Warszawa 2024-12-10
Embraer E-170E2 / 190E2 / 195E2.
Embraer E-Jet family aircraft consisting of E-170/175/190/195 aircraft received many orders and were well received by passengers. Their production allowed the manufacturer to take third place in the world in the production of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus. Since 2010, Embraer has been working on improving the T-T parameters of the E-jet aircraft family, and thus reducing operating costs for operators. This is how the Embraer E2 family was created. This time, the family included aircraft in the following sizes: E175-E2 / E190-E2 / E195-E2.
It should be added that the Embraer concern considered redesigning the fuselage to accommodate seats in a 2-3 configuration, and not in a 2-2 configuration as before. This was supposed to be a response to the Bombardier C-Series aircraft. But as we know, Bombardier ran into financial trouble, there was little interest in the C-Series aircraft, and eventually the program was taken over by Airbus and the A-220 aircraft was created.
The Embraer E2 program was presented at the Paris Air Show in June 2013. The first prototype of the E190-E2 E-Jet E2 aircraft, made its first flight on May 23, 2016, from São José dos Campos Airport, three months ahead of schedule. The flight lasted three hours and twenty minutes, at a cruising speed of Mach 0.82. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 12,000 meters (41,000 feet), retracted its landing gear and flaps, and engaged the fly-by-wire system in normal mode. All tests were successful. On February 28, 2018, the aircraft was certified. On April 24, 2018, the first production aircraft was built. The certificate for the larger E195-E2 was issued in April 2019. Certification of the E175-E2 was postponed until 2027, due to lack of demand. Interestingly, the E175-E2 version received ETOPS 120 approval in the US and Brazil in 2024.
In the new aircraft family, the main change is the use of new turbofan engines, with a gear, Pratt & Whitney PW1900G Geared Turbofan. In addition to the main engines, Pratt & Whitney also supplies the APU auxiliary power unit.
The family of aircraft consists of three variants that share the same fuselage cross-section, with different lengths and are equipped with three different redesigned wings, fly-by-wire controls with new avionics and improved crew and passenger cabins.
As of April 2024, Embraer has secured orders for 306 E-Jet E2 family aircraft, with 114 delivered. In 2016, Embraer had 640 commitments from various airlines and leasing companies, of which 267 were firm orders and 373 were options and purchase rights.
Embraer has introduced various performance improvements to the E2 aircraft, such as reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions and noise, minimized maintenance costs, as well as the use of a new aluminum wing. These wings have a higher profile, a larger span and are equipped with swept wingtips instead of winglets.
The program has been carried out according to schedule. Embraer wanted to guarantee 99% reliability of the aircraft in the first year of operation. By June 2017, half of the flight tests had been completed. The aerodynamics were better than expected, and the E190-E2 was also better than expected at high temperatures and with high performance.
It is interesting that the production of the E-jet family was not completed, and the production of the E2 family was already launched next to it. The production rate was 8 aircraft per month, the same as for the E-jet. The production of the E-jet was completed in 2021. The profitability of the E2 production was achieved after three years. In the production of the new wings, automatic drilling and riveting was used, which was a technological advance. For the equipment of the crew cockpit, the Embraer concern decided on a solution that comes from a single source. This allowed for more aggressive commercial negotiations, and as a result, lower costs and the supply of components from a single manufacturer. In 2022, the Embraer concern cooperated with the Toyota concern to increase production efficiency. As a result, the production rate increased by 14%. Embraer has taken joint action with Boeing to obtain ETOPS 120 for all E2 family aircraft.
An attempt was also made to conclude an Embraer-Boeing agreement on the production and service of Embraer E2 passenger aircraft. This move would allow for the sale of aircraft from Brazil in every market available to Boeing. However, on April 24, 2020, Boeing terminated the agreement, stating that Embraer had not met the terms of the agreement. Of course, both sides were to blame.
The redesigned and raised wing lift, with an aspect ratio of 11:1, allowed for the placement of an engine with a fan with a diameter of 190 cm (73 in). The engine nacelle is shorter than in the E-jet. Additionally, the length of the landing gear legs was increased. The wing was equipped with single-slot flaps, instead of double-slotted as in the E-jet. The use of a composite wing was considered, but it was considered that it was not yet economically justified. Thus, the E2’s wing is 200 kg (440 lb) lighter than the E-jet’s wing.
Embraer has planned 16–24% lower fuel consumption and 15–25% lower maintenance costs per passenger seat. The Honeywell Primus Epic 2 avionics suite is used throughout the family, which helps maintain unity with the E-jet. Basic maintenance checks take place every 1,000 flight hours, compared to 850 for the E-jet, while the interval between intermediate checks has been extended from 8,500 to 10,000 flight hours. The aircraft has only LED lighting. Passengers have received new, better seats. The seats are made by Safran. They are 46 cm (18.3 in) wide. For LOT Polish Airlines, they have been upholstered in black artificial leather. The backrests have tables and two 230 V sockets. The seat frame does not have a center support, which increases the amount of space under the seats for additional luggage. The luggage lockers are 40% larger, with doors that lift upwards. The Embraer E195-E2 in the configuration for PLL LOT accommodates 136 seats in a 2+2 arrangement. The previous generation is operated in two configurations; 112 and 118 seats.
In 2024, PLL LOT received three ordered Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The aircraft received registrations; SP-LEA, SP-LEB, SP-LEC. The carrier is considering ordering another 84 aircraft. Embraer E2 and Airbus A-220 are considered, and both types can be ordered.
On July 31, 2024, an Embraer E195-E2 aircraft landed at Chopin Airport, the first in PLL LOT colors. It was already the 45th Embraer aircraft in the PLL LOT fleet. The designs of the Brazilian manufacturer from Sao Paulo at that time constituted 56% of all aircraft operated by PLL LOT. The aircraft bears the marking SP-LEA. The new aircraft began service for the national carrier on Sunday, August 11, 2024, with a flight from Warsaw to Oslo. On October 12, 2024, the third aircraft landed in Warsaw, with the registration number SP-LEC. All three aircraft were delivered to Poland on a flight from Brazil with two stopovers.
T-T E175-E2 data:
T-T E175-E2 data: Passenger cabin layout 80 (12J + 68Y). Maximum number of seats 90. Seat width 46 cm (18.3 in), by Safran. Length 32.40 m (106.4 ft). Height 9.98 m (32 ft 9 in). Wingspan 31.39 m (103 ft 0 in). Lifting area 82 m2. Wing aspect ratio 12.02. Maximum takeoff weight 44,600 kg (98,300 lb). Commercial payload 10,600 kg (23,400 lb). Fuel capacity 8,522 kg (18,788 lb). Takeoff distance 1,730 m (5,680 ft). Landing distance 1,300 m (4,300 ft). Maximum speed Mach 0.82 (473 kn; 876 km/h; 544 mph). Cruise speed Mach 0.78 (450 kn; 833 km/h; 518 mph). Maximum range 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi). Operating ceiling 12,000 m (41,000 ft). Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines 2 x 67 kN. Fan diameter 140 cm (56 in).
T-T E190-E2 data:
T-T E190-E2 data: Passenger cabin layout 97 (9J + 88Y). Maximum number of seats 114. Seat width 46 cm (18.3 in), by Safran. Length 36.25 m (118 ft 11 in). Height 10.96 m (35 ft 11 in). Span 33.72 m (110 ft 8 in). Lifting area 103 m2. Wing aspect ratio 11.04. Maximum take-off weight 56,400 kg (124,300 lb). Payload 13,500 kg (29,800 lb). Fuel capacity 13,690 kg (30,180 lb). Takeoff distance 1,615 m (5,299 ft). Landing distance 1,215 m (3,986 ft). Maximum speed Mach 0.82 (473 kn; 876 km/h; 544 mph). Cruise speed Mach 0.78 (450 kn; 833 km/h; 518 mph). Maximum range 2,850 nmi (5,280 km; 3,280 mi). Operational ceiling 12,000 m (41,000 ft). Pratt & Whitney PW1900G engines 2 x 85–102 kN (19,000–23,000 lbf). Fan diameter 190 cm (73 in).
T-T E195-E2 data:
T-T E195-E2 data: Passenger cabin layout 120 (12J + 108Y). Maximum number of seats 146. Seat width 46 cm (18.3 in), by Safran. Length 41.51 m (136 ft 2 in). Height 10.91 m (35 ft 10 in). Maximum takeoff weight Wingspan 35.12 m (115 ft 3 in). Lifting area 103 m2. Wing aspect ratio 11.97. Maximum takeoff weight 62,500 kg (137,800 lb). Payload 16,150 kg (35,600 lb). Fuel capacity 13,690 kg (30,180 lb). Takeoff distance 1,840 m (6,040 ft). Landing distance 1,290 m (4,230 ft). Maximum speed Mach 0.82 (473 kn; 876 km/h; 544 mph). Cruise speed Mach 0.78 (450 kn; 833 km/h; 518 mph). Maximum range 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi). Operational ceiling 12,000 m (41,000 ft). Pratt & Whitney PW1900G engines 2 x 85–102 kN (19,000–23,000 lbf). Fan diameter 190 cm (73 in).
Written by Karol Placha Hetman