On Tuesday at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, CAE and Embraer announced the new flight training simulator base for the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 very light jets. The training programs will be offered at Burgess Hill, near Londons Gatwick airport, and will start in early 2009 when the first Phenom 100 is delivered in Europe. Embraer’s first-ever aircraft to “receive primary parts in composite material [the vertical fin and the horizontal stabilizer] is on track for completion and first flight by mid-year,” according to Embraer. Mating of wings and fuselage for the first aircraft took place in late March. Major installations including flight test instrumentation; cockpit consoles; hydraulic, electric and deicing systems; and landing gear, tires and brakes are also complete. The engines were installed in April, and Pratt & Whitney Canada has been engaged in a “maturity plan” that has accumulated more than 900 hours of engine testing with 180 in flight and more than 230 in endurance tests, according to Embraer.
The aircraft itself will be priced near $3 million “based on January 2005 economic conditions.” The company announced last year it expects to begin deliveries in mid-2008 with current orders for Phenom 100 and 300 jets (not just their series numbers) together adding to nearly 400. The Brazilian manufacturer also announced a fuselage stretch for its Phenom 300. The 0.35 meter stretch offers greater cabin flexibility, allowing for an entry-facing divan, making it the longest cabin in its class. Embraer is also putting the price of its new VLJ, the Phenom 100, up to $2.85 million on July 1, 2007. Launched at $2.75 million in 2005, the manufacturer put the price up to $2.85 million at last years EBACE. Prices will remain at $2.85 million until June 30. So hurry up and buy one,” urged Luis Carlos Affonso, executive vice president of executive aviation.
