Embraer Joins First Legacy 500 Fuselage

Embraer joined the fuselage of the first Legacy 500 at its São José dos Campos, Brazil plant last month. The midsize jet’s fuselage is built in three sections–cockpit, center fuselage and aft fuselage–and is constructed of aluminum alloy, with “substantial” composite materials content, the company said. The production process for the Legacy 500 has seen a “considerable increase” in the use of robots and lean manufacturing processes, according to Embraer. Legacy 500 final assembly will take place at Embraer’s São José dos Campos facilities. Flight testing of the clean-sheet midsize jet is slated to start later this year, with Brazilian and FAA certification to follow one year later.