FLIGHTCHECK
Embraer Phenom 100: $3.6 million, M.70, FL 410, 1178 nm, seats 2+4
Light bizjet embodies latest trends in design and avionics to achieve superior performance.
| Embraer Phenom 100 specifications | |
| Price | |
| Basic equipped ($ mil US) | $3.6 |
| Powerplants (2) | P&WC PW617F |
| Thrust at takeoff | 1,695 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wingspan | 40 ft 4 in |
| External length | 42 ft 1 in |
| External height | 14 ft 3 in |
| Internal cabin length | 11 ft 0 in |
| Cabin max width | 5 ft 11 in |
| Internal cabin height | 4 ft 11 in |
| Volume (cu ft) | 282 |
| Baggage | 60+7 |
| Normal seating | 1/5-7 |
| Weights and loading | |
| MTOW (lbs) | 10,472 |
| Zero fuel weight (lbs) | 8,444 |
| Basic operating weight | 7,132 |
| Useful load | 3,384 |
| Max payload | 1,312 |
| Max usable fuel (lbs) | 2,804 |
| Performance | |
| Balanced field length (SL, ISA, MGTOW) (ft) | 3,125 |
| Landing distance (SL, ISA, MLW) | 2,699 |
| Max operating altitude (ft) | 41,000 |
| Pressurization diff (psi) | 8.3 |
| Max range, IFR, ISA (nm) | 1,178 |
| High-speed cruise (kts) | 390 |
| NBAA IFR range (nm) | 1,178 |
| Mmo | 0.70 |
| Vmo | 275 |
| Figures supplied by Embraer |
As we taxied for takeoff from GPX, an Embraer 195-the largest jet that Embraer builds-returned from a test flight.
After takeoff we climbed to 18,000 ft for the 150-mile flight home. The autopilot was on and coupled to the programmed flightpath. We tried to find the location of thunderstorms.
The weather radar painted the cumulonimbus clouds (Cbs) nicely-but, since the Cb image could not be superimposed on the map display and our route, we had to mentally correlate the Cb locations to our route of flight and switch back and forth between the radar and map display.
Luckily there was no weather on our route of flight, even though we could see lightning all around us.
The entire ILS approach to SJK, including the procedure turn, was programmed in the Garmin and flown automatically by the autopilot. After intercepting the ILS, we descended on the glideslope.
As we approached the wet runway in IMC in the dark, we extended flaps and gear.
When the runway came in sight I wanted to disconnect the autopilot but had a problem finding the right disconnect button on the control wheel.
(There are 4 switches on the wheel, and at night it was hard for me to find the correct one intuitively.)
But Neto was there as a test pilot. He disconnected the autopilot for me and I made a nice nightlanding in the Phenom 100.
The LED landing lights provided good illumination of the runway.
We taxied back to the hangar at the factory-and, as I parked this beautiful aircraft, I was also sad that I didn't have the $3.6 million to buy one right away for myself.
Especially in these times, when corporate aviation is again facing a storm of public criticism, the Phenom is the right aircraft to downsize and still be productive.
Phenom 100 PP-XOH lands at GPX-Embraer's own airport-in front of the company's large hangar.
The Phenom 100 will be a very successful jet, even competing with the King Air for certain executive missions.
Small and medium-size businesses that need to visit factories in smaller cities will find the Phenom 100 a great and productive tool, built soundly by an airliner manufacturer for high utilization.
Peter Berendsen is a Boeing 747-400 captain for an international airline. He writes regularly on aviation-related subjects.
3