Fourth Aircraft Joins Test Fleet

Brazilian planemaker Embraer tells ANN it is moving "steadily forward" with its Phenom 300 light jet program, with the first flight of the fourth test aircraft at the end of February 2009.

This jet, with registration number PP-XVL, and the third (PP-XVK), which first flew on December 23, 2008, are being operated from the Company’s Flight Test Center at the Gavião Peixoto plant, in Brazil, alongside the first two Phenom 300 executive jets.

The test fleet is comprised of four aircraft: two fully instrumented, one equipped with basic interior and flight test instrumentation, and another with interior furnishings, which will be used for function and reliability tests and in the maturity campaign. So far, the entire fleet has performed over 300 hours of test flight campaign.

"As the Phenom 300 light jet certification and maturity campaign progresses, the deliveries of the first Phenom 100 entry level jets are taking place," said Maurício Almeida Filho, Embraer Vice President, Programs – Executive Jets. "We expect this crucial phase for the Phenom 300 to be every bit as successful as it was for the Phenom 100."

Flight and ground tests are presently moving ahead, having already concluded in-flight engine thrust determination (IFTD) and restart, water spray, fire extinguishing, fuel tests, and artificial ice shapes, among others. The Phenom 300 has flown at an altitude of 45,000 feet, while maintaining the cabin altitude as low as 6,600 feet. It has demonstrated the maximum cruising speed of 450 knots (KTAS), or 833 km/h, and Mach 0.78. Rigs have been used to refine avionics, to check the airplane’s environmental systems, and to test the electrical system.

Ongoing tests include aerodynamics and natural ice, as well as data collection for the full flight simulator development. The autopilot is being put through its paces, and avionics tests are successfully proceeding. Lightning strike, High Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF), external noise, crosswinds, and cold soak tests are scheduled to begin, soon.

The Phenom 300 certification campaign will require around 1,400 flight hours, and progresses toward its conclusion in the second half of 2009. The Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jets have a combined sales backlog of more than 800 aircraft, according to Embraer.

FMI: www.embraer.com