4,700-pound jet was intended to gauge market interest for a compact, four-place “personal jet,” and would have complemented Eclipse’s primary offering—the larger, six-place Eclipse 500. With their hands full with Eclipse 500 production, the company turned to a firm called Swift Engineering to engineer and build the smaller 400.