Embraer has accomplished another milestone in the development of its new Legacy 500 midsize executive jet with the joining of the aircraft' s three fuselage sections: cockpit, center fuselage and aft fuselage. Legacy 500 final assembly will take place at Embraer facilities in São José dos Campos, Brazil. This is an important step towards beginning flight tests in the second half of 2011.

"The joining of the fuselage sections of the first prototype is a key milestone in our development schedule, and we will join the second one in the near future. Embraer is adopting a multi-site industrial strategy for the production of parts and major structures of the Legacy 500, supplied from all over the world," says Maurício Almeida, Embraer Vice President, Programs – Executive Jets. "Our robust design, manufacturing capability, and quality control process allowed for joining of these sections together flawlessly, as we move solidly through the development stages of this aircraft. This is made possible by the perfect integration of Embraer and its partners."

Sonaca, Alestis and Ducommun are the key structural suppliers. Other suppliers, such as Rockwell Collins (avionics), Honeywell (engines, APU, pressurization, cabin management and air conditioning), FACC (monuments and linings), Goodrich (anemometric system and cockpit seats), B/E Aerospace (passenger seats, cabin lighting, waste system and airflow outlets), Parker (fuel, flight controls and hydraulic generation), SKF (thrust lever and rudder pedals), Heroux Devtek (landing gear), Zodiac (oxygen and electric power distribution), and Meggitt (pneumatic system and wheels & brakes), are fully engaged and ready to support this important development phase.

The main structure of the Legacy 500 is built of aluminum alloy, with a substantial content of composite materials. The production process has seen a considerable increase in the use of robots and lean manufacturing processes.

The midlight Legacy 450 and midsize Legacy 500 design concepts were presented on September 2007, during a press conference at the 60th National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Meeting & Convention, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the U.S.

Embraer's Board formally approved the development programs six months later, and they were commercially launched at the European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE), in May 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland. Today, over 650 Embraer employees are fully engaged in the development of these two new jets.