Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia Prototype Makes Its First Flight

• Embraer's history page says the EMB 120 grew out of work begun in 1974 on a pressurised turboprop for regional airlines, first called Araguaia and renamed Brasilia when the project was formally launched in 1979^[1]
• The polished-aluminium prototype was presented and christened on 29 July 1983 in front of international press, airlines and component makers, and Embraer's page lists that date as first flight; Simple Flying and Wikipedia put the maiden flight on 27 July 1983. Embraer received a Brazilian marketing association award for the launch that December^[1][2][3]
• It was the first aircraft to fly with the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW115 engines of 1,500 shp with Hamilton Standard propellers, giving a cruise above 500 km/h with air conditioning and low noise and vibration^[1]
• Other references date the maiden flight 27 July 1983; production began at the end of 1984, the Brazilian CTA certified the type in May 1985 and Atlantic Southeast Airlines of Atlanta took the first delivery in 1985^[1][2][4]

Notable features

• Capacity: 30 passengers; crew of two; length 20 m, wingspan 19.78 m, height 6.35 m^[1]
• Power: two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118B turboprops of 1,800 hp each in the production -120 (the prototype flew with 1,500 shp PW115s)^[1]
• Performance (Embraer): maximum cruise 584 km/h, range 1,481 km, take-off distance 1,560 m, landing distance 1,380 m^[1]
• Aeropedia lists maximum cruise 556 km/h at 22,000 ft, ceiling 9,753 m and loaded weight 11,500 kg for the production EMB 120ER^[4]