Embraer Launches Legacy 650

Embraer provided one of the major surprises today at the NBAA Convention by launching the large-cabin Legacy 650 on the eve of the 62nd annual show, which officially starts tomorrow in Orlando, Fla. Embraer v-p of market intelligence Claudio Camelier emphasized that this latest $29.5 million addition to the Embraer Executive Jets line is related to the Legacy 600 only in that it shares the Legacy name and the same EMB-135 platform. “The 600 and the 650 are distinctly different airplanes,” he said. However, despite differences, it is a derivative in that certification will be based on the 600’s type certificate. The Legacy 650 merges the fuselage of the EMB-135 with the wings from the larger EMB-145. With the additional fuel capacity provided by the EMB-145 wings and 10-percent more efficient Rolls-Royce AE3007A2 engines, the 650 has a projected NBAA IFR range of 3,900 nm, 500 nm more than the Legacy 600. Embraer’s newest Legacy will also come equipped with a Honeywell Primus Elite avionics suite. The Legacy 650 first flew earlier this month, and certification flight-testing has begun. “We have two Legacy 650s flying, and we expect to have the airplane certified in mid-2010. Deliveries are to begin in the second half of the year,” said Camelier.