The Right SME led to 40 years of Embraer Growth
Embraer Aircraft ranks today as the globe’s 3rd largest commercial aircraft manufacturer. Its current airliner inventory is impressive-
SimpleFlying chronicles the history of this upstart Brazilian company’s climb to such a lofty position among some heavy weight competitors from Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and now the People’s Republic of China.
Mr. Findlay traces the Embraer entry in the international stage in the 1980s. The above image of the current offering from São José dos Campos is proof of the company’s design, manufacturing, marketing, and support success
This dramatic ascendance was ALMOST ABORTED EARLY IN EMBRAER’S AMERICAN AVIATION EVOLUTION. The strong air carriers response to the Brazilian offering caught US airplane OEMs (Swearingen, Piper, Cessna) by surprise. They all had comparable models but were not competitive in their pricing. Pushed by Piper Aircraft Corporation, the US International Trade Commission investigated the assertion that the aircraft were being “dumped” in America at below fully allocated costs. The action was expected to be successful for there were suspicious involvement by the Brazilian government.
Embraer was led by a charismatic, brilliant, personable, talented engineer/fighter pilot, Ozires Silva. He found the RIGHT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT needed for the litigation. He had met someone with credibility within the US government (most useful at the ITC) and an individual with technical competence. The Embraer counsel, according to sources, intended to try the case through accountants. Mr. Silva’s acquaintance, the Honorable Langhorne Bond offered a different approach.
Through his long aviation career (his father was the Pan Am representative in Shanghai), particularly his term as FAA Administrator, he was able to establish that the Embraer did not directly compete with the American aircraft. The ITC found and the US Court of Trade affirmed that the EMB-110 Bandeirante did not cause material harm to the US planes. Silva’s identification of an expert witness who had the technical knowledge that distinguished the imported aircraft from the domestic product won the case and allowed Embraer to earn a 40-year history of Embraer success.
40 Years Of Flight: A History Of The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
BY MARK FINLAY
In a production run from 1983 to 2001, Embraer built over 350 EMB 120s.
Forty years ago this year, on July 27, 1983, the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia made its maiden flight. Following the success of its 18-passenger Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, the Brazilian plane maker wanted to build a larger twin-engine turboprop that it could market as a regional commuter aircraft. The EMB 120 featured a low mounted straight wing and a T-tail. The aircraft has an aluminum alloy skin, while the nose cone and leading edges are made from Kevlar-reinforced glass fiber.
Almost immediately, the EMB-120 Brasilia began catching the attention of small American regional airlines who knew they could use the plane to serve airports in small rural communities. At the time of its introduction, with launch-customer Atlantic Southeast Airlines in October 1985, there was not a similar aircraft that could match its performance.
SkyWest Airlines was the EMB 120s largest operator
Following its introduction to service with the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)-based commuter airline, it was soon ordered by other American carriers like Great Lakes Airlines and Ameriflight. The largest American regional airline to operate the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia was St. George, Utah-headquartered SkyWest Airlines, which, at one point in time, had 62 examples of Embraer’s EMB 120 Brasilia in its fleet.
While not as popular in Europe as the United States, several airlines, including Spain’s Swiftair, French carrier Régional, and Russia’s Atlant-Soyuz Airlines, purchased EMB 120s. During its production run from 1983 until 2001, 357 aircraft were built and delivered to 32 operators worldwide.
The EMB 120 was seen as a modern replacement for the DC-3
Able to fly twice as fast as the classic Douglas DC-3, the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia was a modern replacement for cargo carriers like South Africa’s Sahara African Aviation. In 1991, Embraer announced they would build a longer-range version of the EMB 120 Brasilia called the “EMB 120ER Brasilia.” When the plane was introduced in 1993, it became the standard production model.
Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia variants
EMB 120: The first basic production version of the EMB 120 Brasilia.
EMB 120ER: An extended-range version of the basic model with increased capacity and greater takeoff weight. Many EMB 120ERs were later converted to carry cargo rather than passengers.
EMB 120FC: A fully dedicated cargo variant of the EMB 120ER.
EMB 120QC: A quick change variant of the EMB 120ER that could be configured for either passengers or cargo.
EMB 120RT: A dedicated transport variant of the EMB 120ER
VC-97: A VIP transport aircraft built for the Brazilian Air Force.
Specifications and general characteristics of the EMB 120 Brasilia
- Crew: Two pilots and one flight attendant
- Capacity: 30 passengers
- Length: 65 feet 7 inches
- Wingspan: 64 feet 11 inches
- Height: 20 feet 10 inches
- Wing area: 424 square feet
- Empty weight: 15,587 lbs
- Max takeoff weight: 25,353 lbs
- Maximum Landing Weight: 24,802 lbs
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118, PW118A or PW118B turboprop engines, 1,340 kW (1,800 hp) each
- Propellers: 4-bladed Hamilton Standard 14RF19 constant-speed, fully-feathering
Photo: Anton Volynets | Shutterstock.com
Performance
- Maximum speed: 378 mph at 20,013 feet
- Cruise speed: 343 mph
- Stall speed: 101 mph with flaps down
- Range: 1,090 miles with 30 passengers and reserve fuel for 45 minutes holding time
- Service ceiling: 29,806 feet
- Takeoff run: 4,659 feet
Avionics
- Collins five-screen Electronic Flight Instrument System
- Dual autopilots
