Embraer KC-390 Millennium

Published on May 21, 2013

The KC-390 is the largest airplane ever built by the Brazilian aeronautics industry and will set a new standard for medium-sized military transport aircraft in terms of performance and payload capacity. With its 23-ton capacity and a maximum cruising speed of 465 knots (860 km/h), the KC-390 will provide significant mobility gains for its operators and considerably reduce mission time.

View: http://youtu.be/N6OZTF-Q8Fo
 
AeroFranz said:
...
Also, do you know of other aircraft featuring internal movable pressure bulkheads?
Click to expand...

It's a simple question with a simply answer: Il-76, An-70, An-178
 
so the tail cone is not pressurized, the seal being formed by this movable bulkhead?
 
I thought initially they might have meant that the hingeline of the swing-down bulkhead could be moved fore and aft, but I think it's fixed in position which makes the design similar to that of the Il-76 et al.

This diagram shows how much space is lost as a result; nearly six metres of the aft compartment cannot be pressurized assuming the bulkhead is where AvWeek noted ( the 12.68 metre position ).

EMBRAER are also very coy about showing aft views of the renderings but it looks like it is the Soviet pattern of clamshell doors and ramp ( see second image, which matches the mockup in the AvWeek article ). In 2014 it seems very archaic to have adopted this arrangement instead of pressure-sealing rear ramps. Any good images of the aft fuselage built by Aero to confirm / deny?

And I see they adopted the 'C-17 tail' too - seems to be a fad at the moment with airlifters.
 

Attachments

  • KC390_internal_dimenions.jpeg
    KC390_internal_dimenions.jpeg
    23.5 KB · Views: 200
  • KC-390_clamshell_hingeline.JPEG
    KC-390_clamshell_hingeline.JPEG
    30.3 KB · Views: 178
Coming closer to an end !

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/farnborough-air-show/2014-07-16/embraer-kc-390-takes-shape-first-flight-approaches

Embraer’s bid to enter the miltary airlifter/tanker market is taking shape, with first flight of the KC-390 scheduled for before year end. Brazil has committed to the new aircraft for its military, and the prototype wears the livery of the host country’s air force.
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

  • KC-390 prototype - July 2014 - 1.jpg
    KC-390 prototype - July 2014 - 1.jpg
    571 KB · Views: 150
;) The wings are on !

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-first-kc-390-gets-wings-on-assembly-line-404093/
 

Attachments

  • KC-390 + wings - 23.9.14.jpg
    KC-390 + wings - 23.9.14.jpg
    48.5 KB · Views: 341
;)
 

Attachments

  • KC-390 + paint - 12.10.14.jpg
    KC-390 + paint - 12.10.14.jpg
    175.6 KB · Views: 229
Those cockpit windows are HUGE!


Even fully appreciating the fact that the size of the KC-390 approximates (actually exceeds) that of a standard-length C-130, those windows still alter the scale of the aircraft in my mind's eye.
 
They look much larger than the published renders earlier in this thread. Sounds like they changed late in the design process.
 
Ah, I see what's going on. The frame around the glazing is much more prominent than in the renders, which makes the glass look bigger than it really is.
 
Two interesting images I found related to the KC-390 ... the first an older CG showing something like a Litening-pod under forward fuselage :eek: ... is this indeed possible ? ... and second a nice comparison.
 

Attachments

  • KC-390 CG.jpg
    KC-390 CG.jpg
    92.2 KB · Views: 334
  • Military transports comparison.jpg
    Military transports comparison.jpg
    58.2 KB · Views: 405
It's an official Embraer image, so presumably it is possible. It's part of a proposed Search and Rescue configuration (see the pallet on the ramp marked SAR).
 
Pretty spiffy lowrider tow frame thing used for the rollout. I guess it's an electric tow tug?
 
Electric and remote controlled (you can see the guy with the controls walking alongside in some shots.) Seems to be from a company called Mototok
http://www.mototok.com/media-selector.php?session-mediatype=1
 
We have one of those at our company, they're pretty nice, and yes, they're either radio controlled or there's a remote connected by cable to the motorized platform.


Regarding the very interesting price comparison chart, the KC-390 is a very obvious outlier. I'm sure Embraer will take advantage of their commercial aircraft building practices, but their figure looks very optimistic.
 
From the company website, here's another example of the tug (Twin 6500 AC-AD Flat):
mototok-twin-flat-with-helicopter-nh90-thumb.jpg


There is also a dedicated military version (for FOLs and the like?):
twin-6500-flat-for-military-thumb.jpg
 
The Embraer KC-390 made its first flight today on 3 February 2015. :D
Edit:
São José dos Campos - SP, February 3, 2015 - Embraer today successfully performed the first flight of the new military transport and aerial refueling jet, the KC-390. Test pilots Mozart Louzada and Marcos Salgado de Oliveira Lima and flight test engineers Raphael Lima and Roberto Becker flew the aircraft for 1 hour and 25 minutes, conducting an evaluation of flying qualities and performance.[...]
Click to expand...

Links:
http://airheadsfly.com/2015/02/03/promising-brazilian-airlifter-tanker-makes-first-flight/
https://twitter.com/EmbraerSA/status/562608415177179136
http://www.embraer.com/en-US/ImprensaEventos/Press-releases/noticias/Pages/Embraer-realiza-com-sucesso-o-primeiro-voo-do-transporte-militar-KC390.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.635390829899751.1073741887.275470169225154&type=1

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-kc-390-takes-maiden-flight-408635/

Pictures, Video and more Info will be probably posted later on. ;) :)


Edit:
Teaser:
http://youtu.be/z9PyzEbU8AI
Code: 
http://youtu.be/z9PyzEbU8AI


Edit2:
First Flight KC-390 - Video from Embraer's YouTube-Channel
Gavião Peixoto - SP, February 3, 2015 - Embraer today successfully performed the first flight of the new military transport and aerial refueling jet, the KC-390. Test pilots Mozart Louzada and Marcos Salgado de Oliveira Lima and flight test engineers Raphael Lima and Roberto Becker flew the aircraft for 1 hour and 25 minutes, conducting an evaluation of flying qualities and performance.
Click to expand...
http://youtu.be/rxRDSB7rPnQ
Code: 
http://youtu.be/rxRDSB7rPnQ
 

Attachments

  • Embraer KC-390 first Flight 03Feb2015.jpg
    Embraer KC-390 first Flight 03Feb2015.jpg
    124.8 KB · Views: 662
  • Embraer KC-390 first Flight 03Feb2015_01.jpg
    Embraer KC-390 first Flight 03Feb2015_01.jpg
    168.5 KB · Views: 738
Nice new promo video of the Embraer KC-390:



www.youtu.be/agw53YqYaoo
Code: 
www.youtu.be/agw53YqYaoo
 
Since this is an actual aircraft program now, shouldn't this be moved to the Aerospace section now? Just asking. :)
 
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-kc-390-to-rival-turboprops-in-canadian-fwsar-420304/
 
No word on the extent of damage as yet, but no airplane ever looks its best when you start covering it with tarps and obscuring its branding...

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-kc-390-runway-excursion-in-gaviao-pe-448359/Flight International - Embraer reports KC-390 runway excursion in Gaviao Peixoto
by Stephen Trimble - 5 May 2018
Embraer’s first KC-390 flight test aircraft ran off the runway during a ground test in Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil, on 5 May, the company says.

The crew of the aircraft exited the aircraft without injury, the company adds.

Embraer has started an investigation to understand what led to the runway excursion. The company also reported the incident to CENIPA, the aircraft accidents investigation and prevention bureau of the Brazilian air force.

Gaviao Peixoto is Embraer's military aircraft production and flight test centre deep in the interior of Sao Paulo state. The airport boasts the longest, publicly accessible runway in the Americas, measuring 4,970m (16,300ft).

The extent of any damage to the KC-390 was not immediately available. . . .
** COMPLETE STORY LINKED ABOVE TITLE **
Click to expand...

Here is video of the aircraft at rest posted to YouTube (h/t Alert 5) by Robert Caiafa. Given the aerial view, it looks like the crew had quite a ride. Great to hear no one came to any harm.

YouTube - Robert Caiafa - Protótipo 001 da aeronave KC-390 sai da pista.
 
Last edited:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-kc-390-successfully-completes-troop-unloadin-453826/
 
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/12/17/boeing-embraer-agree-to-kc-390-joint-venture/
 
I imagine a sizable marketing push is soon to come, given that up until recently Boeing was reluctant to get further invested in KC-390 without more signs of sales potential in the US. It shall be interesting to see how it develops.
 
Moose said:
I imagine a sizable marketing push is soon to come, given that up until recently Boeing was reluctant to get further invested in KC-390 without more signs of sales potential in the US. It shall be interesting to see how it develops.
Click to expand...

I would think it would be a shoe-in as a KC-130 replacement. (Though I wonder if it's got as good as low-speed ability to deal with refueling CH-53s and V-22s. )
 
I see more the 390 being used for special missions like drone carrier and retrieval or MEDEVAC back to CONUS
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom