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Read the original first flight press release:
EMBRAER 170 AIRBORNE
2/19/2002 São José dos Campos, Brazil - Embraer informed today that the EMBRAER 170, its first jet of a new 70-to-108 seats aircraft generation, flew for the first time this Tuesday. Prototype #0001, bearing Brazilian register PP-XJE, was declared airborne from the 10,000-ft. runway 15 by the São José dos Campos control tower at exactly 11:37 hours UTC/GMT (08:37 hrs. local). Weather was clear with slight, 6/8 overcast and 21o Celsius temperature at ground level."This is another milestone for Embraer, a very special and rewarding moment to be in our minds forever”, enthusiastically remarked Maurício Botelho, Embraer President and CEO. "The roll out ceremony in late October 29 was remarkable for all of us, but to watch our new, bigger bird taking off was pure joy, which I want to share with every Embraer employee, to whom I present my compliments for their determination and commitment”, added he.
Upon deplaning from the EMBRAER 170, test pilots Luiz Carlos Rodrigues and Eduardo Camelier, together with flight test engineer Gilberto Cardoso, were pleased with the maiden flight. Everything went according to plan, they said. "Above all, it was truly satisfying and the aircraft did better than was foreseen, it was beyond expectations. The first impression was excellent. Embraer has another great aircraft”, said Capt. Rodrigues.
PT-XJE was aloft for two hours and thirty minutes and several maneuvers were performed to check the aircraft's flight characteristics. The landing gear and flaps were cycled exhaustively under in-flight aerodynamic loads, with good results.
The first flight was preceded by low and high-speed taxiing tests on the previous days, when speeds of 35 and 110 knots Indicated Air Speed were attained several times, according with standard test procedures. The final phase of this test sequence was today when Capt. Rodrigues called out "rotate” and pulled back the fly-by-wire-controlled yoke.
The development and certification campaign with 6 flight test aircraft and two structural test articles allows Embraer to foresee certification by the end of 2002. However, the Company is reassessing the impacts of the delay of approximately 2 months in the beginning of the test campaign and intends to confirm the forecast in the coming weeks.
The development of the other family members, the EMBRAER 175, 195 and 190, proceeds as planned, aiming at first deliveries on July 2004, December 2004 and December 2005, respectively.
The EMBRAER 170/190 Program was launched at the 1999 Paris Air Show in Le Bourget and registers 112 firm orders and 202 options to date.
Note to editors
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; Bovespa: EMBR3 and EMBR4) is the world's fourth largest commercial aircraft manufacturer and is headquartered in São José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, with offices and customer service bases in Australia, China, France, Singapore and the United States, and a total workforce of 10.9 thousand people. Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A.) is Brazil's largest exporter since 1999; as of December 31st, 2001 its backlog for firm orders amounts to US$ 10.7 billion and US$ 12.6 billion in options.
Embraer has 32 years of experience in designing, developing, manufacturing, selling and providing after sales support to aircraft aimed for the world airline, corporate and defense markets.
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Last updated 22 February 2002
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