New light jet could save air force money.

• Author: Insinna, Valerie
• Position: TRAINING AIRCRAFT

A commercial aircraft company is pitching its light jet to the Air Force to replace the service's T-1A used to train tanker pilots.

Leasing the Eclipse 550 would cost about one-quarter of the legacy trainer's cost per flying hour, said Mike Press, co-founder and executive vice president of Eclipse Aerospace. That price includes fuel and maintenance.

Press estimates the service would save $12 billion by leasing the aircraft over a 20-year period. The Air Force could also buy new aircraft at less than $3 million each, he said.

The Eclipse 550 is a six-seat, twin-engine business jet that weighs 3,634 pounds empty. It has a range of about 1,125 nautical miles and a maximum speed of 375 knots, according to company information.

Part of the reason the jet is so economical is because of its fuel efficiency, Press said. The T-1A burns 225 gallons an hour during a training mission, while the Eclipse would burn only about 70 gallons per hour.

"Let's say the current Air Force program flies 80,000 hours a year, just the fuel alone will save 12 million gallons of fuel a year," Press said. "Over the 20-year lifecycle of this airplane and the current airplane, you're going to save 250...