Article from BTNews 30 MAY 2016
E190-E2 first flight
Embraer of Brazil on Monday announced the first flight of the next-generation E190-E2 narrow-body twinjet, months ahead of schedule and below the expected weight.
The aircraft, which enters service in 2018, is the first in Embraer's commercial jet line-up with new wings and Pratt & Whitney engines aimed at improving fuel efficiency.
Embraer head of commercial aviation Paulo Cesar Silva said: “We are about four or five months ahead of schedule with this flight. The plane flew marvellously well, showing real maturity."
Senior vice-president Luis Carlos Affonso described the prototype weighing in at “a bit below” its projected weight as a rare feat at a phase when planemakers were often battling to shave weight.
The first flight lasted more than three hours as the aircraft tested its maximum velocity and altitude, the company said.
Embraer is also expanding the size and range of its largest commercial jet, the E195, whose next generation enters service in 2019, posing a direct challenge to the Bombardier CSeries.
With more than 5,000 aircraft sold on every continent, Embraer claims to be the market leader in commercial jets with up to 120 seats.
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