Embraer Introduces Pair of New Midsize Jets

What better way to introduce a pair of disruptive new business airplanes than to create a press conference outside the normal Monday NBAA routine? The Brazilian aircraft builder yesterday brought people together at Orlando Executive airport to hear about the Praetor 500 and 600 super midsize business aircraft soon to be added to the company’s product line.

Embraer said the new Praetor 600 will fly non-stop between London and New York, while the Praetor 500 can reach Europe from the west coast of the U.S. with just one stop. More precisely, the Praetor 600’s range with four passengers, stands at 3,900 nm and the 500’s at 3,250 nm.

Both aircraft will use fly-by-wire technology through sidesticks for aircraft control offset by a Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion flight deck that offers the industry-first vertical weather display, air-traffic-control-like situational awareness with ADS-B In and predictive wind shear radar capability. The Praetor cockpits will also offer options such as the Embraer Enhanced Vision System (E2VS) with a Head-up Display (HUD) and an Inertial Reference System (IRS) as well as a Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS).

Advanced technology abounds throughout the cabin beginning with the Upper Tech Panel that displays flight information and offers cabin management features also available on personal devices through the Honeywell Ovation Select. High-capacity high-speed connectivity for all aboard is available through ViaSat’s Ka-band with speeds of up to 16Mbps and IPTV, another industry-exclusive in midsize and super-midsize business jets.

The Praetor jets are currently under development with two Praetor 600 prototypes in flight tests, as well as one production-conforming aircraft and one production-conforming Praetor 500 in its maturity campaign. The Praetor 600 is expected to be certified and enter service in the second quarter of 2019, followed by the Praetor 500 a few months later. The Praetor 500 list for $17 million and the Praetor 600 $21 million.