First KC-390 series production airlifter takes to the skies.

Embraer achieved another important milestone today with the completion of the maiden flight of the first series production multi-mission medium airlift KC-390. As agreed with the Brazilian Air Force, the aircraft will now join the flight test campaign, in which more than 1,900 flight hours have already been logged. Civil certification of the basic aircraft will be granted by Brazilian aviation authority ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil) and is expected to be achieved very soon.

First KC-390 Series Production Aircraft performing its maiden flight
(Credit: Embraer)

“Today we celebrate another important milestone into the production of the KC-390”, said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “This aircraft combines outstanding flexibility with superior performance and productivity”. Embraer´s KC-390 is a tactical transport aircraft designed to set new standards in its category while presenting the lowest life-cycle cost of the market. It can perform a variety of missions such as cargo and troop transport, troop and cargo air delivery, aerial refueling, search and rescue and forest fire fighting.

The KC-390 is a tactical transport aircraft developed to establish new standards in its category while presenting the lowest life cycle cost on the market. It is capable of carrying out various missions, such as transporting cargo, troops or paratroopers, aerial refueling, in addition to supporting humanitarian missions, search and rescue missions, medical evacuation and aerial firefighting. The KC-390 can transport up to 26 metric tons of cargo at a maximum speed of 470 knots (870 km/h), as well as operating in hostile environments, including unprepared or damaged runways.

This is a Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese) owned project, which hired Embraer in 2009 to develop the aircraft. The KC-390 test campaign is advancing in an extremely satisfactory way, meeting all aircraft requirements and validating all performance and capability objectives determined through the use of advanced engineering tools. Since the beginning of the flight test campaign, in October 2015, the KC-390 prototypes have demonstrated high rates of availability, accumulating more than 1,200 flight hours.