|
|
Article
Blue Sky : Just Right Not too big, not too small, the Embraer Legacy 600 should fit your business -- and your travel. By: Nick KolakowskiJune/July 2008 , Page 104 If Goldilocks were a venture capitalist, she would likely have specialized in the mid-cap sector: That big company? Too large. That little one? Too small. This medium-sized one? Just right. Likewise, were she in the market for a twin-engine private jet, she'd surely have been a fan of the Embraer Legacy 600. While some might find midsize jets too cramped for long-distance board outings and commercial airliners too big and showy for anyone not named Kerkorian, even picky little Goldilocks would have to agree that the Legacy is every bit as comfortable as Baby Bear's bed -- and far better built. A slightly shorter version of Embraer's ERJ 145 (the popular workhorse of JetBlue's regional fleet), the Legacy luxuriously seats 13 passengers -- or 16, if you prefer seating arrangements that actively discourage human interaction. And as we (along with a few aerophile friends) discovered during a recent test flight, its graceful swoops and angles offer a mere hint of the plane's elegant power. At takeoff, the Rolls-Royce AE 3007 A1E engines applied their 7,953 pounds-force of thrust and propelled the plane into the skies at the sort of sharp angle that a guy really feels in his belly. Still, the water in a nearby bottle hardly sloshed or tilted; no appliances clinked or banged in the galley; and if you were holding a conversation, you didn’t have to raise your voice to the point where the pilots could overhear the value of your latest acquisition. Our pilots leveled the plane off well below its Mach .80 maximum speed -- ordinarily the time when passengers in the Wi-Fi-capable cabin would pull out their laptops and start clicking away. In this case, however, we did what we do best: explore the aircraft, bug the pilots and, much like Goldilocks, make a general nuisance of ourselves. For starters, we gave the Legacy's detail work, including the stable foldaway side tables and individual audio controls in the passenger armrests, a thorough vetting...and a strong thumbs-up. The seats, which glided smoothly on their tracks, also received high marks. "I liked the longer length and headroom," said tester Sarah McLane, also citing the aircraft's ultra-efficient air recirculation as a plus. As with many planes in its class, the Legacy 600 comes with LED lights throughout the cabin, which provide clear white light that won't singe your bald spot even after hours spent reading just a foot or so from the bulbs. Overall, the Legacy 600 earned slightly higher scores for comfort and amenities than other midsize bizjets we've recently flown. Its over-the-shoulder restraints and headrests added support and reduced jostling during turbulence. Meanwhile, the 240 cubic feet of baggage space and the galley's seven-bottle wine cooler will surely be heartily embraced by those who like to pack heavy -- and drink more heavily -- during their business travel. An overnight bag, of course, might not be enough for those who would like to take the Legacy to the edge of its 3,250-nautical-mile range. "If you need a workhorse plane, the Legacy blows others away," said tester Daniel George. "You have to remember it's built to be a commercial airplane." Take off from New York and, without stopping, you can reach London, northernmost Canada or Brazil with fuel to spare. European deal pros based in Geneva could reach Moscow or Dubai on a single tank. Sadly for us, our flight was much shorter, and the Legacy 600 soon dived down for a quick landing. Doing this at a runway in the northern suburbs of New York isn't an especially difficult feat for a trained pilot, but this craft requires a mere 2,350 feet of runway and -- even more impressively -- can handle an approach of up to 5.5 degrees. That's a full 2.5 degrees steeper than most large aircraft, which opens up all sorts of airports in mountainous areas or with strict noise-abatement requirements. For avid skiers, this means dropping right into Aspen; for avid business travelers, it means the freedom to bypass Heathrow for the comparative calm and proximity of London City Airport. As of the third quarter of 2007, more than 110 Legacies had been delivered -- a fair clip for a brand still shy of its seventh birthday, and one that sports a $26.4 million price tag, fully loaded. Good numbers, but not good enough. In fact, if there's one area in which the Embraer Legacy is lacking, it's clearly in time to delivery. Order now and prepare to wait until at least the second half of 2010 for your own shiny aircraft to be ready. And that, as Goldilocks might say, is just not right. Due Diligence
Embraer Legacy 600
NO COMMENTS YET
ADD YOUR COMMENT
|
|
