On Saturday, Embraer completed the first flight of its new midsized business jet, the Legacy 450. The initial flight for the aircraft had a duration of one hour and thirty five minutes, during which a preliminary evaluation of handing and performance characteristics was completed. The Legacy 450 is a fly-by-wire airplane, and the fly-by-wire system was utilized on the maiden flight.
Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President and CEO, said “Besides setting a new standard in business aviation, delivering innovations that reflect our vision, our commitment to customers, and our passion for excellence, I congratulate all Embraer people for achieving this important Legacy 450 program milestone on the scheduled date.”
The Legacy 450 will seat 7 passengers in its standard configuration, and boasts club seating that can be converted to fully flat beds. With a 6 foot tall cabin and flat floor, it becomes the most spacious mid-light business jet in its class. “The Legacy 450 will be the best in class mid-light business jet” said Marco Túlio Pellegrini, Senior Vice President of Embraer Executive Jets. “With full fly-by-wire technology and the roomiest cabin in its category, this aircraft will deliver unique features and amenities.”
In addition to fly-by-wire capabilities, the aircraft includes the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite with four 15.1 inch high resolution displays, graphical flight planning, Jeppesen charts and maps, and a Synthetic Vision System with heads-up display. Powered by Honeywell HF7500E engines, the legacy will cruise at M 0.82 and has a range of 2,500 nautical miles, making it capable of transcontinental flights within the US. Specifications for the Legacy 450 are summarized below:
The Legacy 450 will be produced at Embraer’s Melbourne, Florida facility.
