In a progress report issued yesterday for the Legacy 450 and 500 programs, Embraer said production of the Legacy 500’s first parts has begun at suppliers’ facilities. The nose and main landing-gear forgings arrived at Heroux-Devtek in Canada and were machined in the fall. Meggitt performed the first forgings for the wheels and brakes, while Sonaca began the first trials for stretching the rear fuselage panels at its facilities in Gosselies, Belgium. Meanwhile, Embraer held the first critical design review meetings for the Legacy 500 in September and says it has already submitted certification documents to Brazil’s Anac, the FAA and EASA. Certification of the 500 is planned for the second half of 2012; the 450 will trail its larger sibling by a year. Embraer is also advancing development of the Legacy 450/500’s Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics and homegrown fly-by-wire flight control systems, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer said. The Legacy 450 and 500 will be Embraer’s first fully fly-by-wire jets.