Embraer Legacy 600

The Embraer Legacy 600 is a business jet derivative of the Embraer ERJ family of commercial jet aircraft.

Legacy 600
Embraer Legacy 600, gear and flaps down
RoleBusiness jet
National originBrazil
ManufacturerEmbraer
First flight31 March 2001[1]
IntroductionFebruary 2002[1]
StatusIn service
Primary userVista Global
Produced2002–2020[2]
Number built289 (as of 31 December 2020)[3]
Developed fromEmbraer ERJ family

Design and development

The Legacy 600 (market designation adopted after 2005) is based on the ERJ-135 model. It was launched in 2000 at the Farnborough Airshow as the "Legacy 2000". The Legacy carries 13 passengers in three partitioned sections for 3,050 nautical miles (5,650 km; 3,510 mi) or 8 passengers for 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi). It features added range via extra fuel tanks in the tail behind the baggage compartment and forward of the wing, winglets, and an extensive drag reduction program. It is certified to 41,000 feet (12,000 m) altitude versus 37,000 feet (11,000 m) for the airline configuration. The Legacy Shuttle can seat 19 to 37 in airline-style seats but without the range.

Legacy 650 interior

The first flight was made in June 2000, with the prototype of the ERJ-135 (PT-ZJA). This same aircraft was once the prototype of the first ERJ-145. New winglets and new wing-to-fuselage fairing was added, but no additional fuel tanks were available. The new fuselage fuel tanks were ready for the second prototype (PT-XJO), along with engine and avionics, that flew only in 31 March 2001. It was the second Embraer model to feature winglets, as the first were installed on the EMB-145SA military model. Embraer winglet models differed in shape and structure, due to their optimum design speed.

The Legacy 600 competes on the upper end of the small to mid-sized range of business jets and is considered a "Heavy Jet" aircraft. It has nearly the opposite design progression as the rival Canadair Challenger. The Legacy 600 was derived from the established ERJ family of regional jets, while the Canadair Regional Jet was developed by Bombardier from the Challenger business jet. Both lines of aircraft are competitors. Embraer has since launched an extensive lineup of business aircraft, from the entry-level Phenom 100 to the Lineage 1000, a bizliner version of the company's 100-seat E190.

Legacy 600 Cockpit

With the updated Mark I cockpit of the EMB-145, the Legacy includes a Honeywell Primus Elite avionics suite glass cockpit.[4]

U.S. private aviation companies offering Legacy 600-family business jets for charter include Embraer Executive Jet Services, Clay Lacy Aviation, ExcelAire, Aircraft Services Group and Jet Edge International.[5]

Legacy 650

Announced at the 2009 NBAA show, the Legacy 650 is a longer-range version of the Legacy 600, giving it a range capability of 7,220 km (3,900 nmi; 4,490 mi) non-stop with four passengers, or carry 1,134 kg (2,500 lb) more than the Legacy 600 for a 6,290 km (3,400 nmi; 3,910 mi) trip.[6] It features also a lowered alley, with increased headroom. It was certified by the FAA in February 2011.[7]

Embraer had a joint venture with Aviation Industry Corp. in China assembling Legacy 650a and ERJ-145s from 2004 to 2016.[8]

An enhanced version, the 650E, was announced at the 2016 NBAA and scheduled for introduction in 2017. It includes a synthetic vision system and autothrottle as standard, a restyled three-zone interior and comes with a 10-year or 10,000-flight-hour warranty.[9] In August 2020 Embraer announced that it was stopping sales of the Legacy 650.[10]

Accidents and incidents

On 29 September 2006, an ExcelAire Legacy 600 (aircraft registration N600XL) collided with Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907, a Boeing 737-800, while cruising over Mato Grosso, Brazil. The Boeing aircraft crashed, killing all 154 passengers and crew, while the Embraer Legacy 600, despite serious damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and left winglet, was able to continue flying and landed at Cachimbo Air Force Base.

On 23 August 2023, a Legacy 600 belonging to the military Wagner Group (registered RA-02795[11]) crashed in a field near Kuzhenkino, Tver Oblast, Russia. According to Russian officials, all 10 persons aboard, three crew members and seven passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, were killed. DNA tests subsequently confirmed human remains recovered from the crash site exactly matched the flight's passenger manifest.[12] Prigozhin was additionally identified by a partially severed finger on his left hand.[13] Embraer stated they had not serviced the aircraft since 2019 due to international sanctions against the Wagner Group.[14] US intelligence reported that an intentional explosion caused the aircraft to crash.[15]

Aircraft deliveries

Year2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020total
Deliveries[3]81313202736361811131721181297451[16]289

Specifications

VariantLegacy 600[17]Legacy 650[18]
CrewTwo pilots
Passengers13 or 14
Baggage Capacity286 cu ft (8.1 m3)
Length86 ft 5 in (26.33 m)
Wingspan69 ft 5 in (21.17 m)
Height21 ft 9 in (6.64 m)
MTOW[19]49,604 lb (22,500 kg)53,572 lb (24,300 kg)
BOW[19]30,081 lb (13,645 kg)31,217 lb (14,160 kg)
Max Fuel[19]18,170 lb (8,240 kg)20,600 lb (9,300 kg)
Max. Payload5,193 lb (2,356 kg)4,939 lb (2,240 kg)
Engines (2×)Rolls-Royce AE 3007A1ERolls-Royce AE 3007A2
Thrust (2×)7,953 lbf (35.38 kN), ISA+22°C9,020 lbf (40.1 kN), ISA+15°C
Ceiling41,000 ft (12,000 m)
Range[a]3,400 nmi (6,300 km; 3,900 mi)3,900 nmi (7,200 km; 4,500 mi)
CruiseMach 0.78 (447 kn; 829 km/h; 515 mph) at 41,000 ft (12,000 m)
Maximum SpeedMach 0.80 (459 kn; 850 km/h; 528 mph) at 41,000 ft (12,000 m)
Takeoff (MTOW, SL, ISA)5,614 ft (1,711 m)5,741 ft (1,750 m)
Landing (Typical LW, SL, ISA)2,685 ft (818 m)2,842 ft (866 m)
AvionicsHoneywell Primus Elite

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

External links