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.
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