The
EmbraerEmbraer , is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, and provides related aerospace services...
EMB 312 Tucano is a two seat
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
basic
trainerA trainer is an aircraft used to develop piloting, navigational or war-fighting skills in flight crew.Civilian pilots are normally trained in a light aircraft, with 2 or more seats to allow for student and instructor. The aircraft may be modified to withstand the flight conditions imposed by...
developed in
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
. The
prototypeA prototype is an original type, form, or instance of something serving as a typical example, basis, or standard for other things of the same category...
first flew in 1980 and initial production units were delivered in 1983. The Tucano family of aircraft became one of
EmbraerEmbraer , is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, and provides related aerospace services...
's first international marketing successes, with 600 units produced. An improved variant was licence-produced as the Shorts Tucano for the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
's
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
.
In 1978 the Brazilian state owned aircraft manufacturer Embraer started the design for a new basic trainer for the
Brazilian 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"...
, receiving a contract for two prototypes in December that year.
The
EmbraerEmbraer , is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, and provides related aerospace services...
EMB 312 Tucano is a two seat
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
basic
trainerA trainer is an aircraft used to develop piloting, navigational or war-fighting skills in flight crew.Civilian pilots are normally trained in a light aircraft, with 2 or more seats to allow for student and instructor. The aircraft may be modified to withstand the flight conditions imposed by...
developed in
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
. The
prototypeA prototype is an original type, form, or instance of something serving as a typical example, basis, or standard for other things of the same category...
first flew in 1980 and initial production units were delivered in 1983. The Tucano family of aircraft became one of
EmbraerEmbraer , is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, and provides related aerospace services...
's first international marketing successes, with 600 units produced. An improved variant was licence-produced as the Shorts Tucano for the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
's
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
.
Design and development
In 1978 the Brazilian state owned aircraft manufacturer Embraer started the design for a new basic trainer for the
Brazilian 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"...
, receiving a contract for two prototypes 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 EMB-312 is designated T-27 in
Brazilian 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"...
(FAB) service. It is the
aerobaticAerobatics 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 SquadronThe Aerial Demonstration Squadron , popularly known as Smoke Squadron is the Brazilian Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron....
" (
Esquadrilha da Fumaça). The FAB purchased 133 AT-27 light
attackA strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from a ground-attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. Previously, an airstrike on a ground target would usually involve bombers, defended by fighters...
versions. First exported to Honduras in 1984, the EMB-312 proved successful.
The upgraded EMB-312H "Super Tucano" was a losing contender in the
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's
Joint Primary Aircraft Training SystemJoint Primary Aircraft Training System, usually just called JPATS, was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the USAF and USN, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the T-6 Texan II...
(JPATS) aircraft selection of the 1990s. Among the seven designs to enter, the Raytheon/Pilatus entry won, which became the
T-6 Texan IIThe Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . It 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 Air Force Navigator / Weapon...
. Embraer worked with Northrop, which merged with Grumman part way through the competition to become
Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American 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 in 2008, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000...
. 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.
Venezuela
On 27 November 1992, the aircraft were widely used by mutinied officers who staged a
coup d'étatA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
against former President
Carlos Andrés PérezCarlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , best known as CAP and often referred to as "El Gocho" , was President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was well-known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to enormous income from...
. The rebels dropped bombs and launched rockets against Police and government buildings in
CaracasCaracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range . The valley's temperatures are springlike. Terrain suitable for building lies between 760 and 910 m above...
. Several aircraft, along with
OV-10 BroncoThe North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is a turboprop-driven 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.
Peru
The
Peruvian 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...
used the AT-27 for night bombing missions during the
Cenepa WarThe 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..
Drug busting operations
The aircraft, along with the
CessnaThe 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 DragonflyThe 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
avionicsAvionics means "aviation electronics". It comprises electronic systems for use on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft, comprising communications, navigation and the display and management of multiple systems...
.
Shorts Tucano: 130 aircraft to RAF, plus 12 for
KenyaThe Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia , Somalia , Tanzania , Uganda plus Lake Victoria , and Sudan . The capital city is Nairobi. Kenya spans an area about 85% the size of France or Texas...
and 16 for Kuwait with a different, and more powerful engine and custom avionics.
EMB-312H: a Northrop/Embraer developed prototype for
USAFThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. 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 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
(
JPATSJoint Primary Aircraft Training System, usually just called JPATS, was an aircraft procurement program of the United States in the 1990s by the USAF and USN, a merger of 1980s era training aircraft programs. The winner was declared in 1995 and entered service a few years later as the T-6 Texan II...
) competition for an advanced trainer, from which derived EMB-314 EMB-314 Super Tucano (ALX) now in production for FAB.
Operators
- Angolan Air Force operates 14 aircraft including six aircraft bought from Peru
Peru , 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.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
.
- Argentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
received 30 aircraft.
- 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"...
bought 151 aircraft, 109 of them is in service.
- Smoke Squadron
The Aerial Demonstration Squadron , popularly known as Smoke Squadron is the Brazilian Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron....
- Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of The Republic of Colombia.-Creation:Military aviation began in Colombia in 1919 with the creation of a military aviation school for the Colombian Army. Previously by Law 15 of 1916 of September 7 two commissions were sent overseas to study new...
received 14 aircraft.
- Dominican Air Force
The Air Force of the Dominican Republic or Fuerza Aérea Dominicana, is one of the three branches of the Military of the Dominican Republic, together with the Army and the Navy.- History :...
received 8 aircraft.
- Egyptian Air Force
The 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 with 40 produced under license by Helwan.
- French Air Force
The French Air Force is the air force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, it is the world’s oldest military air service.-History:...
received 50 aircraft.
- Guatemalan Air Force
The Guatemalan Air Force is a small and antiquated air force. It has relied mostly on US aircraft types throughout its history, most of them by now obsolete in terms of what a modern air force should be. The Cessna A-37 is the main jet aircraft, while Pilatus PC-7s are used for training...
received 14 aircraft.
- Honduran Air Force
The Honduran Air Force is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduran Armed Forces.-History:...
received 12 aircraft.
- IRGC Air Force
The 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.
- Iraqi Air Force
The 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.
- Paraguayan Air Force
The 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.
- Peruvian 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...
bought 30 aircraft. Six of them were resold to AngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province of Cabinda has a border with the Republic of the...
.
- Venezuelan Air Force received 31 aircraft.
Specifications (standard EMB 312)
See also
External links