Embraer: March 2008 Archives

During last week’s trip to Brazil, I was introduced to one of the lesser known members of the Embraer family: The EMB-202A Ipanema.

This awkward looking green-painted crop duster is a 40 year-old design with a 21st century fuel tank. Over 1000 of these aircraft have been built since 1973. What makes the Ipanema so special? It runs on hydrated ethyl alcohol fuel, better known as ethanol. Or as it’s known in Brazil as homegrown 100% Alcool.

The fuel, which is derived from natively grown sugar cane, is converted into alcohol. In a world where oil is well above the $100 barrel mark, sugar cane based ethanol is two to three times cheaper than 100 octane LL avgas. Ethanol, unlike 100LL, has a lower CO2 output and no lead content. The increased oxygen content of the fuel even gives a 7% horsepower boost.

There are downsides though. First, the 4% water content increases maintenance costs due to risk of corrosion in the fuel system. Also, the fuel has less energy content by volume so the useful range would be less on the same tank of 100 octane low lead avgas. Yet, even with the increased risk to the fuel system, according to Embraer, the Ipanema has delivered a 38% reduction in direct operating cost by running on ethanol.

Sao Jose dos Campos – The new light jet offering from Embraer, the Phenom 300, achieved power on for the first time on March the 4th.

The aircraft, serial number 801, is currently undergoing final assembly at the Gaviao Peixoto final assembly facility 200 miles outside of Sao Paolo. The aircraft is on jacks in its current position on the factory floor positioned behind the fourth test aircraft Phenom 100, Embraer’s new Very Light Jet.

Following yesterday’s successful power on, S/N 801 is undergoing further systems integration in preparation for the aircraft’s first flight expected later in the second quarter of this year.

The aircraft is awaiting installation of its winglets, tail assembly, wheels and movable control surfaces. The first wing to body join was completed within the last week.

Embraer assembled the forward, center and aft fuselage sections at its Botucatu facility, then shipped them by truck to Gaviao Peixoto for final assembly.

The Phenom 300 will seat up to seven plus two flight attendants and sport a range of up to 1,800 nm. The avionics package will be identical to the smaller Phenom 100 which sports a Garmin 1000 adapted flight deck marketed under the name Prodigy.

Flight testing and certification is targeted for Summer 2009, with first delivery coming shortly thereafter.

The aircraft was photographed earlier today by FlightBlogger and are the first pictures to show the current state of assembly of the first Phenom 300 aircraft. A walk around photo tour of the aircraft will be available soon.

Sao Jose Dos Campos -- I've arrived here in Brazil and I'll be heading to the Embraer factory within the hour and I've been pondering quite a bit on the state of the global economy.

This last week brought us the first new wide-body aircraft type (Delta's 777-200LR) introduced in the US since Northwest first added its A330s in 2003. The last five years have demonstrated a tectonic shift in the center of gravity of the global economy. Around the world new wide-body aircraft are being delivered to the Middle East and Asia. You need only look at the ramp in Everett to see how things have changed.

With the US economy teetering on the edge of recession, the rest of the world largely goes on without significant impact. The full extent of the credit crisis yet to be seen, however the damage resulting from a crisis originating in US is far more contained. Yet, if markets sneeze in China the US nearly flips on its head. Indeed a role reversal indicative of the new global economy.

With respect to business aviation, emerging markets are driving product development. Here in Brazil this shift is evident, as the business jet offerings from Embraer are designed with the growing Middle Eastern and Asian market in mind. Marketing materials tout range charts from Dubai and Beijing along side London and New York.

These products will further shrink an already flat world enabling infrastructure development along side blistering economic development. The new products are an outgrowth of an economic boom, yet, at some point the question becomes one of the chicken and the egg. Will these new business jets encourage growth or be the byproduct of it?

More from Sao Jose dos Campos later.

A programming note for FlightBlogger for the remainder of this week. I'll be heading to Sao Paolo, Brazil this evening to visit Embraer in advance of EBACE 2008. I'll be covering the Phenom, Legacy and Lineage business jet product lines, tour the factories and speak with executives.

If you're not familiar with the business jet offering from Embraer, here's some good reading to get you caught up.

Phenom 100
Phenom 300
Legacy 600
Lineage 1000

I'm sure we'll also be hearing quite a bit about the new Midsize Light Jet (MLJ) and Midsize Jet (MSJ) which were announced last September as well.

Also, this is a country that takes its aviation VERY seriously. Just look how the capitol city is laid out. You might recognize the shape:

View Larger Map

Lastly, I added a tour of the Legacy 600 from the Singapore Air Show. Listen to the
audio tour here.
Many high resolution cabin and flight deck pictures below the fold.