Major private jet manufacturers have been able to more or less weather the recession by relying on strong international demand and order books filled up during sunnier economic climes. But for smaller manufacturers, with tighter margins and a higher dependence on outside funding, the economic pressures have been very real.

Yesterday, German manufacturer Grob Aerospace filed for insolvency after the company’s major source of financing declined to continue its support of the SPn light jet, currently in development. The SPn, which had been expected to receive F.A.A. certification this fall, had fallen behind in reaching key milestones, prompting the undisclosed lender to back away from the project. The Swiss holding company which owns Grob Aerospace, Grob AG, remains solvent, and is said to be actively looking for new funding for its aviation subsidiary.

Meanwhile another manufacturer who has seen its share of trouble over the last year is said to be going dark, so to speak. Eclipse Aviation, maker of the Eclipse 500 very light jet (VLJ) issued a statement to its employees and customers saying that company would be going through a media blackout. This follows reports that the company may be significantly reducing its production for the rest of the year, and rumors that Eclipse may be following its new European ownership back to the continent.

But actions can speak louder than words. The company’s founder and former CEO, Vern Raburn, who was replaced as a result of the takeover by the Europe-based ETIRC, has turned down a position as vice-chairman of the board of ETIRC that he had initially accepted. Raburn wrote in an e-mail last week that he has “no further relationship with Eclipse Aviation either domestically or internationally.”

For a man who has been regarded as something of a visionary in the field of VLJs to abjure any relationship with the company he founded might lead you to believe that all is not well with Eclipse. Since the takeover in July, the company has laid off around 150 temporary workers at its Albuquerque, N.M. plant.