Brazilian Planemaker "Particularly Pleased" With Response

AOPA Expo attendees will be able to take an early look at the Embraer Phenom 300's new extended cabin by visiting the company's full-scale mock-up at the AOPA Expo Aircraft Display, located at Hartford-Brainard Airport.

"This is only the second time we have shown the new extended cabin of the Phenom 300 in North America," said Ernest Edwards, Embraer Vice President, Marketing & Sales -- USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Executive Jets, adding that so far the company is "particularly pleased with the response it's getting."

Targeted towards corporations now flying large turboprops and smaller light jets, air taxi and charter companies, and individual owners, the Phenom 100 and 300 are single-pilot-capable aircraft designed with short-field takeoff and hot and high operations in mind. Both jets will offer a standard anti-skid brake-by-wire system for added safety and reliability.

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F engines, with 1,615 pounds of thrust each, power the jet. Its range with four occupants will be 1,160 nautical miles (2,148 km or 1,335 miles) with NBAA IFR reserves, 35 minutes, and 100 nm alternate; or 1,320 nautical miles (2,445 km or 1,519 miles) with NBAA VFR reserves, 45 minutes.

The aircraft is capable of flying at 41,000 feet (12,497 meters) at a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.70. These characteristics will allow customers to fly nonstop from New York to Miami; and from Los Angeles to Denver or Vancouver (Canada) at a lower cost than competitive aircraft, including turboprops.

The Phenom features the Prodigy flight deck, based on Garmin's all-glass, fully-integrated avionics suite. The Prodigy flight deck consists of three interchangeable 12-inch displays: Two Primary Flight Displays (PFD) and one Multi-Function Display (MFD). The system integrates all primary flight, navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather, engine instrumentation, and crew-alerting system data and presents the composite information in brilliant, sunlight-readable color on all three high-definition displays.

Designed by BMW Group Designworks USA, the Phenom's interior is boasts such amenities as an onboard wardrobe or refreshment center, an aft cabin private lavatory with toiletry cabinet, and satellite communications. In a typical club configuration, the Phenom 100 accommodates four passengers and features a 55-cubic-foot (1.56-cubic-meter) baggage compartment.

The Phenom 100 is priced at US$ 2.98 million, based on January 2005 economic conditions, in the baseline configuration, for FAA certification. The aircraft's maiden flight took place last July, and the jet is currently carrying out the certification flight test campaign in order to enter service in mid-2008.

After AOPA Expo 2007, the Phenom mock-up tour continues to the US cities of St. Louis, Shreveport, Houston, Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. A complete calendar of the tour is available from Embraer's web site.

FMI: www.embraerexecutivejets.com