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Inside Embraer's KC-390 Tanker/Transport
Aviation Week ^ | 2/25/2011 | Graham Warwick

Posted on 02/25/2011 7:23:55 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki

Inside Embraer's KC-390 Tanker/Transport

Posted by Graham Warwick at 2/25/2011 1:50 PM CST

Embraer has frozen the configuration of its KC-390 tanker/transport and plans to begin the joint definition phase in May, after the Brazilian air force - which is paying for development - has made the final decisions on the major suppliers.

Photos and graphics: Embraer

Myself, Steve Trimble of Flightglobal and John Reed of military.com got a chance on Feb. 22 to look over the full-scale cabin mockup in Hangar X-30 at the air force's CTA (Comando-Geral de Technologia Aerospacial), adjacent to Embraer's plant in Sao Jose do Campos.

The KC-390 is a big aircraft; the biggest Embaer has designed and bigger than the aircraft it is being developed to compete against - Lockheed Martin's C-130J. The cargo compartment is 17.75m long, compared with 16.9m for the stretched C-130J-30; 3.45m wide (vs 3.12m); 2.9m high forward of the wing (vs 2.74m) and 3.2m aft of the wing to make it easier to load/unload vehicles via the ramp.

(Excerpt) Read more at aviationweek.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace; brazil; kc390; tanker

1 posted on 02/25/2011 7:24:01 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Looks like an old S-3 Viking on steroids.


2 posted on 02/25/2011 7:26:11 PM PST by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

That’s actually a good looking design. I like its lines.


3 posted on 02/25/2011 7:31:47 PM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: OldMissileer

It does an S-3 quality about it. The fuselage also reminds me a bit of the C-130 (save for the nose).


4 posted on 02/25/2011 7:32:28 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: avg_freeper

I agree. It is a sharp-looking craft.


5 posted on 02/25/2011 7:39:44 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Army Air Corps

Their is a lot of headroom in the cockpit to accommodate the new Brazilian “Carmen Miranda” Flight Helmet, which also contains crew snacks.


6 posted on 02/25/2011 9:57:30 PM PST by Kenny Bunk (Tell me the legal name of the man living in the White House.)
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To: Army Air Corps

I like it to, sharp looking bird. I’ll bet with the engines tucked in close to the fuselage and near the middle (fore-aft)... If it has decent sized control surfaces I’ll bet it can be pretty nimble. (low moments of inertia in pitch and roll)


7 posted on 02/25/2011 9:59:22 PM PST by ThunderSleeps (Stop obama now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: Kenny Bunk

Cost savings right there!


8 posted on 02/25/2011 10:18:43 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Army Air Corps
Say, we can put your four fried chickens and the coke on the "Carmen Miranda" Brazilian AF Helmet, too.

USAF designation: Helmet: Flight, MRE*, AntiScurvy

* Military Acronym (MILACRO) for "Meal Resistant to Elimination," yet another long-flight benefit to this overseas procurement.

9 posted on 02/26/2011 10:16:24 AM PST by Kenny Bunk (Tell me the legal name of the man living in the White House.)
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