Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia

EMB-120 Brasilia

Interior of EMB 120 Brasilia

The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a twin-turboprop commuter airliner, produced by Embraer. It first flew on 27 July 1983, and entered commercial service in October 1985.

Since 1994, manufacture has focused exclusively on the EMB 120ER, with extended range (1575 km) and increased capacity.

Most of the EMB-120's were sold in the US and the Western Hemisphere although some have been purchased by airlines such as Regional in France, DAT in Belgium, DLT in Germany. Although no aircraft have been produced since 2002 it is still available to order because it is made on the same assembly line as the ERJ's, and is made out of many of the same parts. The extinction of commercial turboprops during the late 1990's and the first few years of the current decade was caused by an influx of regional jets. The EMB-120 was a victim of this as well. Only the ability to be built on a regional jet line has saved it from following the out-of-production aircraft like the Saab 340, Do-328, and others. As the aircraft is still officially "in production," it is possible that the recent resurgence of turboprops may result in additional orders for the Brasilia.

The EMB 120 Brasilia is Embraer's only currently-produced aircraft that is a Turboprop. Skywest Airlines currently operates a large fleet of EMB-120s under the United Express and Delta Connection brand. It is available as the EMB-120, 120RT, and 120ER. It uses the same fuselage as other Embraer ERJ aircraft, the ERJ 135, ERJ 140, ERJ 145, and ERJ 145-XR. Other Embraer airliners include the E-Jets, including ERJ-170, ERJ-175, ERJ-190 and ERJ-195.

Variants

• VC-97 - VIP transport version for the Brazilian Air Force.

Specifications

General characteristics (EMB 120)

• Wingspan: 19.78 m
• Length: 20.07 m
• Height: 2.28 m
• Wing area: 39.4 m²
• Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118/118A/118B 1,800 shp (1,340 kW) × 2. APU available
• Maximum Take-Off Weight: 11,990 kg (ER Version)
• Maximum Landing Weight: 11,700 kg (ER Version)
• Passengers: 30
• ER Version: Additional 400 kg fuel
• Avionics: Collins 5 screen EFIS, dual autopilots
• cf bar: The fraction of the chord that is "flapped". 0.664m (unconfirmed).
• Aspect Ratio:9.86 (unconfirmed)

Crew

• 3 consisting of 2 pilots and 1 flight attendant

Performance

• Cruise speed: 555 km/h (300 kt)
• Range: 1,428 km
• Service Ceiling: 32000 ft
• Runway: 1100m min.

Civil operators

In August 2006 a total of 208 EMB 120 aircraft were in airline service around the world. Major operators include:

• SkyWest Airlines (68)
• Swiftair (9)
• Ameriflight (7)
• Airnorth
• Skippers Aviation (6)
• Network Aviation
• Great Lakes Aviation (6)
• Gulfstream International Airlines (7)

Some 41 other airlines also operate the aircraft in smaller numbers.

Military Operators

• Brazil
  • Brazilian Air Force
• Peru
  • Peruvian Air Force
• Uruguay
  • Uruguayan Air Force

Other resources

Related development: EMB 110 - EMB 121

Comparable aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-8 - Fairchild-Dornier 328

Designation sequence: EMB 110 - EMB 120 - EMB 121 - ERJ 135 - ERJ 140 - ERJ 145 - 170 - 175 - 190 - 195

Embraer aircraft

Agricultural: EMB 202 Ipanema

Civil: EMB 110 Bandeirante · EMB 120 Brasilia · EMB 121 Xingu · ERJ 145 family (Legacy 600) · E-Jets (Lineage)

Military: EMB 312 Tucano · EMB 314 Super Tucano · AMX · R-99

Built under licence: EMB 326GB Xavante · EMB 712 Tupi · EMB 810D Seneca · EMB 820C Navajo

In development/proposed: Phenom 100 · Phenom 300

Not developed: CBA 123 Vector