The Embraer Legacy 450 business jet began as a concept dubbed as the mid-light jet (MLJ) first made public at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention in 2007. On this occasion, Frederico Fleury Curado, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Embraer, described the new business jet to be not an ordinary run-of-the-mill product but a true “game changer”. Later, the Legacy 450 was formally acknowledged at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition held in May 2008 where Embraer unveiled a mock-up of its new midsize business jet the Legacy 500.

The slightly smaller Legacy 450 is meant to fill the gap between the very light Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300 models, both of which are already flying in significant numbers across the world. On October 23, 2013, at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition, while unveiling the interior of the new Legacy 450, Jay Beever, the Vice President of Marketing and Interior Design, at Embraer, said that the Legacy 450 was the result of the relentless pursuit of ergonomics, craftsmanship, economics and attention to detail. The interior was a culmination of many years of hard work, innovation and craftsmanship.

Superior Performance

Designed to establish a new class in the executive jet category offering high end technology with extraordinary performance at low operating cost, the Legacy 450 is designed to carry up to nine passengers over 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km). The range of the Legacy 450 has been increased to 2,500 nautical miles with four passengers, 200 nautical miles farther than its initial specification. The aircraft is powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E series engines, each delivering 6,540 pounds of thrust with which the aircraft can climb up to 43,000 feet after takeoff in just 22 minutes. It is capable of operating from short runways thus giving access to more airports around the world. It has a full stand up flat floor cabin and a fuselage cross section that provides unprecedented cabin space for aircraft in this category.

State-of-the-art Technology

The aircraft has full fly-by-wire flight controls (FBW) wherein the traditional control yokes have been replaced by side sticks connected to an FBW flight-control system. The clean-sheet design of the Legacy 450 made it possible for integration of the first FBW control system ever in a mid-light jet that offers advantages for the crew by way of reduced stress and provides for smoother flight for passengers. This system eliminates the mechanical linkages between the flight controls and the flightcontrol surfaces i.e. ailerons, rudder, elevator and spoilers. Control inputs by the pilot are combined with sensor inputs and computerised flightcontrol laws for crisper and faster responses that do not deviate from the aircraft’s performance envelope.

Designed for Efficiency and Comfort

At the press conference at the NBAA Convention & Exhibition 2013, Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets declared: “The Legacy 450 will be the best-in-class mid-light executive jet. We never stop listening to our customers’ input. Thanks to their invaluable feedback and our commitment to deliver distinctive business aircraft, both the Legacy 450 and the Legacy 500 will offer an above premium travel experience to our customers.”

The cockpit of the Legacy 450 offers state-of-the-art Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics. The four large activematrix LCDs in the panel connect the pilots with synthetic enhanced vision with an optional head-up display, electronic charts, maps, graphical weather depiction from an intuitive multi-scan weather radar system that sees up to 300 nautical miles out and an airport surface-management system that minimises the chances of making a wrong turn or colliding with another vehicle on the ground, even when visibility is limited. The system minimises pilot workload while incorporating data from just about every known safety system. The MultiScan weather radar has the predictive capability to guide pilots not just around bad weather but over it. Fusion can grow to accommodate developing technology add-ons such as voice recognition, surface guidance and automatic dependent surveillancebroadcast (ADS-B), the future of air traffic control.

Passengers on the Legacy 450 will be treated to Honeywell’s high-definition ovation select cabin management system which allows for control of entertainment, communications, lights, temperature, window shades and more via drink-rail-mounted units, wireless handheld remotes or a galley touch screen. The system can interface with high-speed satellite communications and a variety of consumer electronics, including iPods, MP3 players, Apple TV and gaming systems. Moreover, it is built on an Ethernet backbone and offers extensive diagnostic and troubleshooting capability. Ovation’s media interface also hosts the optional JetMap3HD moving map applications and provides news, weather and sports updates. Ovation uses high-end Rosen HD monitors and Alto audio components. The aircraft pressurisation system keeps cabin altitude at a comfortable 6,000 feet at the 450’s maximum cruising altitude of 45,000 feet.

Project Status

The Legacy 450 cabin and cockpit was displayed for the first time at the NBAA Convention in Orlando, end October 2012. Originally scheduled for entry into service by the end of 2013, the Legacy 450 is still under development. It is to undertake its maiden flight soon and is expected to be certified by late 2014 with service entry thereafter.