Plane Facts: Very Light Jets - Plane & Pilot Magazine

Fascinating facts about VLJs

Plane & Pilot

Monday, October 02, 2017 at 08:57 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The term "Very Light Jet" (VLJ), widely used since around 2000 for sub-10,000 pound, single-pilot aircraft, has seen some manufacturers reject the name, with the 1956 Fouga Magister noted as an early conceptual predecessor.
Early VLJ programs like the Eclipse 500 and Cessna Mustang faced significant challenges, including the Eclipse's bankruptcy and unfulfilled air taxi ambitions, and the Mustang's production halt due to lack of demand and competitive pricing.
Despite initial setbacks, the VLJ market has evolved with successful innovations such as the Cirrus Vision Jet, which became the first certified single-engine VLJ and the first with a whole-aircraft ballistic parachute, securing over 600 orders.

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Year that the term VLJ became widely used: Around 2000

Widely accepted definition of VLJ: Sub-10,000 pounds, single-pilot

First VLJ, kind of: Fouga Magister, twin-engine, 7,055 lbs, 385 knots, FL300

Introduced: 1956 for military training

Number built: Just under 1,000

Number flying today: Unknown, but still a popular civilian plane

Companies today that have rejected VLJ name: Cessna, Diamond, Embraer, Piper

very light jets - Fouga Magister — *“Fouga CM.170M Magister No.1” by RuthAS — CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons*

First large-scale VLJ program: Eclipse 500

First certificated VLJ: Cessna Mustang, 2006

Full FAA type certification for Mustang received: September 8, 2006

First flight: April 2005

First production model delivered: November 22, 2006

Range: 1,167 nm

Mustang production ended: May 2017

Reason given: Lack of demand

Reason widely believed: Price point too close to M2

Number of Mustangs built: 472

Cost, 2015: $3.35 million

Most shipped in one year (2009): 125

Advertised Mustang replacement: Citation M2

M2 type: C525 CitationJet

First C525 delivery: 1991

First 6,000-pound VLJ: Eclipse 500

First flight: August 2002

Awards: 2005 Collier Trophy

Full FAA type certification received: September 30, 2006

First delivery: December 31, 2006

Largest single order: 1,400 aircraft by DayJet

Number of aircraft accepted by DayJet: 28

Stated purpose: Proposed large-scale, per-seat, on-demand air taxi operations

Fate of such operations: Never happened

Eclipse 500 production halted: October 2008

Reason: Lack of capital—company entered bankruptcy

Rumored debt at time of bankruptcy: $1 billion

Number of Eclipse 500s built: 260

First VLJ with whole-aircraft ballistic parachute: Cirrus Vision Jet

First single-engine VLJ to receive FAA certification: Vision Jet

FAA type certification date: October 28, 2016 (first flight, July 2008)

Cruise speed: 300 ktas

Vision Jet cost, 2017: $1.96 million

Number of orders: 600+

Single-engine VLJ under development: Stratos 714

First flight: November 2016

Advertised range: Around 1,500 nm

Maximum cruise speed, provisional: 402 ktas

Certification timetable: Pending funding

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