Originally Posted by
tcasblue
It is interesting that a jet with two aft mounted engines, in the same manner as a DC-9, can be a centerline thrust aircraft. But that is exactly what the Eclipse Jet is...centerline thrust. No VMC is published. And here is what was done for the newer version (Eclipse 550) to keep it in the centerline thrust category.....
"As a result of the greater weight and performance, the horizontal stabilizer will be lengthened as well. The engines, which currently have zero cant to their thrust line, will be canted 5 degrees out, slightly reducing drag near the forward edge of the nacelle. The resulting cant inward at the aft end of the nacelles will preserve the airplane's centerline thrust handling while accommodating the higher thrust."
I think you are misreading that AOPA article. Those aren't differences between the Eclipse 500 and 550, which share the same structure, engines, thrust and weight.