Embraer’s Phenom 300 light jet flew for the first time yesterday, months ahead of its planned mid-year first flight schedule, lifting off from the 16,295-foot runway at Embraer’s private Unidade Gavião Peixoto Airport in Brazil for a one-hour, 22-minute flight.
Capt. John Sevalho Corção and chief pilot Eduardo Alves Menini were at the controls of Phenom 300 S/N 99801, accompanied by flight-test engineer Jens Peter Theodor Geiger Wentz, who monitored the flow of flight-test data streaming down to the engineering team. The pilots explored 99801’s flight characteristics and systems operation during the first flight, and during subsequent flights they will evaluate performance and define the aerodynamic configuration. The first three Phenom 300s will fly about 1,400 hours for the certification program in preparation for entry-into-service in the second half of next year. These flights will include function and reliability, ground vibration, flying qualities, flutter, water spray and single-point refueling testing. A fourth Phenom 300 will carry on the program’s maturity campaign.
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