Shiver. Shake. Vibrate. And flutter. That’s what happens to an airplane when it’s subjected to its maximum design speed. And that’s exactly what our team of E2 test pilots did with a prototype E195-E2 at our Gavião Peixoto facility in September.

As a requirement for certification, the E195-E2 must fly at the edge of its operating envelope. This is accomplished by taking the aircraft up to high altitude (around 40,000 feet) and then pushing it into a dive until it accelerates to its design speed.

For this particular test, the E195-E2 approached Mach 0.9, nearly the speed of sound. A team of engineers examined the aeroelastic characteristics of the aircraft to ensure they were within design specifications.

The results? The E2 easily passed the test. Just another step on the way to on-time certification!

Watch this video that explains the test and shows the cool-headed pilots taking the E2 through its maneuvers.