Embraer announced last week at NBAA-BACE held in Florida, their latest offerings in the mid and super mid-sized market with the Embraer Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 aircraft. While built upon the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, the new Embraer Praetor will not replace the current Legacy aircraft but offer a new option for operators looking for longer range aircraft in the mid and super-mid cabin classes.
Range
One of the biggest differences between the Legacy and Praetor aircraft is the improvements in range. While the Embraer Praetor 500 now offers a total range of 3,250nm (346nm longer range then the Embraer Legacy 450) the Embraer Praetor 600 now offers 3,900nm (775nm greater range then the Legacy 500). While this was accomplished in the Praetor 500 by slight modifications to the fuel system, the Praetor 600 added center fuel tanks to provide additional range.
With this additional fuel both the Embraer Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 aircraft had slight modification to the airframe to accommodate this additional weight over that of the Legacy. Both the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 received larger winglets then that of the Legacy. To help in the reduction of the wing load, Embraer added a maneuver load control system, utilizing fly-by-wire spoilers to help in alleviating the additional wing loading on the heavier Praetor. In addition to the modifications to accommodate the higher weights, due to the location of the center tank on the Praetor 600, a center belly fin was added to provide protection to the fuel tanks in the event of a gear up-landing.
Interior
The interior of these mid and super-mid cabin class aircraft have the look and feel that you expect of a large cabin class aircraft. As you enter the Embraer Praetor 600 we found the optional all new Bossa Nova interior design, a interior rival to some of the most high end luxury sports cars in the world. Entering the cabin you are greeted with a stone floor and carbon fiber froward galley. In the main cabin, passengers will find the 6 foot tall flat floor cabin of the Embraer Praetor 600 with a forward club. Aft of the club the rear cabin offers two right hand seats and table with a 3 place divan across the aisle. In the aft cabin a large externally serviced lav with pocket door and access to a large internal baggage compartment.
Once in your seat, you will sink into the plush deep stitched seats, and the retractable carbon fiber tables, the seats also recline into a truly lay flat bed,. The Embraer Praetor 600 and Praetor 500 also offer something new and often only seen in larger cabin class aircraft, as they provide in cabin connectivity via the Ka-band ultra-high speed internet. Passenger will also find the new cabin management system, accessible via the mobile app. The 8 to 12 passengers on the Embraer Praetor 600 (7 to 9 pax on Praetor 500) will find a very comfortable cabin altitude of 5,800 feet pressure altitude while cruising at Mach .83 and a flight altitude of 45,000 feet.
Deliveries of the Embraer Praetor 600 and Praetor 500 are slated to begin around the second quarter of 2019. Embraer states that the Praetor 500 will be the fastest midsize aircraft capable of flying from the US west coast to London with only one stop, while the Praetor 600 will be able to travel from New York to London non-stop (NBAA 4 Pax). The base price for the Embraer Praetor 500 starts at $16,995,000 with the Embraer Praetor 600 starting at $19,995,000. The new Bossa Nova interior as introduced at NBAA will cost an additional $750,000. While the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 aircraft will still be in production, an upgrade path for the current Legacy 450 operators to convert their current aircraft will also be available. To see more on how the new Embraer Praetor aircraft stack up to their Legacy counterparts see our comparison chart below.
Related article: Embraer Phenom 300E
Aircraft Performance Comparison
Comparison Chart: Legacy 450, Legacy 500, Praetor 500, and Praetor 600
| Legacy 450 | Praetor 500 | Legacy 500 | Praetor 600 | |
| Range (4 pax plus crew w/ NBAA Reserves) | 2,900 nm | 3,250 nm | 3,125 nm | 3,900 nm |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 462 | 462 | 466 | 466 |
| Long Range Cruise (ktas) | 424 | 424 | 433 | 433 |
| Max Payload (lbs) | 2,921 | 2,921 | 2,800 | 4,001 |
| Takeoff Distance (SL, ISA, MTOW) | 3,907 | 4,263 | 4,084 | 4,800 |
| Service Ceiling (ft) | 45,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 45,000 |
| Powerplant x 2 | HTF7500E | HTF7500E | HTF7500E | HTF7500E |
| Engine Thrust | 6,540 lbf | 6,540 lbf | 7,036 lbf | 7,528 lbf |
| Avionics | Pro Line Fusion | Pro Line Fusion | Pro Line Fusion | Pro Line Fusion |
| Passengers + Crew | up to 9 | up to 9 | up to 12 | up to 12 |
| Total Baggage | 150 cu ft | 150 cu ft | 155 cu ft | 155 cu ft |
| Cabin Altitude | 6,000 | 5,800 | 6,000 | 5,800 |
| Cabin Length (excluding baggage) | 24 ft | 24 ft | 27 ft 6 in | 27 ft 6 in |
| Cabin Width | 6 ft 10in | 6 ft 10in | 6 ft 10in | 6 ft 10 in |
| Cabin Height | 6 ft | 6 ft | 6 ft | 6 ft |
| Aircraft Length | 64 ft 7 in | 64 ft 7 in | 68 ft 1 in | 68 ft 1 in |
| Wingspan | 66 ft 5 in | 70 ft 6 in | 66 ft 5 in | 70 ft 6 in |
Aircraft Performance Comparison
Also in this months newsletter see our article on Altivation director’s selection as one of NBAA’s Top 40 under 40.
