Embraer affirmed its commitment to become a major force in business jet manufacturing with the first flight on Tuesday of the Legacy 500, a clean-sheet midsize model that is capable of flying 3,000 nm, cruising at Mach 0.82 and climbing direct to 45,000 feet.
Embraer said the fly-by-wire Legacy 500 made a “flawless” first flight, marking the official start of the of the airplane’s flight-test program. Certification and initial deliveries of the Legacy 500 are expected in early 2014.
Embraer test pilots Mozart Louzada and Eduardo Camelier and flight-test engineers Gustavo Paixão and Alexandre Figueiredo flew the airplane for one hour and 45 minutes, performing handling and performance characteristics evaluation.
“This remarkable airplane symbolizes the future of executive aviation and is the product of the innovation, talent and dedication that is part of the Embraer culture,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President and CEO.
The Legacy 500 is powered by two Honeywell HTF 7500E turbofan engines, each capable of producing 6,540 pounds of thrust. The model also features Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics with synthetic vision.
To see the first flight, check out this HD video filmed by Embraer.
