Embraer EMB 121
| Embraer EMB 121 Xingu | |
|---|---|
 An EMB 121 Xingu of Flotilla 24F of the French Navy, Nîmes 2007 |
|
| Type: | Business aircraft, liaison and training aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 10, 1976 |
| Production time: |
1977 to August 1987 |
| Number of pieces: |
106 |
The Embraer EMB 121 Xingu (pronounced “ Schinguh ”) is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft produced by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer , which was designed as a light business jet in the mid-1970s. The name " Xingu " is derived from a tribe of the same name and a river in the Amazon region . The prototype (registration number PP-ZXI) took off for its maiden flight on October 10, 1976. The first production aircraft (registration number PP-ZCT) flew on May 20, 1977.
history
The design of this aircraft comes from the larger EMB 110 Bandeirante, from which the wings and engines were taken. The hull, however, was redesigned for the Xingu. The EMB 121 was the first aircraft manufactured in Brazil with a pressurized cabin and the first to cross the Atlantic , accompanied by an EMB 110 . The first flight of this aircraft was on October 2, 1976, and on December 4, 1976 the aircraft was presented to the public. The first series machine (registration number PP-ZCT) flew on May 20, 1977. In 1979 it was approved by the various aviation authorities. The Xingu I can accommodate five to six passengers.
Five years later, on September 4, 1981, the further developed EMB 121A1 Xingu II appeared, which in addition to more powerful engines offers larger tanks and space for eight to nine passengers. The aircraft was not granted outstanding economic success, after 106 (according to other sources 107) copies produced, production was discontinued in August 1987. 51 aircraft were sold abroad, mainly to France . The French armed forces are the world's largest operator with 43 aircraft currently in operation. In addition to being used as a transport aircraft, the Xingu is used to train prospective French transport aircraft and, according to current plans, should fulfill this task by 2025. The first operator of the aircraft, however, was the Brazilian army, which stationed its aircraft in the capital Brasilia.
On the 40th birthday of the manufacturer Embraer and the 30th anniversary of the certification of the type in 2009, the prototype of the Xingu with the registration number PP-ZXI was extensively restored by students at a technical university.
construction
The EMB 121 Xingu is a cantilever low- wing aircraft with a retractable nose wheel and a pressurized cabin . It is normally flown by two pilots and can accommodate up to nine passengers, depending on the interior. Two propeller turbines of the type Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 with an output of 680 WPS each, which drive three-blade propellers from Hartzell, serve as the drive. 49 machines of this basic version were built. The machines delivered from 1982 were given the designation EMB 121A1 Xingu II. They owned Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 with an output of 750 WPS, which drove a four-blade propeller, had a larger fuel capacity and a small strake left and right at the lower stern area. This type could also be flown by a pilot. Embraer converted 47 machines of the first series to the Xingu II standard.
Executions
- EMB 121A Xingu I: Original version, equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 engines
- EMB 121A1 Xingu II: Further development with PT6A-135 engines
- EMB 121V Xingu III: Further development with PT6A-42 engines
- EMB 123 Tapajós: Planned version with PT6A-45 engines
- VU-9: Name of the Brazilian Air Force
operator
The Brazilian Air Force ( Força Aérea Brasileira ) ordered 6 machines
The largest operator of the aircraft is the French Air Force , which ordered a total of 44 liaison aircraft in the early 1980s. The airplanes of the Army de l'Air are stationed in Avord , at the headquarters of the transport flying school of the French Air Force, the 18 airplanes of the Navy fly from the base Lann-Bihoué.
Technical specifications
All data refer to the EMB 121A Xingu I (Xingu II)
- Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-A-28 turboprop engines, each with 505 kW of power (635 kW)
- Three-blade constant speed propeller from Hartzell
- Maximum cruising speed 450 km / h (465 km / h), normal cruising speed 365 km / h (380 km / h)
- Service ceiling 26,000 feet
- Maximum range: 2352 km (2278 km)
- Empty weight 3620 kg (3500 kg)
- Maximum take-off weight 5670 kg (6140 kg)
- Wingspan 14.45 m (14.83 m)
- Length 12.25 m (13.44 m)
- Height 4.74 m
- Wing area 27.5 m² (27.9 m²)
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Marcel van Leeuwen: Embraer restores prototype of the EMB 121 Xingu airplane. Aviationnews.eu, August 10, 2009, accessed October 30, 2011 .
- ^ Armée de l'air (France) #Aviation d'entraînement au début du XXIe siècle in the French-language Wikipedia
- ↑ Aviation navale #Parc aérien actuel in the French-language Wikipedia
- ↑ Embraer EMB 121 Xingu. Airliners.net, accessed October 30, 2011 .
- ↑ EMB121 Xingu on airliners.net ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed March 6, 2011
