Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 programme updates

Embraer has reported on the
progress of the two new Legacy aircraft, the Legacy 500 and the Legacy 450
executive jets.

The development programme
for the Legacy 500 achieved several significant milestones recently including taxi
runs and the beginning of ground vibration tests (GVT) in anticipation of the
first flight scheduled for later this year. Milestones also include
developments in the second and third prototypes.

Concurrently, the joint
definition phase (JDP) has started for its sister aircraft, the Legacy 450
executive jet.

“We have achieved key milestones that make us confident we will perform the
Legacy 500 first flight in the third quarter of this year, as planned,” said
Marco Tulio Pellegrini, Sr., vice president operations and chief operating
officer, Embraer Executive Jets. “The tests demonstrate the aircraft is very
mature regarding systems design and integration. As the Legacy 500 starts its
test campaign, development of the Legacy 450 project grows with the JDP well
underway.”

The Legacy 500 first prototype began taxi tests, achieving 40 knots and then 80
knots, and GVT in March. At the same time, the wing fuselage junction and the
first power on tests were completed on prototype #2. Production also completed
the fuselage junction of Prototype #3, which will be the first to have the
complete interior.

The development test benches have also been busy. The Iron Bird, a flight
controls integrated test facility is being used to evaluate the equipment and
components of the fly-by-wire flight controls, avionics, hydraulics and several
other system interfaces, logging over 1,700 hours of tests.

The Legacy 500 was rolled out on 23 December 2011. On 17 January 17, the
company accomplished the first engine run at its headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
The tests were successful with all functions operating as expected.