Story ID: 
Embraer Begins Legacy 450 Deliveries
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Initial delivery comes a little less than four months after Embraer secured U.S. approval for the Legacy 450.
Word Count: 229
Embraer’s Legacy 450 has entered service with the first delivery to Orlando, Fla.-based event technology specialist LMG, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday. The delivery came a little less than four months after Embraer secured U.S. FAA approval for the Legacy 450. The “mid-light” business jet initially had received Brazilian ANAC certification in early August. Embraer began serialized production of the Legacy 450 shortly after certification, the company said.

“We are excited to be the very first customer to take delivery of a Legacy 450, an incredible business jet that fulfills all of our needs,” said Les Goldberg, CEO of LMG, which provides video, audio, lighting and audiovisual support for events and has offices in Las Vegas, Nashville, Dallas and Detroit in addition to Orlando.

The $16.57 million Legacy 450, a shorter variant of the Legacy 500 that entered service a year ago, currently has a 2,575-nm range and a 3,825-foot takeoff distance. Sharing about 95 percent commonality with the 500, the 450 features a six-foot-tall flat-floor cabin. Also like its sibling, the 450 is equipped with digital flight controls and full fly-by-wire technology.

As deliveries begin, Embraer working toward extending the range of the 450 to 2,900 nm. The first 450 with the extended range is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2016. Embraer also next year is expected to begin deliveries of the 450 to fractional aircraft operator Flexjet.