Sees Light Of Day... And Soon, Light Under Its Wheels
Embraer tells ANN the Brazilian planemaker finished assembling
its first Phenom 300 jet at the Gavião Peixoto plant in
São Paulo, Brazil, on April 12. The rollout precedes a
series of ground tests to be conducted in preparation for the jet's
first flight in mid-2008. Final assembly of the second Phenom 300
has also begun at the same plant.
"We are thrilled to see the Phenom 300 become a reality," said
Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer Executive Vice President,
Executive Jets. "The Phenom 300, with its premium comfort,
best-in-class performance and low operating cost, will set a new
standard for the Light Jet category."
"The roll-out of the first Phenom 300 is a rewarding
achievement, a direct result of the unwavering commitment and
relentless drive of our engineering, manufacturing and quality
teams," said Henrique Langenegger, Embraer Vice President, Programs
– Executive Jets. "Over 400 engineers were commissioned to
the Phenom 300 program. The deployment of state-of-theart
technologies enabled a paperless design process, efficient
integration of over 50 suppliers, serial production tooling for the
very first aircraft, and fully-digital quality assurance."
The Phenom 300 rollout occurred just 10 months after the smaller
Phenom 100 was unveiled for the first time in June 2007. The first
metal cut of the Phenom 300 took place in late March 2007, with
wings and engines installed at the end of February 2008. March 2008
saw the first electrical power-on. The sub-sections were assembled
at the Botucatu plant.
Different from the Phenom 100, the Phenom 300 went through final
assembly at the Gavião Peixoto plant, where the program's
test campaign will also take place. Despite a strong familial
resemblance between the two aircraft, the Phenom 100 and 300 share
relatively few common components, according to Embraer.
The nine-seat Phenom 300 is designed for high utilization and
availability. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E
engines rated at 3,200 pounds of thrust each, the Phenom 300's
range with six occupants will be 1,800 nautical miles (3,334 km or
2,071 miles) with NBAA IFR reserves, 35 minutes and 100 nm
alternate.
The aircraft is capable of flying at 45,000 feet (13,716 meters)
at a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.78 and is also designed for
short-field takeoffs, while standard anti-skid brakes will aid in
short-field landings.
Based on Garmin's all-glass, fully-integrated avionics suite,
the Prodigy flight deck offers Phenom 300 jet operators more
advantages than any other avionics suite on today's market. The
cockpit features 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 three
high-definition displays.
Expected to enter service in the second half of 2009, the Phenom
300 is priced at US$ 6.65 million, based on January 2005 economic
conditions, in the baseline configuration, for FAA
certification.