Embraer tells ANN that the 'midlight' Legacy 450 and 'midsize' Legacy 500 executive jet programs have completed the Joint Definition Phase (JDP), which began in July 2008 and involved over 100 engineers from key system suppliers, as well as Embraer’s own staff.

“The Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 programs have passed a critical milestone, and we are engaging over 500 engineers and technicians, as we begin the next phase,” said Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer Executive Vice President, Executive Jets. “We are confident that the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are revolutionary products for their categories, and we continue strongly committed to these executive jet programs.”

During the JDP, a multidisciplinary team of Embraer engineers, in collaboration with suppliers co-located at the Company’s headquarters, finalized the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 product definition, and established methods for fulfilling certification requirements with ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil), the Brazilian civil aviation authority. The new aircraft design is fully digital. Engineering teams completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and developed digital models of the aircraft, using CATIA V5 software to provide a platform to complete structural and aerodynamic analyses at Embraer’s Virtual Reality Center. Production planning and tooling design are performed with digital manufacturing software, virtually simulating all milling and assembly processes well before the first metal cut.

To validate the Man-Machine Interface (MMI), Embraer convened an advisory board, comprised of seasoned pilots and aircraft owners from various regions of the world. The group has validated the overall design of the jets, as well as cockpit functionality, providing input for defining the symbology and synoptics of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck. The contributions allowed engineering teams to incorporate suggestions that will reduce pilot workload and improve the safety, comfort and operational capabilities of the aircraft. Based on extensive customer interaction and design research, the interior design has been refined to incorporate enhancements to the seating and tables, mainly.

In the current Detail Design and Certification Phase (DDCP), Embraer is working together with suppliers to detail the systems architecture and aircraft components, in order to release drawings for the first metal cut and for production of the prototypes, which will be used to conduct ground and flight tests.

The control laws for the fly-by-wire system are being validated by Embraer’s test pilots with flight simulation tools. The Company also invited commercial and business aviation pilots to contribute to this validation process. The fly-by-wire system enabled the first implementation of the side-stick solution in an Embraer aircraft.

FMI: www.EmbraerExecutiveJets.com