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
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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