Embraer has decided to offer Class 2 electronic flight bags (EFB) on its 170 and 190 regional and Legacy 600 business jet families and expects to announce its selection of a hardware supplier by next month’s Farnborough air show.
The Brazilian manufacturer has also determined that it will be possible to certificate the 98-seat E-190 to serve London City airport.
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| Embraer could select one EFB supplier for three aircraft families |
The 170/190 EFB evaluation is being run in parallel with the Legacy contest. One option would be to select identical hardware for all three families. “We are talking very hard with 170 and 190 operators about the EFB,” Embraer airline market vice-president, programmes, Mauro Kern, said last week at the company’s Paris office.
In the running to supply EFB hardware for the Legacy are Astronautics, CMC Electronics and Goodrich and, although an internal selection has already been made, the winner has not been informed, says Rodrigo Fanton, Legacy senior programme manager. Two of these suppliers are in contention for the 170/190, leaving the door open for a common system to be used across these types and the Legacy 600, which could then be offered for the ERJ-135/140/145 models “with an easy adaptation” as they share a common flightdeck with the ERJ-135-based Legacy, says Fanton. However, Kern adds that EFB discussions with ERJ-145 airliner operators are “less intense”.
The Legacy EFB could enter service in around a year’s time.
A Class 2 EFB is hard-mounted but can only receive data inputs from the avionics system, whereas a Class 1 installation is detached and a Class 3 is fully integrated.
Certification of the 70-seat E-170 to fly the steep approach into London City using flight-control system modifications activated by a “steep approach button” in the cockpit is expected by the end of this year and is expected to be used by Alitalia and Cirrus Airlines.
“For the 190 we have just made an assessment and the aircraft is capable of having this function,” says Kern. However, Embraer has yet to start development.
The E-170 will be payload-restricted, but will be able to carry a full passenger load on routes of up to 1,200km (650nm). “We expect something similar with a full passenger load for the 190”, says Kern.
The steep approach kit enables use of the spoilers to increase drag and provides additional stall protection and automatic disengagement in the event of a go-around.
Source: Flight International
