Nigel Pittaway | Farnborough
Embraer’s new generation multi-mission transport aircraft, the KC-390, made its international debut at the Farnborough Airshow this week, under typically British grey skies.
The aircraft is a twin-turbofan airlifter designed to replace the ubiquitous C-130 Hercules and so far has been ordered by the Brazilian Air Force, which has a requirement for 30 aircraft – 28 production examples and two refurbished prototypes.
The first prototype KC-390 was ferried from Embraer’s headquarters in São Jose Dos Campos to Farnborough, via Recife, the Cape Verde Islands and Alverca in Portugal and was on static display during the show.
"There has been significant interest in the KC-390 from countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including New Zealand."
Paolo Gastão Silva, vice president KC-390 program said that the two prototypes had now amassed over 350 flight hours and the test program was going well.
“The flight test data results match the modelling and simulation that we conducted before the first flight of the prototype in February last year,” Gastão said. “The aircraft have demonstrated unprecedented availability, there have been no big issues and no problems and we have now been able to freeze the configuration of the aircraft ready for certification.”
Certification for Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is set to occur in the second half of 2017, with delivery of the first production aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force to follow a year later. Final Operational Capability (FOC) is scheduled for the second half of 2018.
Gastão said the aircraft at Farnborough had been flown by Portuguese Air Force pilots while it was at Alverca, with positive feedback.
“We have had a very positive feedback from the market,” Gastão said. “We are happy and confident that the aircraft will fully meet their requirements.”
Following it’s showing at Farnborough, the aircraft will be demonstrated to a number of prospective customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. An Embraer spokesman said that there has also been significant interest in the KC-390 from countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including New Zealand which has a requirement to replace its elderly C-130H Hercules transport fleet.