Embraer's Legacy 500 takes to the skies for the first time. (Embraer)
Embraer’s new midsize Legacy 500 business jet has made its maiden flight.
The aircraft is the first in its class to incorporate fly-by-wire technology and full height cabin. The fourth in what the manufacturer calls a clean-sheet design, the Legacy 500 boasts a range of 3,000nm, a cruise speed of Mach .82 and maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet.
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Embraer president of executive jets Ernest Edwards said of the new aircraft: “This is the aircraft that will move us from industry player to industry leader. The Legacy 500 breaks through the traditional midsize jet envelope to offer something that has never been done before. It is hard to overstate the importance of fly-by-wire technology. Fly-by-wire does for business aviation what GPS has done for navigation. It will empower more precision, efficiency, safety and comfort every time the aircraft flies.”
Deliveries of the new aircraft are planned for 2014. The smaller Legacy 450 is due to enter flight testing in one year.
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