Saying it will add some 300 engineers to its design team, Embraer last week announced it has begun what it terms the “joint definition phase” (JDP) of its efforts to bring the Phenom 300 light business jet to market. The Phenom 300 is the first clean-sheet design of its category in over two decades, said Lus Carlos Affonso, senior vice president, Executive Aviation Market. This collaborative initiative with our suppliers gathers another 300 engineers from Embraer, in addition to those allocated to the Phenom 100 program, and will enable us to deliver best-of-breed light jets in mid-2009. The design and engineering effort comes at the same time Embraer is working through what it calls the “Phenom Tour,” a road show featuring a full-scale mock-up of the Phenom 300 through North America, Europe and Latin America.
The Phenom 300 and its little brother the Phenom 100 are Embraer’s entry in the light-jet market. Both are clean-sheet designs, according to the company, stressing “premium comfort, outstanding performance and low operating costs.” The two aircraft are expected to enter service in 2009 and 2008, respectively.
