At least three different vendors have begun building parts for the first Embraer 500 midsize business jet. This marks the completion of a first series of critical design reviews for the $18.4 million, nine-passenger twinjet that is expected to enter service in the second half of 2012.
Embraer is building the Legacy 500 in tandem with the mid-light Legacy 450 business jet. Both feature aileron, rudder, elevator and spoiler fly-by-wire flight controls, Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, Honeywell HF7500E turbofan engines and BMW DesignWorksUSA-designed interiors.
The company has formally launched the certification effort in Brazil, Europe and the USA and is holding "familiarisation" meetings with officials.
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The $15.3 million Legacy 450, set for service entry around one year behind the Legacy 500, will have a 4,110km (2,220nm) range with four passengers at M0.78, slightly less than the Legacy 500's 5,180km range with eight passengers at M0.80. Both aircraft feature a 1.82m (5.97ft) stand-up cabin, 6,000ft cabin at cruise and vacuum toilet lavatory.
Embraer reports that the first nose and main landing gear forgings for the Legacy 500 were delivered to Canada's Heroux-Devtek, builder of landing gear structure and actuation systems for both aircraft, and that machining of the components had begun by September.
USA-based Meggitt, builder of the Legacy 450 and 500 main and nose wheels, carbon brakes and brake-by-wire systems, also completed the first forgings for the wheels and brakes in 2009. Belgium's Sonaca, provider of the rear and centre fuselage sections, began the first trials for stretching fuselage panels.
The Brazilian airframer says it held its second man-machine interface meeting last year, showing pilots and aircraft owners new tools for selecting a broader range of finishing materials for the cabin. Those attending tested Honeywell's OvationSelect digital graphical user interface for cabin audio and video.
A dedicated maintenance advisory group is also under way, with technicians from Embraer executive jet service centres meeting to discuss the Legacy 450 and 500 maintenance plan, technical publications, aftermarket ground support equipment and web services.
In addition to maturity tests under way in Brazil for components such as the vacuum toilet, Embraer is also gaining experience with the Legacy 500 wet galley using a full-scale mock-up.
Source: Flight International
