Summary
- Embraer has certified more than 20 aircraft in 24 years.
- The E-Jet family has flown since 2002, offering success in commercial air travel.
- Embraer expanded from the ERJ to the E-Jet series, leading to a global presence in aviation.
Looking back over the past 24 years, it’s incredible that Brazil Embraer has certified more than 20 aircraft. Founded by the Brazilian government in 1969, Embraer has grown to become the world’s third-largest civil aircraft manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus.
Embraer ERJ 145
In 1989, Embraer began work on a jet-powered version of its successful
turboprop-powered EMB 120 Brasilia regional aircraft. The new aircraft kept the 120 Brasilias’ three-abreast seating but had swept wings and twin rear-mounted Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engines.
By the time the aircraft was ready to perform its maiden flight on August 11, 1995, it had already gotten 18 firm orders, 16 options, and 127 letters of intent. The Embraer ERJ-145 received its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on December 10, 1996, and entered service with Continental Express in 1997.
Embraer Legacy 600
A business jet derivative of the ERJ-135, the Legacy, was launched at the 2000 Farnborough Airshow as the “Legacy 2000.” Able to accommodate as many as 23 passengers in three plane sections. Unlike the commercial ERJ-135, the Legacy 600 was certified to fly at 41,000 feet, four thousand feet higher than the airliner.
Embraer E170
The Embraer E-Jet family was designed to complement the company’s earlier ERJ family of regional jets. Unlike the ERJ 145, the E-170 would have two wing-mounted engines and feature four abreast seats.
The E-Jet prototype made its maiden flight on August 2, 2002, at the company’s factory in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil. The E-170 received its Brazilian, United States, and European type certification in February 2004 and entered service with LOT Polish Airlines shortly afterward.
Embraer E190, E195, and E175
At the same time as Embraer was working on the E170, it was simultaneously building more significant variants that would become the E190 and E195. The E190 and E195 entered service with JetBlue and the now-defunct Flybe in late 2004.
Due to a strong demand mostly from the United States regional airlines, Embraer built a slightly stretched version of its popular E170 called the “E175.” By increasing the E170’s length by nearly six feet, airlines were able to add another eight seats. After making its maiden flight in 2003, the E175 entered service with launch customer Air Canada in July 2005.
Photo: Embraer
Since the E-Jet family first entered service, it has proven to be a commercial success for Embraer and the airlines that operate the planes. Offering many of the same facilities found on larger single-aisle aircraft, passengers particularly like the E-Jets because there is no middle seat, as all of them are configured in a 2+2 layout.
Today, the E-190, E-195, and E-175 allow airlines to offer flights on lower-demand routes that would not make sense on larger Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Embraer Phenom 100
During the spring of 2005, Embraers’ directors saw an opening for a small light private jet in the business jet market. The company’s aim was to secure 30% of the global light business jet market with its Embraer Phenom 100.
In June 2007, Embraer released a prototype plane powered by twin PW617-F turbofan engines and fitted it with Garmin Aviation’s G1000 electronic flight instrument system (EFIS).
The aircraft made its maiden flight at the company’s facility in São José dos Campos in August 2007 and was then sent to Embraers’ private aerodrome near Gavião Peixoto for flight testing. The Embraer Phenom 100 received its type certificate in December 2008 and was delivered to a private customer in South America the same month.
Embraer Lineage 1000
Based on the Embraer E190 airliner, the Embraer Lineage 1000 is a significant business jet that seats up to 19 passengers. What is unique about the Embraer Lineage 1000 is that it has extra fuel tanks in the lower hold, which allows it to fly twice as far as the Embraer E190.
The aircraft received its Brazilian certification and European EASA in December 2008 before being certified by the American FAA a month later.
Embraer Phenom 300
Following the success of its Phenom 100 and customer demand for a larger business jet, engineers opted for a clean sheet design rather than a stretch version of the Phenom 100. The prototype Embraer Phenom 300 made its maiden flight on April 29, 2008, and received its type certification on December 3, 2009.
Embraer Legacy 650
The Embraer Legacy 650 is a longer-range variant of the Legacy 600, allowing it to fly non-stop with four passengers for 4,490 miles. The aircraft received its American FAA-type certification in February 2011.
Embraer AEW&C India
In the early 2000s, the Indian Air Force sought an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. The platform selected for the aircraft was the Embraer ERJ 145. After purchasing and modifying three ERJ 145, the aircraft made its maiden flight on December 6, 2011, and entered service with the Indian Air Force on February 14, 2017.
Embraer Legacy 500 and 400
During the summer of 2007, Embraer unveiled two new business jet concepts based on the Phenom 300. The first Legacy 500 prototype rolled off the assembly line on December 23, 2011, making its maiden flight on November 27, 2012. The Legacy 450 made its maiden flight on December 28, 2013, and was certified by the FAA on August 31, 2015.
Embraer C-390
In the early 2000s, Embraer began considering building a military transport based loosely on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules for the Brazilian military. In April 2012, Embraer signed an agreement to partner with Boeing on the C-390. The aircraft made its maiden flight on February 3, 2015. The Brazilian Air Force took delivery of its first C-390 on September 4, 2019.
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Embraer Impanema 203
The Embraer Impanema 203 is a Brazilian agricultural aircraft used primarily for crop dusting. The aircraft received its type certification in 2015.
Embraer E-190E2 and E195E2
In November 2012, the Brazilian planemaker announced that it was building a second generation of E-Family jets based on the E-190 and E-195. Called the E-2 Family, the new planes featured new engines and improved avionics.
Capable of carrying between 120 and 146 passengers, the plane’s main competition would be the Airbus A220. The E190-E2 and E195-E2 were certified by three key civil aviation authorities, the ANAC, FAA, and EASA, in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Embraer Praetor 500/600
Photo: Embraer
The Praetor 500/600 are updated versions of the earlier Legacy aircraft.
The Praetor 600 was certified by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil in April 2019, with the Praetor 500 receiving its Brazilian-type certificate in August 2019.
EMB-203 Ipanema Electric
The EMB-203 Impanema electric-powered is an electric-powered EMB-203 Impanema crop duster. The aircraft is still undergoing tests.
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