Embraer Legacy 500

History of the Embraer Legacy 500

The Legacy 500 is Embraers entry into the highly competitive VIP business jet market, with an estimated price tag of around $20 million. Equipped with the latest technology inside and out, the aircraft provides a very powerful and luxurious flying experience for even the most demanding air travelers.

At the time of this writing (May 2014), the Legacy 500 is approaching certification and is expected to begin shipping later this year. The Legacy 500 is said to compete with products from Bombardier, Cessna and Gulfstream.

The first prototype was unveiled on December 23, 2011, and three aircraft have been built to date.

Externally, the Legacy 500 takes the form of a traditional midsize business jet with a pointed nose cone forward of the cockpit, a tubular fuselage with windows and a T-tail with high-mounted horizontal stabilizers. The main aircraft is mounted under the fuselage with good swept back and sparse winglets on top. The engines are positioned away from the fuselage to reduce noise while ensuring the necessary clearance above the main aircraft and below the empennage. The landing gear is fully retractable and belongs to the tricycle variant (two-wheeled front legs and two-wheeled main legs). A typical operator consists of two people, not including onboard support staff.

Entry/exit is via a lowerable port door near the cockpit, which doubles as an integrated staircase.

Inside, the cockpit shines with modern technology, including four large (15") full-color Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) spanning the width of the front dash. Controlled via the side stick (left pilot on left). and right-hand pilot), aided by Fly-By-Wire (FBW) technology. The "Pro Line Fusion" cockpit was designed by Rockwell Collins.

Throttle controls are located along the center console, as you might expect. Each pilot position provides comfortable seating and excellent cockpit visibility. Special visual aids were introduced in 2015 to provide better situational awareness, especially during takeoff and landing.

Passengers pass through the comfortable large seats ( Up to 12 people) enjoy a luxurious, foldable table top and large portholes that let in lots of natural light.

It is powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E series turbofan engines with up to 6,500 thrust each. Performance specs include 3,450 miles at cruising speed (about 630 miles per hour or Mach 0.83), a service ceiling of 46,000 feet and a climb rate of 3,750 feet per minute.

Dimensions include a barrel length of 20.5 meters, a wingspan of 20.2 meters and a height of 6.7 meters.

Compared to competing designs elsewhere, the Legacy 500 will be a hit with established businesses and affluent travelers alike when it arrives.

Specification

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