Eclipse Aerospace says it will restart production of one of the most controversial general aviation airplanes in history. The six-seat jet that was originally designed to form the backbone of an air taxi fleet whisking passengers around the country. With new owners, the new Eclipse 550 is expected to be flying again sometime in 2013 after the company was purchased for pennies on the dollar.
A decade ago the Eclipse 500 was still a year away from its first flight, but had already been responsible for the creation of an entirely new type of airplane, the very light jet. Less than seven years later, and more than $1 billion from a who’s who of investors including Bill Gates, the company had delivered 259 airplanes and was headed for bankruptcy. via Wired
