Embraer EMB 312 Tucano

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This article is about the plane. For other uses, see Toucan (disambiguation).

Embraer 312 Tucano

The Embraer EMB 312 Tucano is a basic two seat turboprop trainer developed in Brazil. Its first flight was in 1980 and initial production units were delivered in 1983.

Designated T-27 in FAB (Brazilian Air Force) service, it's also operated by the RAF in a variant known as Short Tucano. There is a light attack version, the AT-27 of which the FAB purchased 133 units.

This versatile and reliable family of aircraft became one of the greatest Embraer selling success with 600 units produced.

It's the aerobatic plane of the Brazilian Air Force Demonstration Squadron (Esquadrilha da Fumaça).

1 Competitions
2 Main variants
3 Operators
4 Specifications (standard EMB 312)
5 External links

[edit] Competitions

The Super Tucano was a losing contender in the USA's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPTATS) aircraft selection of the 1990s. Among the seven to enter, the Raytheon/Piilatus entry won, which became the T-6 Texan II. Embraer worked with Northrop, and partway through the competition Northrop Grumman (Northrop and Grumman merged).

25 Embraer Super Tucano (variant AT-29) where purchased by the Colombian Air Force in a 234 million USD deal, directly purchased from the Brazilian company Embraer. The first 3 planes arrived in the morning of December 14, 2006 to the military airfield of CATAM in Bogotá. 2 more planes where delivered on the week of December 16, 2006, 10 more in the first semester of 2007 and the rest in June 2008. ^[1]

[edit] Main variants

EMB-312 : The standard production model.
- T-27 : Two-seat basic training aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force.
- AT-27 : Two-seat light attack version for the Brazilian Air Force.
EMB-312F: : 80 units sold to France of model with French avionics.
Shorts Tucano: : 130 aircraft to RAF, plus 12 for Kenya and 16 for Kuwait with a different, and more powerful, engine and custom avionics.
- Tucano T.Mk 1 : Two-seat basic training aircraft for the RAF.
- Tucano Mk.51 : Export version for Kenya.
- Tucano Mk.52 : Export version for Kuwait.
EMB-312H: : a Northrop/Emb. developed Prototype for USAF (JPATS) competition for an advanced trainer, from which derived EMB-314 Embraer Super Tucano or ALX now in production for FAB.

[edit] Operators

Angola: 8 units bought from Peru
Argentina: 30 units
Brazil
Colombia: 14 units (standard Tucanos)
Egypt: 134 with 10 units produced under license by Helwan
France: 80 units
Honduras: 12 units
Iran: 25 units
Iraq
Kenya: 12 units
Kuwait: 16 units
Paraguay: 8 units (3 units deactivate in later 1999)
Peru: 30 units (8 units resold to Angola)
United Kingdom: 130 units
Venezuela: 31 units

[edit] Specifications (standard EMB 312)

Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C of 750 shp
Propeller: three-bladed
Maximum speed: 448 km/h
Cruise speed: 319 km/h
Top altitude: 9144 m
Maximum range: 2055 km
Wingspan: 11.14 m
Length: 9.89 m
Weight: 1810 kg
Maximum takeoff weight: 3175 kg
Weapons: 4 underwing pylons, 12.7mm machine guns, rockets and bombs may be loaded.