Embraer's fourth Phenom 100 VLJ takes flight
08 Apr 2008
Embraer's fourth very light jet, the Phenom 100, took off for the first time on 26 March from Embraer's Gaviao Peixoto plant, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event marked the beginning of the Phenom 100's maturity campaign that will simulate, via an intensive flight schedule, real operating conditions, including exposure to extreme hot and cold weather.
''The fourth aircraft will play a significant role in the Phenom 100 programme,'' said Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer executive vice-president, executive jets. ''The maturity campaign is intended to confirm the jet's quality and high-utilization characteristics.''
Currently, Embraer is performing certification tests with the first three aircraft and has accumulated 530 flight tests hours. These tests have checked flutter and stall, flight quality, and performance and the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), as well as other systems and features.
Embraer expects certification of the aircraft to take place by mid-2008. It also expects to make deliveries of between 10 and 15 jets by the end of this year.
It also said that the first Phenom 100 meant for delivery to a customer was already in pre-assembly.
