A Guide To The Maximum Range Of The Embraer Phenom 100

Embraer is one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers. Based on the number of aircraft it produces, it only trails Boeing and Airbus. The Brazilian company has been a major player in the commercial aviation market for many years. Embraer is most known for its production of the Embraer Regional Jet (ERJ) family of aircraft.

These regional airliners fit between 37 and 50 passengers, depending on the model, and are used by airlines across the world. More recently, Embraer has produced its E-Jet and E-Jet E2 family of aircraft. These are also regional airliners, although they fit more passengers, holding a maximum of 146 passengers in a single-class configuration.

Photo: Rudzenka | Shutterstock

The Brazilian aerospace company also maintains a heavy presence in the military aviation industry. Some of its most notable aircraft produced for a military role include the EMB 314 Super Tucano, the C-390 Millenium, the EMB 312 Tucano, the EMB 111 Bandeirante, and the R-99.

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The Brazilian manufacturer has been producing aircraft since 1969.

However, Embraer also has a strong presence in the private aviation market as well. The Brazilian company first entered the private aviation industry with the introduction of the Legacy 600 in February 2002, which was a business jet based on the ERJ-135 commercial airliner. Since then, Embraer introduced the famous ultra-large business jet, the Embraer Lineage 1000.

The company also produces the Praetor 500 and the Praetor 600, which are upgrades from the Legacy 450 and the Legacy 500. However, Embraer’s most famous family of private jets is the Phenom family of aircraft. This includes the most flown business jet in the United States, the Embraer Phenom 300. It also includes one of the most popular very-light business jets in the industry, the Phenom 100.

Let’s take a closer look at how the Phenom 100 came to be. Let’s also take a closer look at some of the unique features that make this aircraft so appealing in its industry.

Brief history of the Phenom 100

Embraer first began conceptualizing the Phenom 100 in the early 2000s. In 2005, Embraer decided to move into the smaller side of the business jet industry, including the production and development of one very-light jet and one light jet. The very-light jet would eventually be designated as the famous Phenom 100.

Photo: Embraer

The company officially announced the jet at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in November 2005. The announcement came with the reveal of a full-scale mockup. This kicked off the major design phase of the development process. By May 2006, over 50 aircraft orders had been placed.

The first Embraer Phenom 100 conducted its maiden flight in July 2007. The majority of the flight testing process was conducted at the Embraer facility in Gaviao Peixoto. The aircraft received its type certification from both Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in December 2008. The first delivery of a Phenom 100 took place later that month.

Notable design features of the Phenom 100

The Phenom 100 has a standard low-wing with a t-tail configuration. This very-light business jet can fit approximately five passengers in a standard configuration. It can fit seven passengers if one of the passengers sits in the cockpit and one of the passengers sits in the belted lavatory seat. According to Liberty Jet, the fuselage has the following measurements:

• Cabin length: Eleven feet
• Cabin height: Four feet eleven inches
• Cabin width: Five feet one inches

Inside the cockpit, Phenom 100 pilots utilize Embraer’s Prodigy Touch flight deck. This avionics system is based on the Garmin G3000 avionics suite. This advanced avionics system was first implemented on Phenom 100s in 2013, while earlier models utilized the Garmin G1000 avionics system. It also includes graphical flight planning, SurfaceWatch, vertical navigation, turbulence detection, and a windshear prediction system.

Photo: Embraer

The Phenom 100 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617-F turbofan engines. These each provide the aircraft with nearly 1,700 pounds of thrust. These efficient engines help the Phenom 100 reach a maximum speed of Mach 0.7 (520 miles per hour) and a range of over 1,175 nautical miles (1,350 miles).

How far can the Phenom 100 fly?

Overall, the Phenom 100 is designed to reach competitive performance measures compared to the rest of the very-light business jet market. Because of these unique design features, the aircraft can reach a range of 1,178 nautical miles (1,356 miles). This is extremely competitive in the very light business jet market. For reference, the Phenom 100 surpasses the HondaJet Elite, which has a range of 1,171 nautical miles (1,348 miles), and is narrowly beaten by the Cessna Citation M2, which has a range of 1,183 nautical miles (1,362 miles).

Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock

Beyond the Phenom 100’s impressive range, the aircraft has the following performance measures:

The Phenom 100 also has impressive takeoff and landing performance. The aircraft only requires a runway of 3,200 feet to take off, and it only requires a runway of 2,431 feet to land.