April 12, 2010 | Ravenna, OH USA

Embraer Awards Saint-Gobain Sat-Com Radome Contract for Legacy 450 and Legacy 500

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has selected Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to design and supply the Satellite Communications Sat-Com radomes for its Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 executive jets.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has been awarded a contract to supply the satellite communications (sat-com) radomes for Embraer's new Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 executive jets. The radomes from Saint-Gobain will be used on all customer jets which require high-speed sat-com digital communications.

"Saint-Gobain has been a supplier to Embraer for more than 30 years, and we are delighted to be selected for the high-technology Norton® radome for the digital sat-com radar systems used on the Legacy 450 and 500," says Dan Orwig, OEM District Sales Manager, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. "The nose radome for the Legacy 450 and 500 is also a Norton® radome, and this addition of the sat-com radome shows the confidence that Embraer has for Saint-Gobain for its new fleet of mid-light and mid-size executive aircraft."

Based on concepts presented in 2007 and formally launched in 2008, the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 set new paradigms in their categories. These aircraft will have the largest and quietest cabin in their classes. A flat-floor stand-up (6-foot) cabin, excellent pressurization, and vacuum lavatories are other highlights of the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, complementing their superior performance and low operating costs. The jets will be the only ones in their segments equipped with cutting-edge fly-by-wire electronic flight control.

The Legacy 450 is designed to carry up to nine passengers. Its range will be 2,300 nautical miles (4,260 km) with four passengers plus NBAA IFR reserves, meaning the jet will be able to fly nonstop from London (U.K.) to Moscow (Russia); or from Delhi (India) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

The Legacy 500 will carry up to twelve passengers. It is designed for a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,560 km) with four passengers plus NBAA IFR fuel reserves. These characteristics will allow customers to fly nonstop from New York to Los Angeles, in the U.S.; or from Moscow (Russia) to Mumbai (India).

Development work on the Legacy 450 and the Legacy 500 is ongoing at Embraer and suppliers' facilities, and the first flight is on schedule to occur in the second half of 2011.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics' aerospace business is based in Ravenna, Ohio, and specializes in the design, manufacture, repair and certification of high-performance aerospace composites and Norton® radomes that use proprietary Norton Armor™ technologies. These advanced technologies reduce maintenance costs and extend service life for aircraft composites that are critical to aircraft operation.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, part of the Innovative Materials Sector of Saint-Gobain, is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio, and employs 4,400 people in 15 countries. It is a world leader in high-performance plastics, including flexible tubing applications, seals, coated fabrics, films, foams, polymer products and bearings.

Headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain is the world's leading producer of construction products and innovative materials such as abrasives, high-performance plastics, industrial ceramics and reinforcements; it is also the European leader in flat glass, packaging (glass bottles) and distribution of building materials. In 2009 Saint-Gobain had worldwide sales of $53 billion, and employed 209,000 people in 59 countries.

http://www.radome.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Patrice Lallement
Marketing and Business Development Manager
330-298-4105
patrice.lallement@saint-gobain.com
http://www.radome.com