Embraer EMB 312 Tucano
Encyclopedia
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
EMB 312 Tucano is a two seat turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
basic trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
developed in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
first flew in 1980 and initial production units were delivered in 1983. The Tucano family of aircraft became one of Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
's first international marketing successes, with 600 units produced. An improved variant was licence-produced as the Short Tucano
Short Tucano
|-See also:-External links:*...
for the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Design and development
In 1977 a request for proposals was issed by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence for a propeller-driven trainer to replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet with the Brazilian Air ForceBrazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
. Two companies responded, Neiva with a variant of the Neiva Universal and the Brazilian state owned aircraft manufacturer Embraer with the Lycoming TIO-541 powered EMB-301 basic trainer and a PT6 powered EMB-311 a higher performance trainer. None of the designs was acceptable to the Air Force but they liked the idea of the higher performance EMB-311 that could also be used for light attack missions. Embraer re-designed the 311 to produce the EMB-312 mainly with a more powerfull PT6A engine and the rear seat was raised more. The rival Neiva YT-27B had already flown but when Embraer purchased the company it left the EMB-312 as the only contender.
Embraer received a contract for two prototypes and two test airframes in December that year. The first prototype flew on 16 August 1980, with the second flying for the first time on 10 December 1980. The type was designed the T-27 by the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
and the name Tucano was selected in October 1981. The Brazilian Air Force ordered 118 T-27 trainers and 50 AT-27 light attack variants.
The EMB-312 is designated T-27 in Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
(FAB) service. It is the aerobatic
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
demonstration aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the "Smoke Squadron
Smoke squadron
The Aerial Demonstration Squadron , popularly known as Smoke Squadron is the Brazilian Air Force's air demonstration squadron....
" (Esquadrilha da Fumaça). The FAB purchased 133 AT-27 light attack versions. First exported to Honduras in 1984, the EMB-312 proved successful.
The upgraded EMB-312H "Super Tucano" was a losing contender in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
The Joint Primary Aircraft Training System was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the...
(JPATS) aircraft selection of the 1990s. Among the seven designs to enter, the Raytheon/Pilatus entry won, which became the T-6 Texan II
T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . Based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer and...
. Embraer worked with Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
, which merged with Grumman part way through the competition to become Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
. The EMB-312H's design later served as a starting point for the EMB-314, dubbed the ALX, and adopted by the Brazilian Air Force as the A-29.
France
The French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
operated 50 EMB 312F from 1993 to 2009. These aircraft replaced the Fouga Magister
Fouga Magister
The Fouga Magister is a 1950s French two-seat jet trainer. The related CM.175 Zéphyr was a carrier-capable version for the French Navy....
in the training role, and were based at Salon-de-Provence. The EMB 312F differed in having a ventral airbrake, a de-icing engine air intake and French avionics.
The French Tucano fleet was retired in 2009 as a cost-saving measure, despite the fact that most aircraft had only reached half of their potential operational life.
Peru
The Peruvian Air ForcePeruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
used the AT-27 for night bombing missions during the Cenepa War
Cenepa War
The Cenepa War , also known as the Alto Cenepa War, was a brief and localized military conflict between Ecuador and Peru, fought over control of a disputed area on the border between the two countries...
in 1995.
Venezuela
On 27 November 1992, the aircraft were widely used by mutinied officers who staged a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against former President Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
. The rebels dropped bombs and launched rockets against Police and government buildings in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. Several aircraft, along with OV-10 Bronco
OV-10 Bronco
The North American Aviation Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control aircraft...
s were shot down during the uprising by F-16s flown by loyalist pilots.
Drug busting operations
The aircraft, along with the CessnaCessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
A-37 Dragonfly
A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
, has been widely used for drug-busting operations in Central and South America.
Variants
EMB-312: The standard production model.T-27: Two-seat basic training aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force.
AT-27: Two-seat light attack version for the Brazilian Air Force.
EMB-312F: 80 units sold to France of model with French avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
.
Short Tucano
Short Tucano
|-See also:-External links:*...
: 130 aircraft to RAF, plus 12 for Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and 16 for Kuwait with a different, more powerful engine and custom avionics.
EMB-312H: a Northrop/Embraer developed prototype for USAF
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(JPATS
Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
The Joint Primary Aircraft Training System was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the United States Air Force and United States Navy, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the...
) competition for an advanced trainer, from which derived the EMB-314 Super Tucano (ALX) now in production for FAB.
Operators
- Angolan Air Force purchased 14 Tucanos, comprising six originally intended for Paraguay and six aircraft bought from PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and two former Embraer demonstrators.
- Argentine Air ForceArgentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
received 30 aircraft to replace the Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris, the aircraft were built in two batches of 15 with the first batch diverted from Brazilian Air Force production started arriving in Argentina in June 1987.- Escuela de Aviacion Military (EAM) at Cordoba.
- Brazilian Air ForceBrazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
bought 151 aircraft, 109 of them are in service. The first deliveres were in September 1983- Smoke SquadronSmoke squadronThe Aerial Demonstration Squadron , popularly known as Smoke Squadron is the Brazilian Air Force's air demonstration squadron....
- Smoke Squadron
- Colombian Air ForceColombian Air ForceThe Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
received 14 aircraft as advanced trainers to replace the Lockheed T-33., the first six were delivered in December 1992. Soon after delivery the Colombian Air Force decided to use the aircraft in the counter insurgency role.- Escuadrón de Combate 212 at Apiay.
- Egyptian Air ForceEgyptian Air ForceThe Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
bought 54 aircraft produced under license by Helwan.
- French Air ForceFrench Air ForceThe French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
received 50 aircraft to replace the Fouga CM.170 Magister. Designated the EMB-312F they were modified to include French avionics. The first EMB-312F flew on 7 April 1993 and following testing of the two prototypes the first of 48 production aircraft arrived in January 1995.- CEV
- CEAM
- Flying School at Salon-de-Provence Air BaseSalon-de-Provence Air BaseSalon-de-Provence Air Base is a base of the French Air Force located south Salon-de-Provence in southern France.It hosts the training facilities for the officers of the air force:* École de l'Air: for young students** pilot commissioned officers...
- Honduran Air ForceHonduran Air ForceThe Honduras Air Force is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces.-History:...
received 12 aircraft. to replace the North American T-28 Trojan.- Escuela de Aviacion Militar (EAM]]
- IRGC Air ForceIRGC Air ForceThe Air Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution , also known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force , is the air force within the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution...
received 15 aircraft between 1988 and 1990.
- Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
bought 80 aircraft produced under licence by Helwan. All but one has been destroyed in recent conflicts.
- Paraguayan Air ForceMilitary of ParaguayThe armed forces of Paraguay consist of the Paraguayan army, navy and air force.The constitution of Paraguay establishes the president of Paraguay as the commander-in-chief....
received six aircraft from 1987.- 3 Escuadron de Roconociemento y Ataque
- Peruvian Air ForcePeruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
ordered 20 Tucanos in 1986 to replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet, which were delivered in 1987. It purchased a further 10 in 1991 for use in anti-drug operation, giving a total of 30 aircraft. Six of them were resold to AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
in 2002.- Escuadron Aereo de Instrucion 512
- Escuadron Aereo de Instrucion 514
- Venezuelan Air Force received 31 aircraft.
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- Escuadrone 131
- Escuadrone 141
- Escuadrone 142
- Escuadrone 152
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