Embraer revealed its new Legacy 650 business jet, which offers increased range compared to the Legacy 600, at NBAA on October 19.
Like the Legacy 600, the 650 is based on the ERJ-135 regional jet, but introduces an additional belly fuel tank in a ventral fairing and upgraded Rolls-Royce AE 3007A2 engines. This gives the aircraft a range of 3900nm nonstop with four passengers, making nonstop London-New York or Singapore-Sydney flights viable. The aircraft has also received extensive airframe modifications, including strengthening the wing and landing gear. In addition, the Legacy 650 gains a Honeywell Primus Elite avionics suite, which will also be used on future Legacy 600s and will be available as a retrofit for existing Legacy 600s.
“Embraer entered the business jet market with the firm vision to become a leading and long term player, attempting to bring fresh, real contributions to the industry, and listening attentively to customers. The launch of the large cabin Legacy 650 drives this purpose forward, extending our product portfolio to seven state-of-the-art executive jets,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer’s president and CEO.
Developed largely outside of the public eye, the first flight of the Legacy 650 took place on September 23 at Embraer’s Gavaio Peixoto flight test facility. Two Legacy 650s are currently involved in flight testing, with certification and first deliveries due in the second half of 2010.
