The Embraer Legacy 500 was officially launched at EBACE 2008.
The program was delayed more than a year by software issues with its fly-bywire system. The initial Legacy 500 was rolled out for first flight in November 2011 but the first flight did not occur until a year later, in December 2012, due to the issues with the flight control system.
The Legacy 500 is powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E engines that produce 6,500 pounds of thrust each. The cockpit is equipped with Rockwell Pro Line Fusion avionics. In 2015, the Legacy 500 became the first aircraft equipped with optional Rockwell Collins HGS-3500 head-up guidance and multi-spectrum EVS-3000 camera systems. The IR/videocam is able to detect LED runway and taxiway lights. The avionics maker believes HGS/EVS qualifies as an enhanced flight vision system, enabling operators who use it to fly down to lower weather minimums.
The Legacy 500 was certified in 2014.
