The maiden flight for Embraer's new EMB-170 regional jet in February 2002 went off without at hitch, and Opal-RT's technologies were "on board" in their on-ground telemetry station, to perform real-time in-flight, as well as post-flight, processing and analysis of the flight-test data.

RT-LAB, the world's leading real-time simulation technology from Opal-RT Technologies Inc., was used in conjunction with high-fidelity models of the aircraft flight dynamics and control systems, and a specialized tool for aircraft flight analysis, DINAMO, also from Opal-RT, was used for configuring the models for controlling simulations and comparing them to flight test data.

Fig 1. Opal-RT's Real-time engineering tools help Embraer to reduce cost and development cycles	Fig. 2 Embraer's EMB-170 preparing for its maiden flight

The design of the EMB-170, described by Embraer's President, Mauricio Botelho as "the most complex and challenging program we've ever developed", is the first to use of fly-by-wire technology (computer-controlled, electrical primary flight controls) on a regional jet, a feature that is used only on advanced military aircraft and large transport jets.

According to a recent communiqu from Embraer, the use of digital modeling and virtual reality "contributes to the reduction of costs and development cycles, as well as costly and time-consuming changes later in the program". Real-time technologies from Opal-RT have played a role in the success of the design and test stages of the program.

According to Opal-RT's Director of Aerospace Modeling and Simulation Division, Dr. Sergio Cavalcanti, who was present at the first test, "this has been a very exciting time for my team, as well as the design team at Embraer. It demonstrates that RT-LAB and DINAMO can give engineers the performance they need when it matters the most."