Having certified more than 20 aircraft since 2000, Embraer’s engineering team is moving ahead with a number of projects, although new clean-sheet aircraft designs don't top the list for now. The 3,500-strong centralized engineering operation supports all of Embraer’s business units, not just aircraft but also defense and maritime systems, according to Luís Carlos Affonso, senior v-p of engineering and technology. 

“This is another part of our secret sauce,” he said. “We learn from one business to another and keep improving. There are so many opportunities to improve the way we develop products.”

Embraer boasts an excellent track record for meeting development budgets, timelines, and specifications, according to Affonso. Embraer completed the E2 jet program two months ahead of schedule, he added, much faster than the Airbus neo, Boeing Max, Bombardier CSeries, Sukhoi Superjet, and the canceled Mitsubishi MRJ. “The E2 was triple-certified [simultaneously] by Brazil’s ANAC, EASA, and the FAA, the first time in history,” he said.

From the customer perspective, Embraer’s three aircraft manufacturing business units—E-Jet airliners, the KC-390 utility transport, and the Praetor and Phenom business jets—all exceed reliability targets. “We don’t give the airplane to customers to finalize development,” added Affonso.

Current activities in new product development include an E1 freighter, new configurations for the KC-390, supporting Eve’s eVTOL development, and ramping up to fill the recent NetJets order for up to 250 Praetor 500 business jets.

Meanwhile, Embraer is preparing for industry disruption, Affonso explained, especially the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “There is a huge challenge in sustainability," he noted. "We believe the challenge goes beyond commercial aviation. It seems far away but the challenge is huge.”

While Embraer spinoff Eve Air Mobility moves ahead with its eVTOL design, which has gained 2,850 orders, Affonso seems well aware of constraints affecting battery-powered aircraft. “Full electric [works] for small machines, but batteries are not developing as fast as anticipated,” he explained. Embraer is testing 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and high-temperature fuel cells as well as technology that would work with future propulsion systems such as a carbon nanotube deicing system and electromechanical actuators and controllers for electric aircraft.

Affonso sees many opportunities for hybrid-electric aircraft and hydrogen fuel cell powerplants. But for larger aircraft, he said, “We believe SAF is the only solution [to reach carbon reduction goals]. Our mission is to become the leader in the net-zero mission.”

Asked whether the aerospace industry is running out of ideas as technological innovations plateau, Affonso responded emphatically that isn’t the case. “It’s quite the opposite," he inisisted. "The amount of different ideas and possibilities we are analyzing…especially because we don’t know how they will evolve, [our goal] is to try to invest and be up to speed in all those possibilities.”

The various types of energy sources under development bring many opportunities. “Even though the energy may be different, the amount of modification and learning we’ll have to do on the airframe side will be huge," said Affonso, who named thermal management as one challenge. "Fuel cells generate huge amounts of heat," he explained. "We have to learn how to deal with this without generating too much drag. There are so many integration issues, it’s not just plug and play what someone else is doing.”