Embraer Phenom 300

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June 2010 — Like every other aviation journalist, I've been watching the development of the Embraer Phenom 300 for a few years now, and the more I've learned about the emerging light jet, the more I've come to appreciate just what an innovative airplane it is. It is, in essence, Embraer's attempt to stretch the limits of the light jet segment by creating an airplane with best-in-class performance, comfort and utility while keeping operating costs at turboprop levels. And the airplane itself, which I'd seen but not flown, is a thing of beauty.

The first happy customers will be receiving their Cessna Citation CJ4s later this year, following last week's announcement that the FAA has granted type certification to the latest light jet from Cessna. The $9 million (2010 dollars) CJ4 shares a type rating (including single-pilot operation) with the rest of Cessna's CJ series. With an NBAA IFR range of 2,002 nautical miles (two crew and five passengers), the CJ4 has a maximum speed of 453 knots and lands in 2,700 feet. Takeoff at max takeoff weight uses 3,130 feet of runway, with a direct climb to 45,000 feet taking 28 minutes.

Cessna Citation CJ4

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The controls felt like a Citation CJ, but the numbers on the new Collins Pro Line 21 displays didn't belong to any CJ I had ever flown. Level at 45,000 feet, the true airspeed was 425 knots. And it had taken only 23 minutes to reach that rarified altitude after a near-maximum weight takeoff. How had Cessna's entry-level light jet grown into such a performer? Well, it took about 17 years and four big steps to grow the original CitationJet into the CJ4 I was flying.

Following certification in mid-December, Embraer Executive Aircraft delivered the first customer Phenom 300 business jet before year end. The timing enabled Tug Hill, Inc., a Texas-based oil and gas investment firm, to qualify for bonus tax depreciation on aircraft delivered in 2009. The Phenom 300, serial number 5, replaces a Cessna Conquest I twin turboprop previously operated by Tug Hill Aviation, the privately held company's affiliated flight operation.

Embraer Phenom 300

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The ANAC National Civil Aviation Authority of Brazil approved Embraer's Phenom 300 light jet for production last week. With the factory in São José dos Campos, Brazil, gearing up to meet orders, FAA certification and first deliveries are expected within the next few weeks. The $8.14 million, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535-E-powered twinjet has exceeded several preliminary design performance goals, including takeoff, landing, fuel efficiency and range. As certified, the airplane has a maximum range of 1,971 nautical miles (with six on board) and a balanced field length of 3,138 feet.

The hamstrung economy has affected almost all aviation projects, and the developmental single-engine PiperJet is no exception. Piper now plans first deliveries for 2013 - a schedule based partly on available funding, but also on when the company expects the economic recovery to occur. Piper initially announced program delays, then enjoyed a funding infusion from Asian investor Imprimus. According to the company, it lost a limited number of position holders, and currently holds orders for more than 200 of the jets.