flight international

AIR TRANSPORT

fiightglobal.com 8-14 March 2016 | Flight International | 15

Airbus gears up to

boost H160 interest

SHOW REPORT P 16

E

mbraer cannot be accused of

rolling out an incomplete test

aircraft with the public unveiling

of the E190-E2 on 25 February. A

private tour of the aircraft reveals

a structurally complete airframe

with a full flight test interior.

While the company says the

window for performing its first

flight opens in July, the aircraft

appears to only await safety of

flight approvals for the power

systems and the software that

controls the onboard avionics.

The Pratt & Whitney PW1900G

engines are in certification test-

ing, but clearing that milestone is

not required to get airborne.

Although pictures were not

allowed, the tour – for two jour-

nalists – offered an early glimpse

of advanced preparations for an

18-month flight test campaign.

Ascending the airstairs to enter

the forward cabin left door

afforded a clear view of the

engines and the contoured profile

of the new and expanded wing,

PROGRAMME STEPHEN TRIMBLE SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS

Embraer in good shape on E190-E

Private tour after roll-out ceremony reveals Brazilian airframer has already fitted regional jet with its full flight-test interior

which Embraer chief executive

Frederico Curado describes as

featuring the highest aspect ratio

achieved by a metallic structure.

Luis Carlos Affonso, the com-

pany’s chief operating officer for

commercial aircraft, explains that

the high aspect ratio – which is

estimated above 11, including the

raked wingtip – is achieved due

to the small size of the aircraft,

compared to larger single- and

twin-aisle designs. If the E2 air-

craft family was any larger, it

would be necessary to switch to a

composite wing design, he adds.

Stepping into the cabin,

Honeywell’s Primus Epic-based

cockpit grabs a visitor’s attention.

The lead aircraft achieved power-

on in late November or early

December, according to an

Embraer official, and its second

flight test vehicle has now passed

the milestone.

Although Embraer selected

Honeywell’s avionics for the E

in part to maintain commonality

with the E-Jet family, Curado says

the new system is “very im-

proved... a very nice upgrade.”

Four large area multifunction dis-

plays offer 40% more viewing

area, but the instruments are

largely unchanged, except for

minor layout tweaks to the navi-

gation control panel.

Back in the cabin, four test sta-

tions are prepared to support the

flight campaign, with the forward

cabin also cluttered with instru-

ments. Twelve passenger seats

have been installed near the rear

of the cabin, with more instru-

mentation equipment filling the

final one-third of the fuselage. ■

Embraer

Re-engined and rewinged E-Jet is expected to get airborne for the first time from July 2016

STRATEGY

Manufacturer has no ambition to lock horns with ‘big two’

There are no near-term plans for

Embraer to compete against Airbus

and Boeing in the single-aisle

market, despite internal studies sug-

gesting it could build a slightly better

aircraft, says chief executive

Frederico Curado.

Asked when the company could

revisit plans, abandoned in 2011, to

design a 150-seater, Curado quickly

replies: “Not in my term. I don’t think

I’ll see that.”

Five years ago, Embraer

announced plans to begin the devel-

opment of a re-engined and re-

winged version of the largest three

members of its original E-Jet family,

and the E2 project was launched in

June 2013. Embraer had decided it

was best to avoid a direct confronta-

tion with Airbus and Boeing in the

market for 150-220-seat aircraft. It

avoided the situation faced by

Bombardier’s CSeries: a 135-seat

model competing directly with the

Airbus A319 and Boeing 737-700.

“The 737 and A320 are very

good aircraft – the market is satis-

fied,” Curado says. “So there is no

need, no pressure for something

new.” Embraer’s studies indicate

technology available for a clean-

sheet design could beat the eco-

nomics of the re-engined A320neo

and 737 Max by 3-5%.

“We believe we can do that now,”

Curado says. “But 3-5% is absolute-

ly insufficient to face this formidable

challenge – to face companies that

are strong, competent, have good

products and have an enormous

industrial production capacity.” ■

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