PICTURES:Embraer rolls out first Phenom

Embraer has rolled out the first Phenom 100 very light jet (VLJ), the Brazilian manufacturer’s first purpose-designed business aircraft.

The twin-engine jet was rolled out off the assembly line at Embraer’s San José dos Campos plant on 16 June, on the eve of the Paris air show.

© Embraer

Embraer rolls out the first Phenom VLJ

© Embraer
Phenom 100 VLJ is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F turbofans

The aircraft has been moved to the paint shop, then will undergo a “few weeks” of ground testing in preparation for its first flight, says Embraer.

First flight is scheduled by mid-year, leading to certification and entry into service in mid-2008. The Phenom 300 light jet will follow a year behind.

The $3 million Phenom 100 is powered by a pair of 1,615lb-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F turbofans and equipped with Embraer’s Prodigy flightdeck based on Garmin G1000 integrated avionics.

Embraer has firm orders for "close to" 400 Phenom 100s and Phenom 300s, a $6.65 million light jet that shares the 100's cabin cross-section and cockpit, but has a different wing and engines.

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