Embraer KC-390

[Sparkplug]

PICTURES: Rheinmetall selected as KC-390 training provider

By Beth Stevenson, London | 15 April 2016

Embraer has selected German company Rheinmetall to develop the training system for its developmental KC-390 transport, under a deal potentially worth at least €100 million ($112 million).

Announced by Rheinmetall in April, the framework agreement will see the company provide a full suite of training equipment over a 10-15 year period, which it expects will result in sales worth "well over" €100 million.

Training for cargo handling, procedures and maintenance, plus flight and mission training, will be provided. Rheinmetall will draw upon its experience in providing the cargo hold simulator for the Airbus Defence & Space A400M for the project.

"We look forward to building on our recent fruitful co-operation with Rheinmetall and are confident that our partnership will result in a first-class KC-390 training media suite that will definitely contribute to the overall success of the KC-390 programme," Jackson Schneider, president and chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security, says.

The aircraft is undergoing flight testing, with certification expected by the end of 2017 and deliveries starting in 2018. The photos below, taken in early March near the airframer's São José dos Campos facility, show the prototype carrying out flight trials under the observation of the Brazilian air force.





All pictures: Brazilian air force

The Brazilian air force has 28 of the type on order, and Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Portugal have all expressed their intent to order the KC-390, Flightglobal's Fleets Analyzer shows.

Embraer told Flightglobal in March the single flying prototype had completed 100h. A second test aircraft is in final assembly and is due to join the certification effort in mid-2016.



https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-rheinmetall-selected-as-kc-390-training-pr-424249/

[andré herc]

Embraer's delayed military cargo jet on schedule now - exec
SANTIAGO, MARCH 29 | BY ROSALBA O'BRIEN AND FELIPE ITURRIETA
The development of a key military cargo plane by Brazilian planemaker Embraer is progressing on schedule, a company executive said, although he suggested that a delay last year had upset some potential customers.

The large KC-390 cargo aircraft has been developed by Embraer as a direct challenge to Lockheed Martin Corp's Hercules airlifter, promising a jet that flies higher, fuller and faster, at a lower price.

But last year, amidst a slumping economy, government spending cuts forced Embraer into delaying development of the plane, and it said it would deliver its first order to the Brazilian military in 2018 rather than 2016.

"There is no talk of another delay today," the CEO of Embraer's defense arm, Jackson Schneider, told Reuters at the FIDAE airshow in Chilean capital Santiago on Tuesday.

"We have done more than 150 hours of flight, the second prototype should fly in two or three weeks," he said, adding that certification should take place "towards the end of 2017".
Voor meer zie link
http://www.reuters.com/article/chile-airshow-embraer-idUSL5N17204A

[Sparkplug]

[Ace1]

Embraer Readies Second KC-390 For Test Effort

Testing of Embraer's KC-390 tanker-transport is poised to accelerate to new levels with the introduction of a 7second aircraft and the start of a broad series of mission evaluations designed to finalize the aircraft's aerodynamic lines.

Despite a 265-day hiatus in flight tests (related to Brazil's budget issues) following its first flight in February 2015, the prototype has been flying at a high tempo since returning to the air last Oct. 26. "We are getting good reliability in the flight-test campaign. In January we flew more than 50 hr. in one month," says Alexandre De Pol Fernandes, KC-390 senior program manager. "We have more than 130 flight hours amassed over the first four months. In terms of the aircraft's high availability we are logging an unprecedented flight rate for a prototype," he adds.

Since completing an initial airworthiness evaluation on the first sortie last year, Embraer launched immediately into envelope expansion when flights resumed. "We have achieved Mach 0.8, which is a very important milestone for us, and it is cleared to 36,000 ft. We are also evaluating all the aircraft systems, and have done inflight engine start and auxiliary power unit starts. We have also completed flap/slat configuration tests," says Fernandes.

The latter tests are critical to the KC-390's slow speed performance for both short-field capability and air-drop missions, adds Fernando Fialho, KC-390 program strategy manager. "This is very different from most other aircraft. We have a continuous double-flap segment with a fixed vane and can put flaps in discrete one-by-one degree positions."

The flaps can be positioned from 0-40 deg., "which enables a wide variety of military operations such as gravity air drop, in which you need to put the aircraft in a nose-up attitude," says Fialho. "We need to fly at fixed speed and altitude but at various weights. If you are heavier you need more flap. The ability to have such a large flap deflection also improves takeoff performance," he adds.

The second KC-390 prototype has been rolled out and is being prepared for its first flight, which is "scheduled to happen over [this] month, maybe around the end of March or beginning of April," says Jackson Schneider, president of Embraer Defense & Security. "The second aircraft is almost ready for flight and the timing depends on ground vibration tests," adds Fernandes. The aircraft will be used for load validation tests and, other than minor differences in test equipment, is configured identically to the prototype.

"The main point for flight testing this year is to freeze the aerodynamics. To get there we have a lot of tests and some coordinated missions during the certification process, the first of which is in March," says Fernandes. The test matrix, which will involve extensive participation from the Brazilian air force and army, includes air drops, paratroop deployment evaluation, parachute stability for the cargo-handling and air delivery systems and air refueling. The latter will be focused on stability of the trailing hose from the Cobham-supplied 912E wing air-refueling pod.

Production at Embraer's facility in Gaviao Peixoto is picking up the pace;  completion. This aircraft, dubbed 801, will be used for static tests with the next in line, 802, due to handle fatigue tests. "The static [aircraft] is in final assembly and will be ready early [in March]," says Fernandes who adds that suppliers have begun work on long lead items for the first production aircraft. Embraer is also assembling a full cockpit section for use in bird-strike certification tests.

"We are making best efforts to keep on plan to be ready to enter initial service [in] September 2017, and receive final certification in the third quarter of 2018," says Fernandes. Deliveries of the first of 28 KC-390s to the Brazilian air force are set to begin in the first half of 2018. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Portugal have signed declarations of intent for 32 additional aircraft, all of which remain active.

Efforts are also underway to market the aircraft for Canada's Fixed-Wing Search-And-Rescue (FWSAR) program. Despite emerging as a late entrant with the KC-390, Embraer believes the multi-utility transport compares favorably with the C-295 offered by Airbus and the C-27C proposed by Finmeccanica. To bolster its bid, Embraer has assembled a few Canadian partners that it declines to name at this time. "We have some companies teaming with us, and we picked the best," says Schneider.

The company believes the high transit speeds of the jet-powered KC-390 will give the aircraft an edge in the contest, enabling it to reach target areas for SAR missions in half the time of turboprops, depending on the distance. The role of SAR was "considered from scratch" in the baseline design, as it was one of the Brazilian air force requirements," adds Schneider. Despite the overall slide in the KC-390 program because of Brazil's fiscal distress, he says: "We will totally meet the conditions to deliver the aircraft." The mission is currently performed by six de Havilland Canada CC-115s and 13 Lockheed Martin CC-130s.

http://aviationweek.com/defense/embraer-readies-second-kc-390-test-effort

[Harald]

KC-390 Has Surpassed the 100 Flight Hour Mark

The first prototype of the new Embraer KC-390 jet transport aircraft has logged more than 100 flight hours since resumed its flight test program in October 2015. A second prototype will fly in the first half of this year.

The Brazilian manufacturer says it is on the path to certification in the second half of 2017, with first deliveries to the Brazilian Air Force in 2018, two years later than originally planned due to an interruption of flight testing because of pressures on government budgets in the wake of Brazil's economic crisis.

"We are happy with the aircraft, which had good availability for the tests, sometimes making two flights a day," said vice president Paul Gaston Silva. "The plane is behaving very well and we were able to cover the entire flight envelope. We tested speed limits, Mach number and altitude, and tested all positions of slats, flaps and landing gear. We also made an on-board shutdown, with engine and APU restart. We can confirm all our predictions for the flying qualities and performance."

The Brazilian Air Force plans to purchase 28 units. He declined to comment on Embraer's ongoing campaign to interest other countries, but said that the statements of intention of five foreign partners (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic for 32 additional aircraft remain intact. Embraer also recently joined the bidding in Canada.

According to Silva, there are good prospects for the KC-390 in the Asia-Pacific market. "It is a multi-mission aircraft and so is suitable for many missions, including transport and aerial refueling. It can carry all kinds of cargo, including vehicles and helicopters, and is very competitive in terms of life cycle costs."

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/171435/kc_390-passes-100-flight-hour-mark.html

[Ace1]

Embraer KC-390 to rival turboprops in Canadian FWSAR comp

Embraer will put forward an ambitious bid to replace Canada's antiquated fixed-wing search-and-rescue fleets, offering its in-development KC-390 military transport for the role.

The Brazilian manufacturer says the KC-390 is "ideally suited" for the mission, currently performed by six de Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo and 13 Lockheed Martin CC-130 Hercules aircraft.

Operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force, the fleet operations range from the US border to the Arctic circle. The 48-year-old, short-takeoff DHC-5 supports operations in Canada's mountainous western regions, while the modestly younger C-130s are on the East Coast.

Canada has not mandated a certain number of aircraft, and will even accept mixed-fleet proposals. The government reportedly expects a contract award in 2016 and final delivery by 2023.

This puts the squeeze on Embraer, which expects to certify the KC-390 in 2017 with first deliveries in 2018. "We don't see any issue to comply with the delivery schedule," the company says, while declining to reveal the quantity of aircraft offered.


Embraer 390 in search-and-rescue livery.

The aircraft will not need significant modification, Embraer says, and it already comes standard with electro-optical/infrared and radar sensors, as required.

"We believe that we can offer the best solution for Canada by fully meeting the operational needs," a company spokesman tells Flightglobal. "The KC-390 . . . was designed to perform SAR missions in the most demanding environments since its conceptual stage."

Embraer confirms it will respond to the government's FWSAR request for proposals issued in March, which closes January 11. That makes Embraer the third company to confirm its bid for the long-running procurement, putting the KC-390 against the Airbus C295 and Alenia Aermacchi C-27J turboprops.

Lockheed declined to reveal its intent, but could offer the C-130J. "Out of respect for our customer's competitive tender, Lockheed Martin will not provide comments on the fixed-wing search-and-rescue RFP," a spokeswoman for the incumbent says this week.

Embraer has been considering its participation for some time, and promoted the KC-390 alternative at the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa last month.

The medium twin-turbofan tanker-transport is being developed for the Brazilian Air Force, and offers long-range, high-speed operations with fly-by-wire controls.

"We have to highlight the ability of the KC-390 to go further, much faster, and to stay longer on the scene" compared to its rivals, the spokesman says. "This will be key to dramatically increasing the probability of saving lives."

The long-delayed FWSAR acquisition was initiated in 2002 and has experienced repeated delays and setbacks ever since. The aircraft would be stationed at bases across Canada, operating alongside the nation's rotary-wing search-and-rescue assets.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-kc-390-to-rival-turboprops-in-canadian-fwsar-420304/

[Ace1]

An infographic showing how the KC-390 compares with its closest competitors

http://www.janes.com/article/55965/embraer-to-integrate-rockwell-collins-chadcs-on-kc-390s

[Sparkplug]

Embraer to integrate Rockwell Collins' CHADCS on KC-390s

Daniel Wasserbly, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly | 12 November 2015

Embraer will outfit its Embraer KC-390 transport aircraft bound for the Brazilian Air Force with Rockwell Collins' Aerial Delivery Control System (CHADCS), the companies announced on 11 November.

CHADCS is used "to hold, monitor, and execute precision air drops of cargo, vehicles, and troops in a variety of tactical methods", Rockwell Collins said. It includes a loadmaster station and a network of lock control units and control panels to sense inputs, measure force, and activate and release locks.

Embraer has also chosen Rockwell Collins' Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system for the KC-390 programme. The Pro Line Fusion suite includes touchscreens to streamline navigation between displays, which can be done with a 'tap and drag' gesture or a trackball. The system's elements include a Head-up Guidance System (HGS) for eyes-forward flying and a display that integrates the terrain database with real-time flight information.

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(166 of 225 words)

http://www.janes.com/article/55965/embraer-to-integrate-rockwell-collins-chadcs-on-kc-390s

[Ace1]

Embraer announces two-year delay for KC-390

Embraer has delayed the certification for the KC-390 tanker-transport to the second half of 2017 and entry into service in 2018.

The disclosure in the company's second quarter earnings statement represents a delay of up to two years for the military aircraft.

Embraer completed a highly-publicized first flight of the KC-390 in Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil, last February, but it is not clear if the aircraft has made any other flights.

The Embraer news release now says that the flight test campaign for the KC-390 will begin in the third quarter and last 18-24 months.

Embraer has not yet disclosed how the delay will affect the cost of the development phase.

The Brazilian air force launched the KC-390 development programme in 2009, awarding Embraer a roughly $1.5 billion contract to build two prototypes.

The Brazilian air force also has ordered 28 KC-390s to replace a fleet of aging Lockheed Martin C-130s. Embraer also has received commitments from five more countries to build 32 more aircraft.

The KC-390 represents one of Embraer's most ambitious technology development programmes, but that's not what the company originally intended.

In 2006, Embraer had proposed a straightforward cargo derivative of the E-190 in response to possible interest from the Brazilian postal service.

But the Brazilian air force stepped in and demanded a new aircraft that could perform all the same missions as the C-130. That led to a clean-sheet design of Embraer's largest aircraft developed to date.

The aircraft includes a fly-by-wire flight control system, which is the first to be integrated with a flight control computer by Embraer from the launch of the programme. It is also powered by a pair of International Aero Engines V2500s and features a Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion avionics system.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-announces-two-year-delay-for-kc-390-415195/

[andré herc]

Embraer eyeing slowdown of KC-390 program if Brazil cannot pay

SAO PAULO, April 30

(Reuters) - Embraer SA has to consider slowing down development of the KC-390 military cargo jet if the Brazilian Air Force, which is funding the program, does not catch up on late payments, Chief Executive Officer Frederico Curado said on a Thursday conference call.

The Brazilian government has fallen behind on around $300 million in payments on defense contracts due to efforts to shore up the federal budget, hurting Embraer's first-quarter earnings, which were released earlier in the day. (Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

reuters.com

[Ace1]

[Ace1]

Zo af toe kun je niet alles hebben, maar komt het uiteindelijk toch goed.  

Maak mij niet uit het nieuws plaats, vindt de KC-390 een mooie kist en wat mij betreft koopt de Klu er ook 4 of 5 stuks van en in ruil daarvoor besteld Brazilie wat schepen in Vlissingen.

[Lex]

Overigens gebruikt de KC-390 de motoren van de A320.

Niet helemaal correct; de motoren zijn aangepast aan de configuratie van de KC-390.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Ik zat de afgelopen dagen al te zoeken naar nieuws daarover de eerste vlucht stond namelijk begin januari gepland

Toch maar een Twitter account aanmaken... 

[Lex]

Ik zat de afgelopen dagen al te zoeken naar nieuws daarover de eerste vlucht stond namelijk begin januari gepland

Zo af toe kun je niet alles hebben, maar komt het uiteindelijk toch goed.