[video]
[video]
Light the Fires
Once back in the cockpit, a quick look at the eyebrow panel confirms that systems are easy to troubleshoot. But the redundancy built into the Legacy probably won’t offer a pilot much practice with broken items. The aircraft has five 500-amp generators on board, for example, with two on each engine and one on the APU, any one of which can support the entire aircraft. The APU can be air-started up to FL300.
The eyebrow panel also does not extend very high above the pilot’s head, something us old guys with bifocals appreciate. A nice troubleshooting touch is that Embraer has retained the “Miss Brasilia” aural warning system most EMB-120 pilots will remember instead of numerous chimes and bells. Nobody at Embraer claims to know the identity of the sultry voice that warns of oncoming trouble.
The only faults I found in the cockpit were minor, yet somewhat annoying for an aircraft as well thought out as the Legacy. The plastic pull-out trays just below the glareshield used to hold the checklist are so flimsy that the slightest pressure would probably snap them off in your hand. The checklist is also not stored anywhere digitally, which struck me as odd, considering all the other automation on the airplane.
The “before start” flow checklist is pretty simple since everything is depicted on the eyebrow panel. Almost all switches are set to auto before starting. I started the left engine by pulling the start button out, turning momentarily to start and releasing the switch. The rest was automatic, and even with the headset off there was no noticeable noise as the engines spooled up. The FADECs even turned off the packs automatically for the start sequence.
Once we had N2 rotation, the ignition came on at 18 percent. The Legacy does not use any conventional fuel control levers, but the light off began at about 31 percent. The start sequence terminated at near 57-percent N2, and the engine idled smoothly at about 64 percent.
After repeating the process for the right engine, Romanelli called for the clearance and taxi instructions to 9L at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL), Fla., as we put on the Sennheiser noise-canceling headphones that come standard with the Legacy. I was a bit surprised to see headphones in a jet of this size, but I would soon learn they are a valuable asset. Another surprise to me was that the performance information available on the copilot’s MFD must be manually typed into the FADEC. Romanelli told me to expect a first-hour fuel burn of 3,300 pounds at maximum speed, and 2,156 pounds in the second. Long-range-cruise fuel-burn figures are 3,080 pounds for the first hour and 2,068 pounds for the second and a speed of Mach 0.73.
I began the taxi with the gust lock engaged, but there was still plenty of thrust to get the aircraft rolling. The nosewheel steering was very responsive. I did find the brake pedals–a brake-by-wire system–extremely heavy, but they quickly became something every pilot will love for the most part since they make it easier to avoid jerking the passengers around as you turn and stop. For a guy who used to drag the brakes on taxi, I found that the Legacy’s visual brake-temperature indicators on the copilot’s MFD helped keep me honest. Romanelli ran the taxi checks– essentially flaps set to nine degrees, trims and flight instruments checked, along with flight controls.
Still pointed west just before takeoff, we turned on the radar to take a look at the huge cells building over the Everglades that we’d see on the way back. At an outside temperature of 30 degrees C and a takeoff weight of 44,000 pounds, V1 was 117 knots; VR, 127 knots; and V2, 133 knots. Romanelli reminded me not to use the tiller once we lined up for takeoff since the rudder pedals, with six degrees of movement in either direction, would offer plenty of control.
We also discussed the procedures in case of an engine failure. The Legacy offers three takeoff power settings–90-, 100- and 110-percent thrust. If you lose an engine during a 90-percent power takeoff, Embraer’s Automatic Takeoff Thrust Control System (ATTCS) advances the operating engine to 100 percent after sensing the bleed-air temperature difference. If the power is already set to 100 percent when one engine fails, the surviving engine increases to 110 percent. If you’d firewalled the takeoff to 110-percent initially, the operating engine can hold 117-percent power–nearly 9,000 pounds of thrust–for five minutes.
We were cleared for takeoff on runway heading to 3,000 feet. Since we were light, we planned a reduced-thrust takeoff to save a little wear and tear on the engines. The final check before power application is to push the takeoff button on the panel just above the throttles to check the configuration, much like the old manual “FATS” check did to include flaps, airbrakes, trims and speeds. If properly configured for takeoff the female voice confirms, “Takeoff OK.”
On a reduced-thrust takeoff, both air-conditioning packs–one for the cockpit and one for the cabin–remain in operation. If we’d used 100 percent power for takeoff, the packs would have closed automatically when I advanced the thrust levers. If an engine quit on takeoff, the packs would also close automatically as well.
I brought the thrust levers to the takeoff detent–the Legacy does not have autothrottles–as Romanelli selected takeoff thrust on the thrust-rating panel. Despite the high OAT, acceleration was quick. At Vr I pulled back on the yoke, but thanks to an earlier caution from my copilot I stopped the rotation just as the nose came up to about seven or eight degrees. It stopped nicely at about 12 degrees nose up as we left the ground. As the speed increased, I called for gear and flaps up as I aimed for my target climb speed of 240 knots. The plan was to hold 240 knots until 10,000 feet, then accelerate to 290 knots until Mach 0.65, which I’d follow all the way to altitude. Romanelli completed the after-takeoff checks, verifying gear and flaps up and hitting the climb power button on the thrust panel.
We filed over PBI, J79 to SAV, which would put us about 80 miles over the ocean. But it was already quite steamy at our midday departure in South Florida and huge storm cells were everywhere. I continued to hand fly the aircraft as the speed quickly built to 240 knots. As we climbed, I noticed the large windows on the Legacy. They’re tall and wide and wrap slightly behind each pilot for spectacular visibility.
Miami Center was almost inundated since everyone wanted to head in a direction different from their flight plan because of the weather. We leveled and climbed and turned for some 20 minutes, but were finally stopped at FL230. ATC also told us the chances of climbing higher for air work were slim to none as we turned back east around some foaming buildups. By the time the Center controller turned us south and aimed us at the first point on the STAR back to FLL, we knew we were going to be lucky just to get back on the ground with the cells building everywhere.
Although we hadn’t needed it yet, Romanelli explained that the Legacy uses two ice detectors and that ice protection is fully automatic, heating the edges and inlets as necessary. If the system senses ice while descending at idle thrust, the FADEC will keep the power at the required minimum to provide the proper amount of bleed air for heat.
Turning back toward Fort Lauderdale, we asked Miami Center if there was any chance of a few multiple approaches somewhere. There wasn’t. Descending through 13,000 feet, still doing about 280 knots, I tried some Dutch rolls and found the airplane to be a little stiffer than I would like, but certainly quite controllable. We were asked to keep our speed up below 10,000 feet as Miami aimed us at FLL. A huge cell was sitting about six miles west of the airport, so our only option was a left base in for a visual to 9L.
Romanelli added flaps nine degrees when we saw the airport, and I began slowing down even though that flap setting can be added at 250 knots. The gear came out and flaps went to 18 degrees as I turned final, where the air was already getting quite bumpy. Tower warned of a reported wind shear on final as we added flaps 22 and briefed on the possibility of a go-around, although the actual alert never came. At a mile-and-a-half, I called for flaps 45 and aimed for a target of Vref+15 for the wind shear. That turned out to be 138 knots. The ride to the flare was a handful, and on the first landing the runway arrived before I was ready, resulting in a firm landing. The folks in the cabin said the Legacy’s trailing link gear made it feel just fine, but I think they were just being polite.
The reverser handles on the Legacy are almost well hidden under the throttles, and it can take a second or two to find them. But once out, they helped slow the aircraft with little noise increase inside the cabin and no wing-rocking tendency on the runway. Transitioning to the brakes is often where nosewheel dancing begins on many airplanes, but the transition in the Legacy was extremely smooth. The Legacy does require some ample leg muscles on the brakes to stop, however. We taxied back to Embraer’s facility and shut down the airplane, all of us frustrated at flying for only 40 minutes. We were so busy during this short flight that I never had a chance to evaluate much of the airplane’s automation.
