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.
