User:GI45HK/sandbox

PLANET ECLIPSE
Planet Eclipse is a manufacturer of paintball markers, clothing, and other paintball equipment. It began trading as a small store with limited stock and three staff, and is now an international company with offices in the UK, USA, Germany and Taiwan. It is a major sponsor of professional paintball tournaments and scenario events around the world.

Early History
In 1991, when Paintball Planet opened for business, competitive paintball teams had begun to make the switch from pump action markers to semi-automatic markers. The two most popular paintball markers at that time were the .68 Automag, made by Airgun Designs, and the Autococker, made by Worr Game Products. Jack Wood, the airsmith at Planet, began to make small modifications to these markers, eventually producing add-on parts for both.

This led to Planet producing the "Eclipse Autococker" and the "Eclipse Automag", which were custom versions of these markers that incorporated all of Planet's modifications and add-ons.

Planet also pioneered the use of "splash anodising" on paintball markers. This type of anodising took a base colour and superimposed another colour over it in an irregular, "paint splashed" pattern. This proved hugely popular amongst customers, and both individual components and complete markers became available in "splash" colours. Smart Parts, a paintball company based in the USA, later adopted the process for their own barrels, shipping barrels to the UK to use the same anodiser. Planet also built a strong relationship with WDP of Birmingham and Worr Games Products of California.

Jack also began to modify other paintball markers to make them lighter, faster and more consistent. These were sold under the Eclipse banner in the same way as the Eclipse Cocker and Automag. Planet released the Eclipse Bushmaster, Sterling, Spyder, Impulse, Shocker and Angel. Jack continued to update and refine the Eclipse Autococker throughout the late 90's and early 2000's. The later mechanical Autocockers produced by Planet featured the "Eclipse Frame", which was a hinge trigger frame custom made by Planet for the Autococker. Many examples of Jack's work are regarded as classics and are highly sought after by collectors, particularly those markers featuring the Eclipse Frame.

The Eclipse Frame was also the predecessor to the product that would eventually see Planet producing their own markers - the E-Blade.

The E-Blade
The E-Blade was an electronic grip frame for the Autococker. This allowed the Autococker to cycle at incredibly high rates, and necessitated the fitting of an electronic "eye" system to the marker. The eye system ensured that a paintball was positioned properly in the breech before the marker could be fired, as otherwise the high cycling rate would simply cut each ball in half if it became trapped between the feed neck and breech. Each E-Blade marker was hand built and tested before being offered for sale, and proved to be incredibly popular when it was released in 2002, and was sold both as a complete marker with the E-Blade frame factory fitted to a customised Autococker, and as the E-Blade frame alone.

Expansion
The success of the E-Blade resulted in Planet sponsoring a number of Pro & Amateur teams in the UK and the USA with the marker. Besides teams using the E-Blades produced by Planet, the grip frame was also fitted to the Autocockers built by other custom houses, such as Bad Boyz Toyz (Aftershock), Freeflow (Lockout) and even WGP, who released the "Worrblade" under licence from Planet. It also provided the financial boost Planet needed for a change of direction - to manufacture their own marker, rather that producing custom parts for other markers.

The Ego
Following their successful collaboration on the E-blade, Planet began designing their first "own label" marker, which was to be called the "Ego". As with the E-Blade, each Ego was hand-built and tested by Planet production staff before being shipped to dealers. This tradition has carried on with each marker released by Planet.

The Ego was first released in 2004 to good reviews, but has since been known as the "2005 Ego" due to Planet's subsequent decision to release an updated version of the Ego platform in the Autumn of each year. In 2011, Planet decided that rather than spend time making small, incremental changes to its models - in order to conform to the industry annual release model – it would utilise time more productively by making more significant changes, less often. This meant that that Planet stopped releasing new markers in the Autumn of each year, until the release of the Ego LV1 in 2013.

Please follow this link for a guide to the Ego & LV1, courtesy of pbnation.com:-

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3778478

Also, please follow this link for a guide to the limited edition Ego model variants, courtesy of pbnation.com:-

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2812059

The ETEK
Introduced in 2007, the ETEK was intended to be a "budget" version of the Ego, with similar features but a lower price tag. It evolved in a similar way to the Ego, with the ETEK 2, 3 & 4 being released in subsequent years. The current model is the ETEK 5, which has a similar external design to the current LV1.1 and LVR.

The Geo
In the Autumn of 2008, Planet released a new marker with a spool valve - the Geo. The name "Geo" was an anagram of "Ego". It featured a single tube body, but utilised the same grip, reg and barrel system of the Ego 9. This followed the same annual release pattern as the Ego, with revisions to the body, barrel system, grips and internals, with the Geo 2 in late 2009 and the Geo 3 in late 2010. The Geo 3.1 and 3.5 followed in 2013 and 2014 respectively, with revisions to the body and the removal of the air hose in favour of the "AT Pipe" - Air Transfer Pipe - a hard line between the trigger guard and HPR. The AT Pipe also featured on the LV1, LV1.1 and LVR.

Please follow this link for a guide to the limited edition Geo model variants, courtesy of pbnation.com:-

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2859327

The ETHA & ETHA 2
The ETHA was unique in that it was not revised since its release in 2011 until the release of the ETHA 2 in 2017, which makes it the marker with the longest production run from Planet. Like the ETEK, it was intended as a budget version of the Geo, and is the cheapest of Planet's range of markers. The ETHA 2 features a hoseless design and the Gamma Core drivetrain.

Following the release of the ETHA 2, the ETHA was revised and released as the ETHA LT. This was available with a 12 inch single piece barrel and in two colourways - black and HDE/black.

The LV1, LV1.1, LVR and LV1.5
In 2013, Planet released a new platform under the EGO name powered by an all new lever valve called the LV1, which replaced the Ego 11. It followed the familiar lines of the Ego, but was distinguished by interchangeable grips and and and AT Pipe replacing the macroline. This was followed by a slight revision of the platform, called the LV1.1, in 2015. This was followed by the LVR in the autumn of 2016, a lightweight version of the LV1.1 with a Carbon Fibre barrel. The LV 1.5 was released in the summer of 2017, and featured a revised body, feedneck and ASA.

The GTEK & GTEK 160R
Released in early 2016, this was intended as a mid-priced version of the later Geo CS1, but features an all-new Gamma Core bolt system. An upgraded version - the GTEK 160R - featuring an OLED display and the AT Pipe found on the Geo 3.5, was released in the Autumn of 2016.

The Geo CS-1, CS-R and CS-1.5
These are the current flagship models of the Eclipse range, and are a further development of the Geo platform. They feature the IV Core drivetrain, together with an LCD display and an internal gas transfer pipe rather than the external hoses of other markers in the Eclipse range.

The CS-1.5 was released in early 2017, and features a bespoke custom milled body, bespoke backcap, CSR inspired frame, CS1.5 bespoke POPS assembly, CSR Blade trigger, Shaft FL Barrel System with 0.689" insert and rubber grip and the 14.5" Shaft FL carbon fibre barrel tip.

Acquisitions
In 2016 Planet Eclipse purchased its long time German Distributor Paintball.de (Formally OPM) to further its operations in Europe and to secure a stable business location with the uncertainty of Brexit looming and what that would bring in the future.