mbraer EMB 312 Tucanoe

The Embraer EMB 312 Tucano    is a low-wing tandem-seat single-turboprop basic trainer with counter-insurgency capability developed in Brazil. The Brazilian Air Force sponsored the EMB-312 project at the end of 1978. Design and development work began in 1979 on a low-cost, relatively simple new basic trainer with innovative features which eventually became the international standard for basic training aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1980, and initial production units were delivered in 1983.

Production was initially supported by a local order for 118 aircraft with options for an additional 50 units in October 1980. It was later matched by an Egyptian licence-produced purchase in 1993 and subsequently by an improved variant known as the Short Tucano, which was licence-produced in the United Kingdom.^[4] The Tucano made inroads into the military trainer arena and became one of Embraer's first international marketing successes. A total of 664 units were produced (504 by Embraer and 160 by Short Brothers), flying in sixteen air forces over five continents.

Background

The Brazilian military government considered aircraft strategic equipment, and in an effort to reduce dependency from foreign companies, the state-owned Embraer was established in 1969. A production license to assemble the MB.326 was acquired in 1970 to familiarize the company with military design, and in 1973 the EMB-110 was introduced with a twin Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine that later would be shared with the Tucano.

After all-jet training program trials during the 1950s, a variety of propeller-driven aircraft were used for pilot training during the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s oil prices rapidly increased with the price of a crude oil barrel having risen from $3 in 1973 to $36 by 1980, deflating the Brazilian economy. At that time the Brazilian Air Force operated the J69-powerered Cessna T-37C, which was a 1950s design and following the 1970s energy crisis became expensive to operate. In 1977 the Brazilian Air Force expressed a desire to replace the T-37, specifying that the replacement would need to be cheap to operate, designed to closely imitate the characteristics of jet aircraft and should have ejection seats.

During the 1970s the Brazilian Air Force operated over one hundred piston-powered Neiva Universal basic trainers.^[13] Encouraged to undertake a follow-on project known as "Universal II", Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva rolled out the prototype N621A (YT-25A) in 1975 with an extended body, four hard points, and the more powerful 400 hp Lycoming IO-720-A1A engine which drove a three-bladed Hartzell propeller The YT-25B prototype, a further modified version with six hard points, flew in 22 October 1978, but it did not meet requirements since the type was slower and smaller, and had side-by-side seats and a rear jump seat. Two years later, the company was acquired by Embraer. In 1973 designer Joseph Kovács moved from Neiva to Embraer, bringing with him a number of studies based on the Neiva Universal including a development of the tandem-seat turbo-prop Carajá.

development

1. EMB-312S

An agreement was signed in May 1984 between Embraer and Short Brothers to modify the EMB 312 to meet a Royal Air Forcerequirement for a high-performance turbo-prop trainer to replace the Jet Provost issued in 1983. Short Brothers was responsible for the final assembly and licence-built 60% of the aircraft parts, although the wings, landing gear and canopy were built in Brazil.

In March 1985, after a competition with other types, the Short Tucano was declared the winner with an order worth £126 million for 130 aircraft and an option for a further 15. As well as production for the Royal Air Force, the Short Tucano was exported to Kenya (12 Tucano Mk.51s) and Kuwait (16 Tucano Mk.52s)        

EMB-312H 

During the mid-1980s, as Embraer was working on the Short Tucano, the company also developed a new version designated the EMB-312G1. Also using a Garrett engine, the EMB-312G1 prototype flew for the first time in July 1986. However, the Brazilian Air Force showed no interest, and the project was dropped. Nonetheless, the lessons from recent combat use of the aircraft in Peru and Venezuela, led Embraer to continue the studies. It also researched a helicopter attack version designated as the "Helicopter killer" or EMB-312H. The study was stimulated by the unsuccessful bid for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) program. A proof-of-concept prototype, the PT-ZTW, flew for the first time in September 1991. The aircraft featured a 1.37-metre (4.49-ft) fuselage extension with the addition of sections fore and aft of the cockpit to restore its centre of gravity and stability, a strengthened airframe, cockpit pressurization and stretched nose to house the more powerful PT6A-67R (1.424 Shp) engine. Two new prototype EMB-312HJs with the PT6A-68A (1.250 Shp) engine were built in 1993. The second prototype PT-ZTV (later PP-ZTV) flew for the first time in May 1993, and the third prototype PT-PP-ZTF flew in October 1993. The EMB-312H's design later served as a starting point for the EMB-314 Super Tucano, dubbed the ALX, and adopted by the Brazilian Air Force as the A-29

Design

Many features of the EMB-312 became standard in later basic training aircraft designs. It was the first turboprop trainer developed from the beginning with military jet capability. A Martin-Baker Mk8L was fitted. It was Embraer's first aircraft with tandem seats designed with a raised rear seat optimized for an uninterrupted view from the rear cockpit and a frameless bubble canopy for unobstructed visibility. Major aircraft features include an automatic torque control system and the jet-like single-lever throttle which combined both engine power and propeller pitch, assuring smooth and rapid acceleration and deceleration

The aircraft is fitted with a retractable tricycle undercarriage with steerable nosewheels,allowing a fairly large crab angle during cross wind landing The reverse pitch control that the aircraft is fitted with allows the constant-speed mechanism to be manually overridden to reverse the blade pitch angle, thus providing excellent ground handling characteristics, helping to slow down the plane to shorten the landing run. This control also allows the aircraft to back up on its own during taxiing.

High manoeuvrability, stability at low speeds, and four underwing pylons providing for up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of ordnance, allow the training aircraft to engage in tactical bombing campaigns in low intensity conflict or counterinsurgency environments and in counternarcotics interceptions.The type can carry up to 694 litres (183 US gal) of fuel internally additionally, two fuel tanks of 660 litres (170 US gal) can be fitted to underwing weapon stations for extended endurance,enabling up to nine flight hours.

Operational history

Argentina

Angola

Brazil

Colombia

France

Egypt

Honduras

Iraq

Iran

Mauritania

Paraguay

Peru

Venezuela

Variants

EMB-312A

The standard production model with fatigue life of 8,000 hours.

• Tucano YT-27
  Pre-series prototypes
• Tucano T-27
  Two-seat basic training variant.
• Tucano AT-27
  Two-se
  An uprated version built for the French Air Force, the EMB-312F is equipped with Telecommunications Electronique Aeronautique et Maritime (TEAM SA, part of Cobham plc) avionics, Thomson-CSF (now Thales Group) navigation aids, increased fatigue life, propeller and canopy de-icing system and a ventral airbrake. The first EMB-312F flew on 7 April 1993.
  
  at light attack variant.

EMB-312F 

Also known as the Short Tucano, the EMB-312S is an uprated licence-produced trainer version built at Short Brothers of Belfast in Northern Ireland for the Royal Air Force and licensed for export. The type features a more powerful Honeywell 820 kW (1,1000shp) allied signal TPE331-12B engine with four-blade variable pitch propeller, custom avionics, structural strengthening expanding fatigue life to 12,000hr, two-piece canopy for better bird strike proofing, pressurized cabin, a ventral airbrake, aerodynamic changes to the wing, better wheel brakes, and an optional armament capability.EMB-312S.

• Tucano T.1
  Original version of the Short Tucano used by the RAF.

• Tucano Mk.51
  Export variant for Kenya Air Force.
  
• Tucano Mk.52
  Export variant for Kuwait Air Force.

EMB-312G1

A prototype built in 1986 with Garrett engine..

EMB-312H

A Northrop/Embraer developed prototype for USAF (JPATS) competition for an advanced trainer, from which derived the EMB-314 Super Tucano (ALX) now in production for FAB.

Specifications (standard EMB 312)

General characteristics

• Length: 9.86 m (32 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 11.14 m (36 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 19.4 m² (209 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,810 kg (3,991 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 3,175 kg (7,000 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop, 552 kW (750 hp) 
• Internal fuel: 694 litres (183 US gal)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 539 km/h (291 kts)
• Maximum speed: 458 km/h (247 kt) at 4,115 metres (13,501 ft)
• Cruise speed: 441 km/h (238 kt) at 3,350 metres (10,990 ft)
• Stall speed: 67 kt (124 km/h)
• Range: 1,916 km (1,034 NM) on internal fuel
• G limits: +6/-3
• Endurance: 9hrs
• Service ceiling: 8,750 m (28,700 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1,900 ft/min (9.65 m/s)
• Wing loading: 164 kg/m² (33.5 lb/ft²)

Armament

• Guns:
  • Gun pods: 
    • AN/M-B machine gun
    • 12,7 mm machine gun
    • 7,62 mm machine gun (500 rounds)
  • Rocket Machine Gun pod:
    • RMP LC with a 12.7mm M3P and (4x) 70 mm
• Hardpoints: 4 under-wing pylons with a capacity of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
• Rockets:
  
  • 127 mm HVAR ground rockets
  • Rocket pods:
    • SBAT (7x) 37 mm
    • SBAT (7x) 70 mm
• Bombs:
  • General-purpose bomb:
    • Mk 81
    • Mk 82
  • Practice bomb:
    • MK 76 (20 lb)
• Others:
  • Ferry tanks: 2x 660 litres (170 US gal)or 330 litres (87 US gal) .