What vlj is the best. i guess is hard because they could all be used differently.
Eclipse 500
Citation Mustang
Adam A700 AdamJet
Diamond D-Jet
ATG Javelin
Spectrum Aero Model 33
Excel-Jet Sport-Jet Excel-Jet
Honda HA-420 HondaJet
Embraer Phenom 100
Epic Jet
Vantage Jet
This again??
The best is the Mustang but as far as operating costs, eclipse (for twins). If i had to pay for it i would buy a djet which i believe has the lowest operating costs (34 gph) and overall costs per year. What is the fuel rate of a eclipse 500?
No offence to eclipse 500 but the fit and finish of a 500 isnt very good. Kind of junk.
I think you forgot the Safire Jet
vljs are stupid
OK, we can tell your personal preference, but seriously…
Why did you start a new thread on a topic that has been covered, and you were even involved with? If you want to keep the discussion going, just revive the old thread.
Just remember, folks. It’s not the size of the jet but how you use it…
Welcome to the forum eclipse500! 8)
This topic has been discussed a lot in the last few months. See my thread here. Also, go to the SEARCH feature and put in VLJ. You’ll get a lot of results.
lol this post looks like free ecplise advertising
Hey Eclipse, 250 knots at 27000 feet, thats what an acclaim can do or a pilatus. You got to go the 41000 to get 375 knots. I think VLJS are stupid. Small cabins (smaller than turboprops) and speeds like pilatus with horrible fuel economy. All the VLJ are is people who want to say the OWN a jet.
I believe this the the Djet but i dont know.
flightaware.com/live/flight/CGVL … /KLAN/CYXU
look at insurance (from eclipse)
Pilot Experience Level Existing Skill Level Coverage and
Estimated Premium
Minimal:
500 hours total time
Private pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings
Very limited instrument and multi-engine time
$**46,000 **
With full hull and $1M liability
Medium:
1,000 hours total time
Private pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings
100 instrument hours
200 multi-engine hours
**$40,000 **
With full hull and $1M liability
**$47,000 **
With full hull and $5M liability
Experienced:
2,500 hours total time
Commercial pilot with instrument, multi-engine and jet type ratings
100 instrument hours
500 multi-engine hours
100 turbine hours
$**29,000 **
With full hull and $1M liability
$38,000
With full hull and $10M liability hours
thats bad
VLJ’s are not stupid.
You can’t compare apples to oranges. Also, some of the planes you mentioned are now being classified as PLJ’s I believe.
Simply, there is no “best”. For everyone. Needs, abilities, and preferences are different for all.
Tell me what you want a plane to do for you, and I can narrow it down.
My vote is for the Citation Mustang. It is a fully certified entry level business jet. Looks like known icing cert will be coming soon.
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N510CE/history/20060919/1933Z/KCWA/KSAW
If you want to travel next year, it’s your best choice. Otherwise you’re going to be waiting on the ground for years if you wait on most of the other VLJs. The others are Dream Jets… “For those who buy, but never fly.”
The Eclipse is a toy - and not a very well built toy. Did anyone else see all the wrinkly skins on display in Oshkosh ? So much for the advantages of the stir-fry welding.
lol…
Until some of these are actually certified and flying in the hands of real customers, we can only compare marketing claims, which are notoriously optimistic. I am particularly skeptical that Eclipse will be able to sell their planes at anywhere near the claimed price. How can they make a plane with the same engines, avionics, etc. as everyone else at almost half the price??? Friction stir welding can’t save that much money. Time will tell.
Good point. And to prove it, Diamond’s target price for the D-Jet was supposed to be $850,000! It’s now selling for $1.38 million. I would rather spend my million on a Piper Malibu Mirage. There are some key qualities that the D-Jet has that other VLJs don’t.
Single Engine. There is no need for a multi-engine rating. That will save time, $$$, and most of all, hassle. It will also have lower operating costs. I tried googling the FJ33-4 to find its fuel burn but couldn’t find anything relevant.
It’s performance is just about as good as other VLJs. 315 kts max. It’s kind of slow but then again, all VLJs are slow.
VLJs have no need for all that RVSM garbage. Get a life VLJ companies! Why bother to go up to FL410 for only 375 kts! I think Diamond has the right philosophy in that aspect. BTW: Eclipse just got RVSM for the 500. They filed “/W” on the first RVSM flight. Here.
http://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N5QE N5QE is owned by a dentist in Oxnard, CA.
http://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N3XF N3XF is owned by Epic. http://www.epicaircraft.com
http://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/CGVLJ This is the first D-Jet owned by Diamond.
I have one question that has not been addressed in the forum. What does HXB mean? The D-Jet is HXC. But Diamond filed HXB for one of the C-GVLJ flights on 7/24/06. Does HXB just mean experimental 100-200 kts? That is what I’m guessing. Here is the flight. N221P filed HXB for aircraft type. It got only 170 kts GS. I checked the winds aloft and they gave him a 30 kts head wind. I’m not sure if it’s just a piston aircraft.
Edit:Check out the track log of the Eclipse 500. It’s only getting 240 kts GS at FL340! 
HXA = experimental under 100kts cruise
HXB = experimental 100-200kts cruise
HXC = experimental over 200kts cruise
Which should be displaying on the flight pages… I’ll have to see why it’s not.
The Pilatus is RVSM certified and we can only use FL290 and FL300, which we hardly ever do anyway (only when the winter tailwinds are best.) Its kinda silly, but oh well. They (the VLJs) really need to be RVSM, it’s not a matter of speed. Otherwise they’d have to stay at FL280 or below and then the made-up performance numbers would be even more garbage.
Is the Raytheon/Beech Premier I considered VLJ??
How does it fare against the list?
And speaking of Pilatus, I’d have a lot more fun flying one of those anyways…but make mine a Porter!
I’m a huge Porter fan! Not many folks appreciate her looks the way I do.
Gary in Pennsylvania
I’m also a Turbo Porter fan, but not for its looks.
I appreciate and am grateful for its ability to have extracted my highly esteemed butt from between a rock and a hard place on many an occasion!
An STOL aircraft that can almost make you believe it’s VTOL!
You got to go with the adams A700. It has the most room than any of them and one of the most reasonably priced. The mustang is nice but if you’re a golfer you have no where to put your clubs.
someone at my field is taking delivery of an E500 next summer 
I’m still curious about the Premier I. Is it too big for a VLJ?
Gary in Pennsylvania