Amanda Jacob

Embraer’s Portugal facility ships first composite part

News
"As serial production of the new Legacy 500 aircraft approaches, the completion and shipment of this first empennage from Portugal to Brazil represents a major and important milestone for Embraer and a great achievement by the whole Embraer Compósitos team,” says Paulo Marchioto, President of Embraer Portugal and Board member at Embraer Compósitos.

This Legacy 500 empennage has been shipped to Embraer headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Deliveries of the Legacy 500, an 8-passenger business aircraft, are expected to begin in 2014.

“This first delivery from Évora is a landmark in Embraer’s globalisation strategy and our activities in Europe, reflecting our commitment to call on local expertise to support us in the development and manufacturing of our products.” 
Hélio Bambini, Vice President, Embraer Industrial Operations

The empennage is made mainly of carbon fibre composite parts. It was assembled in a semi-automatic line in one of two Embraer plants in Évora, allowing for higher efficiency in operations like drilling and riveting of primary structures made in composite.

Embraer announced Évora as the chosen location for Embraer Compósitos in 2008. (See Embraer starts construction of composites facility in Portugal.) The new facility was completed in September 2012, together with Embraer Metálicas,  which also in Évora.

Both Embraer Metálicas and Embraer Compósitos will reach full production capacity during the second quarter of 2013.