Page 7 - Volume 18 Number 11

ess Jet e EnigmaCockpitThe Phenom 300 cockpit is a little smaller than the CJ3’s, but still feels sufficiently roomy. The pilot seats are supportive and comfortable, and positioning during flight seemed easier with a greater range of positions, compared to the CJ3. The Phenom’s control yoke has no center column, providing more legroom.Cockpit visibility seems reduced, compared to the CJ3, due to smaller windscreens and side windows (probably to accommodate electric anti-ice), and a high glareshield, necessitated by the placement of the AP controls and stand-by flight display. I did greatly appreciate the side windows’ pull-down shades.PerformanceThe Phenom is about 4,000 lbs heavier than the CJ3 (17,968 lbs vs. 13,870 lbs MGTOW), approximately 650 lbs of which is greater fuel capacity (5,363 lbs vs 4,710 lbs). Much of the rest is structure needed to support a 6,600-foot cabin altitude, larger windows, single-point refueling and externally-serviceable lav. The full-fuel payload (assuming one pilot) is significantly greater, some1,150 lbs versus 600 lbs for the CJ3, making it possible to carry six passengers and their luggage.Surprisingly, given its “clean sheet” design, the airplane seems heavier than it should be. It is possible that some additional weight comes from the legacy of larger products, the effect of scaling down Embraer’s big-airplane technology.The Phenom’s FADEC- operated Pratt & Whitney PW535E engines deliver 3,360 lbs of static thrust, about 500 lbs more than the CJ3, but the greater power was not apparent to me, at least when conducting a non-static power-up takeoff. MGTOW time from sea level to FL450 is specified at 28 minutes, like the CJ3. On our test flight, it took just over 30 minutes, likely due to initial high temperatures.for a spacious lav, complete with a sink and window.Similar to a CJ3 equipped with a side- facing seat in the front,our demonstration Phenom had a side- facing divan that stole some of the cabinetry space. By contrast, Embraer’s standard six-passenger seat configuration provides for luxurious cabin storage; significantly larger than the maximum available in the CJ3. Even the small galley version of the Phenom offered much-appreciated options, including a microwave anda place for a coffee pot.The Phenom cabin windows are larger and provide better visibility than the CJ3, although the shades operated more stiffly – perhaps an adjustment was needed. My colleagues in the cabin reported noise levels to be similar to the CJ3, although a little louder when the solid lav doors were open.The Phenom’s airstair offers great advantage over the CJ-3’s hinged door and fold-out stairs. Unlike the CJ3, the aistair system robsonly a small amount of legroom from the divan-seated passengers when closed. Cessna reportedly changed their stair design for later CJ3 models to create more legroom for the left-facing seat. At 75 cu-ft of combined space, the forward and aft baggage compartments provide plenty of room for luggage. Curiously, the Phenom 300’s larger space affords less weight (694 lbs vs. 1000 lbs) than the CJ3. Embraer says the limitation is structural and unrelated to any CG issue, which was our initial supposition.There was no Airshow or moving map equivalent in the cabin of the demonstration aircraft. Similar to Cessna, Embraer offers a Premium IFE (In Flight Entertainment) option with monitors at each seat and a VIP controller. Unlike Cessna, Embraer gives passengers some control over their environment. Aft-cabin temperature controls are managed from the VIP seat via a multi-function I/O display. Although overall temperature is controlled in the cockpit, the cabin control interface is a step up, compared to the notoriously-problematic CJ3 system.NOVEMBER 2014TWIN & TURBINE • 5By Adam L. Alpert