Brazilian aircraft designer and manufacturer Embraer S.A. completed a successful first flight for its E190-E2 aircraft, the midsized variant in its E-Jets E2 series of narrow-body medium-range airliners. The three-hour, 20-minute flight was took off from and returned to the OEM’s São José dos Campos complex east of São Paulo, and it marks the start of the certification effort for the E190-E2, which is targeted for a commercial debut in 2018.
The flight had been scheduled to take place later this year, and the earlier launch followed the E190-E2’s public debut at the São José dos Campos assembly plant, in February.
The Embraer E-Jet E2 family is a series of twin-engine jets developed to replace the Embraer E-Jet family, and to improve fuel-efficiency with larger jet engines. Pratt & Whitney’s PW1000G geared turbofan engines are the power source. The E2s also will offer “fly by wire” controls and a new avionics package, and a larger cabin capable of seating up to 144 passengers.
The E190-E2 as the current-generation E190 jet, and can be configured with 97 seats in dual class or 106 seats in a single-class layout. It has a range that is 400 nautical miles more than the current-generation E190, so operators may fly the aircraft up to 2,800 nautical miles, according to Embraer.
“Today, all of us at Embraer should be proud and thrilled of this remarkable achievement,” stated Paulo Cesar Silva, president & CEO for Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Watching the first E190-E2 take to the skies means we are paving the way for a bright future in commercial aviation. I’m certain that the market will show even greater interest not only for E190-E2, but also for the other E2s as well.”
