Arrivals and Standbys
Embraer’s two forthcoming models will fill out the Brazilian manufacturer’s fleet of executive jets, which ranges from the entry-level Phenom 100 to the ultralarge-cabin Lineage 1000. Embraer expects the first of its two new jets, the Legacy 500, to reach customers by early 2014. Introduced in 2008, the all-new midsize jet will be able to carry as many as eight passengers from coast to coast in virtually any wind conditions without refueling (the seating capacity is 10 passengers). A pair of Honeywell engines will enable the jet to reach its initial cruise altitude of 43,000 feet in just 22 minutes and achieve speeds faster than 540 mph. The cabin, designed in conjunction with BMW Group DesignworksUSA, is 6 feet tall and nearly 7 feet wide and has a flat floor. Each pair of facing club seats in the cabin folds down to create a conjoined sleeping berth. The $19.9 million jet will be equipped with the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite, which features four 15.1-inch high-definition flight displays and fly-by-wire flight controls.
Following the Legacy 500 into operation will be the slightly shorter (by about 4 feet) and slightly less capable $16.5 million light-midsize Legacy 450, which is on track to enter service by the end of 2014. In addition to having the same Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics in the cockpit and Honeywell Ovation Select control and entertainment system in the nine-passenger cabin, the jet will use the same Honeywell engines as the Legacy 500 to achieve a roughly 2,650-mile range and speeds beyond 540 mph, making the Legacy 450 faster than any light-midsize jet currently in production. —B.S.B.