Embraer flies first US assembled Legacy 450

The first US assembled Embraer Legacy 450 has flown for the first time from Embraer’s Melbourne Florida manufacturing facility.

The aircraft is expected to be delivered to a US-based operator before the end of the year.

“We are very satisfied to have successfully completed this important milestone and we are on track to deliver this aircraft in December,” said Marco Tulio Pellegrini, president & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets.

Embraer began Legacy assembly in the US in June, switching all Phenom assembly to the US at the same time.

Currently the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are assembled in Brazil and the US, with Brazilian built aircraft destined for customers in Latin America, and US built aircraft for everywhere else.

Unlike the Phenom line, where all structural parts are shipped from Brazil, the wings of the Legacy aircraft are built in Evora Portugal.

Embraer say that they will ramp up US assembly slowly, with the one aircraft completed in 2016 to be followed by four aircraft in 2017.