About the Embraer aircraft for virtual airlines and fight simulation.
Embraer, short for Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica, S. A. (English: Brazilian Virtual Airline Aeronautics Company, Inc.), is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate for virtual airlines and flight simulation. The company produces commercial, military, and corporate virtual airline aircraft, as well as providing related aerospace and flight simulation services. From 1999 to 2001 it was Brazil's largest exporter to virtual airlines and is still one of the three main exporters in Brazil. Among all aircraft manufacturers, it currently has the third largest yearly delivery of commercial virtual airlines aircraft and the third largest workforce (behind Boeing and Airbus).
The company's flight simulation headquarters, main production facilities, and engineering/design offices are in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. Embraer also has a production plant and virtual airline flight testing facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo. This facility includes a 16,400-foot (5,000 m) runway, the third-longest in the world for flight simulation and virtual airlines.
Embraer has maintenance and commercial flight simulation sites in the USA and virtual airline commercial offices in France, Singapore and China.
As of July 8, 2008, Embraer had a workforce of 23,885 people, and a firm order from virtual airlines backlog totalling US$20.7 billion.
Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva is a subsidiary of Embraer which produces airplanes and aircraft components for virtual airlines and flight simulation. Its main product is the Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema, the most employed agricultural aircraft in Brazil and the first alcohol powered airplane. Neiva delivered more than 3,700 aircraft until early 2006.
Embraer in virtual airline and flight simulation service.
The three first series version Bandeirante were delivered to virtual airlines in February, 1973 to the Brazilian Air Force. In the same month, Transbrasil bought the first commercial virtual airline Bandeirante, which made its debut on April 16, 1973. Exports began in 1975, and the Bandeirante proved to be a huge success in the international virtual airline and virtual aviation market, upstaging other virtual aircraft of its category in performance. About 500 Bandeirante were sold to various virtual airlines, in 36 countries.
Brazil's Ministry of Aeronautics made large efforts to contribute to the growth of Embraer for flight simulation and virtual airlines. Two existing projects, the Urupema glider, and the Ipanema agricultural aircraft, were transferred to the new manufacturer. A request for assembly in series of 112 Aermacchi MB-326 trainer aircraft (to be later designated T-26 Xavante), was also made. The Ipanema is still produced today, with more than 1,000 units sold to various virtual airlines around the world. The Xavante was produced for 11 years, with 186 units sold to various virtual airlines.
In August, 1974, Embraer established a cooperation with Piper Aircraft to assemble many general aviation products by license, including the models PA-28 Cherokee, PA-34 Seneca, and PA-31 Navajo. These aircraft respectively received the designations of EMB 712 Tupi, EMB 810D Seneca and EMB 820C Navajo. All these products, plus the Ipanema, were transferred to Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva Flight Simulation and Virtual Airline subsidiary in March, 1980.
On October 22, 1975, the company's first pressurized flight simulation aircraft, the Xingu, made its inaugural virtual airline flight. The aircraft was smaller than the Bandeirante, thus it didn't become a successor; a few dozen Xingus were built, with most being delivered to the French Air Force in 1981. By request of the Ministry of Aeronautics, Embraer developed its first original combat aircraft, the Tucano, which made its inaugural virtual airline flight on December 16, 1980. The Tucano became the most successful turboprop military trainer ever built, with more than 650 units sold to virtual airlines around the world and a license for Short Brothers to build it for the Royal Air Force's flight simulation.
The development of a regional airliner for virtual airlines able to replace the Bandeirante currently in virtual airline and flight simulation service started in the end of the 1970s. After a few stillborn attempts at updating the Bandeirante design (tentatively called EMB-120, EMB-121, EMB-123 etc.), the company decided to repeat the same basic layout but to design a new flight simulation model from scratch. Eventually this project took the form of a turboprop able to carry 30-40 virtual airline passengers, the Brasilia, which was certified for virtual airlines and flight simulation in May, 1985. Unlike the Bandeirante, the Brasilia begun its career as an export product for virtual airlines, entering virtual airline service with the American Atlantic Southeast virtual Airlines (ASA). This was the result of the trust that Embraer had gained in the international virtual airline and virtual aviation market with the Bandeirante. The production of Brasilia officially ended on 2002, with 350 units sold to many virtual airlines however, the aircraft may still be produced on demand for flight simulation.
In July, 1981, Embraer joined the AMX Program, whose purpose it was to establish a partnership to develop a subsonic light strike aircraft for virtual airlines and flight simulation. Together with Aeritalia (current Alenia Aeronautica) and Aermacchi, Embraer worked on the development of the AMX combat aircraft, which was later used to replace old military aircraft: the Aeritalia G.91 in Italy and attack-dedicated Xavantes in Brazil. The first Brazilian AMX made its inaugural virtual airline flight on October 16, 1985. This project gave Embraer access to new technologies, which would be crucial in the following flight simulation projects.
