FAA deputy associate administrator John Hickey handed Embraer Executive Jets president Marco Túlio Pellegrini the FAA type certificate for the fly-by-wire Legacy 500 yesterday afternoon at the company’s booth here at NBAA 2014 in Orlando, Fla.
The U.S. approval comes just two months after the super-midsize jet earned certification from ANAC, Brazil’s civil aviation authority. “Designing a transport-category-sized airplane and going through all the steps it takes to get certification is not an easy process,” Hickey said during the certificate presentation. “That’s why there aren’t a lot of companies in this business that can do this, and Embraer is one of the best companies in this business.”
“We are so proud and very delighted to have this momentum,” said Pellegrini as he accepted the certificate. “I would like to thank FAA for their cooperating in accepting our design as the best airplane in this segment.”
Embraer delivered the first Legacy 500 less than two weeks ago to an undisclosed Brazilian company at its São José dos Campos headquarters. Its U.S. demonstrator–Legacy 500 S/N 008–is on exhibit this week at the static display at Orlando Executive Airport, as its in-flight test sibling Legacy 450. The manufacturer expects to deliver up six Legacy 500s by year-end.
Embraer broke ground earlier this month on an expansion project at its Melbourne (Fla.) International Airport campus that will allow Legacy 450/500 assembly to begin there in the second half of 2016. The company plans to deliver at least one Legacy 500 from the facility in 2016. The Legacy 500 features the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion cockpit and is powered by a pair of Honeywell HTF7500E engines giving it a range of 3,125 nm and a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet.
