Embraer claims it remains on track to produce 28 of its 170 regional jets in 2003, including the first stretch 175 version, despite confirming that the scheduled type certification has slipped by at least three months from the original end of the year target date as the result of a delayed first flight.
"We've finalised our schedule review and our target for certification is by the end of March, with first delivery soon after. This will have no effect on our planned build rate as we have always taken a conservative approach… we're still talking about delivering 28 aircraft in 2003," says Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer 170/190 programme director.
Embraer had planned to deliver the first 170 to launch customer Swiss, formerly Crossair, by the end of the year, after initial Brazilian CTA and European Joint Aviation Authorities certification. There would then have been a two-month gap before subsequent aircraft followed from March 2003 onwards.
After suffering a two-month delay to the start of flight testing, it was decided there would have been insufficient time to allow the CTA and JAA to complete their work. The firm is already working to a compressed 1,800h flight test programme spread over six test aircraft, which it now expects to complete by January.
The first two 170s have clocked up 106h to date in the test programme, which began in February. The testing pace will increase with the addition of a third aircraft, due to fly this week - and the remaining three by the end of June.
The first 84-seat 175 will fly in mid-2003 having been accelerated by six months, while the maiden flight of the larger 108-seat 195 has been pushed back to the end of next year.
Source: Flight International
