The Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian
aerospace company. Family members include the ERJ 135, ERJ 140, and ERJ 145, as well
as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. The ERJ 145 is the largest
of the group. Each jet in the series is powered by two turbofan engines. The family's primary
competition comes from the Bombardier CRJ regional jets.
Development Early design
The ERJ 145 was launched at the Paris Airshow in 1989 as a stretched and turbofan-powered
modification of the EMB 120 Brasilia. Key components of this design included:
Straight wing Rear Fuselage-mounted engines
Range of 2500 km 75% parts commonality with the EMB 120.
Interim design
By 1990, Embraer engineers found that results from wind-tunnel testing were less than satisfactory,
and began considering a significantly different design from the EMB 120. The proposed modified
design included a slightly swept wing with winglets, as well as engines mounted in underwing
nacelles. This second design showed markedly better aerodynamic performance, but the combination
of swept wings and wing-mounted engines required an unusually high undercarriage.
Production design The design evolved until late 1991, at which
time it was frozen. Though the aircraft went through many alterations before it was finalized,
it did retain a few of the original influences of the EMB 120 such as the three abreast seating
configuration which was a similar configuration used for the Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector design
which never reached production. The key features of the production design included:
Rear fuselage-mounted engines Swept wings
"T"-tail configuration Range of 2500 km
The first design was intended to retain as much commonality as possible with the EMB
120. However, the aircraft has sold well thus overcoming the initial setbacks. Embraer delivered
892 units of all variants through 2006, and predicted that another 102 units would be
delivered in the 2007-2016 time period. Derivatives
The ERJ 140 is based on the ERJ 145 with 96% parts commonality and the same crew type rating.
The only significant changes are a shorter fuselage, a slightly derated engine and an
increased range. At launch, Embraer estimated the cost of an ERJ 140 to be approximately
US$15.2 million. The estimated cost of development of the ERJ 140 was US$45 million. The ERJ
135, with a service entry date of 1999, has 95% parts commonality with the ERJ 145, but
is 11.7 feet shorter. The ERJ 145 seats 50 passengers, the ERJ 140
seats 44, and the ERJ 135 seats 37. The ERJ 140 was designed with fewer seats in order
to meet the needs of some major United States airlines, which have an agreement with the
pilots' union to limit the number of 50-seat aircraft that can be flown by their affiliates.
In 2003, Embraer entered a partnership with the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation
of Harbin, China. The resulting company, Harbin Embraer, began producing the ERJ 145 for the
Chinese market by assembling complete knock down kits premanufactured by other worldwide
Embraer operations. Operations
The first flight of the ERJ 145 was on August 11, 1995, with the first delivery in December
1996 to ExpressJet Airlines. ExpressJet is the largest operator of the ERJ 145, with
270 of the nearly 1000 ERJ 145s in service. The second largest operator is American Eagle,
with 206 ERJ 145 aircraft. Chautauqua Airlines also operates 95 ERJ 145s through its alliances
with American Connection, Delta Connection, US Airways Express, and United Express.
By some accounts, the ERJ 145 has a cost of ownership of about $2,500,000 per year.
In March 2007 ExpressJet entered into a short-term agreement to operate some regional routes
for JetBlue Airways using its ERJ 145 aircraft. The ERJ 140 was introduced in September 1999,
first flew on June 27, 2000 and entered commercial service in July 2001. Envoy Air, the regional
jet subsidiary of American Airlines flying as American Eagle, operates the majority of
the ERJ 140s built, including the first to be delivered, N800AE. Chautauqua Airlines
also operate the ERJ 140. As of early 2005, 74 ERJ 140s had been delivered.
This version is marketed as ERJ 140, but on the company's internal documents and on Federal
Aviation Administration certification, the version is designated EMB 135KL.
Variants Civilian models
ERJ 135ER - Extended range, although this is the Baseline 135 model. Simple shrink of
the ERJ 145, seating thirteen fewer passengers, for a total of 37 passengers.
ERJ 135LR - Long Range - increased fuel capacity and upgraded engines.
ERJ 140ER - Simple shrink of the ERJ 145, seating six fewer passengers, for a total
of 44 passengers. ERJ 140LR - Long Range and upgraded engines.
ERJ 145STD - The baseline original, seating for a total of 50 passengers.
ERJ 145EU - Model for European market. Same fuel capacity as 145STD but an increased MTOW
19990 kg ERJ 145ER - Extended Range, although this
is the Baseline 145 model. ERJ 145EP - Same fuel capacity as 145ER but
an increased MTOW 20990 kg. ERJ 145LR - Long Range - increased fuel capacity
and upgraded engines. ERJ 145LU - Same fuel capacity as 145LR but
an increased MTOW 21990 kg. ERJ 145MK - Same fuel capacity, landing weight
and MTOW as in the 145STD, but a changed MZFW. ERJ 145XR - Extra-long Range in addition to
the two main larger capacity wing tanks, increased weight capacity, higher top speed and more
powerful engines. Legacy 600 - Business jet variant based on
the ERJ 135. Harbin Embraer ERJ145 - joint venture with
Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation The physical engines are the same, however,
the FADEC logic is what differs between the various models in regards to total thrust
capability. The extended range version, the ERJ 145ER,
has Rolls Royce AE 3007A engines rated at 31.3 kN(7036 lb) thrust, with the option
of more powerful AE 3007A1 engines. A, A1, A1P models are mechanically identical but
differ in thrust due to variations in FADEC software. The A1E engine, however, has not
only new software, but significantly upgraded mechanical components.
The long-range ERJ 145LR aircraft is equipped with Rolls Royce AE 3007A1 engines which provide
15% more power. The engines are flat rated at 33.1 kN thrust to provide improved climb
characteristics and improved cruise performance in high ambient temperatures.
The extra-long-range ERJ 145XR aircraft is equipped with Rolls-Royce AE 3007A1E engines.
The high performance engines provide lower specific fuel consumption and improved performance
in hot and high conditions. The engines also yield a higher altitude for one-engine-inoperable
conditions."[1] ExpressJet is the sole operator of the ERJ 145XR. February 2011 Embraer presented
its new EMB-145 AEW&C for India.
Despite the multiple variants, pilots need only one type rating to fly any variant of
the ERJ aircraft. Companies like American Eagle and ExpressJet Airlines utilize this
benefit with their mixed fleet of ERJ135ER/LR and ERJ145EPXR. Shared type ratings allows
operators to utilize a single pilot pool for any ERJ aircraft.
Military models C-99A - Transport model
EMB 145SA - Airborne Early Warning model EMB 145RS - Remote sensing model
EMB 145MP/ASW - Maritime patrol model Operators
Civilian operators In May 2011 a total of 990 ERJ 135145 remain
in service, with 5 further firm orders. Current major civilian operators include :
Aeroméxico Connect Africa World Airlines
Air France Régional Air Namibia
Envoy Air bmi Regional
Chautauqua Airlines China Eastern Airlines
China Southern Airlines City Airline
Delta Connection Dniproavia
Eastern Airways ExcelAire
ExpressJet Airlines Luxair
NovoAir Passaredo
Portugália Airlines Privilege Style
Satena Solenta Aviation
South African Airlink Tianjin Airlines
Trans States Airlines Air Zimbabwe
Some 26 other airlines also operate the aircraft in smaller numbers.
Military operators
Angola Angolan Air Force
Belgium Belgian Air Component
Brazil Brazilian Air Force
Colombia Colombian Air Force
Ecuador Ecuadorian Air Force
Greece Hellenic Air Force
India Indian Air Force
Border Security Force Mexico
Mexican Air Force Panama
Panamanian Public Forces Thailand
Royal Thai Army Royal Thai Navy
Notable accidents The ERJ 145 family of aircraft has no reported
crashes or fatalities due to mechanical malfunction in over 15 million hours of flight time for
the fleet. On February 11, 1998 a Continental Express,
now United Express, ERJ 145ER tail number N14931 crashed in Beaumont, Texas on takeoff
during a training flight. NTSB reports that after the incorrect application of rudder
during a V1 cut maneuver, the left wing stalled. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. [2]
On December 28, 1998, a Rio-Sul pilot descended beyond the normal rates and landed at a speed
significantly higher than the normal landing speed. The aircraft tail section cracked and
was dragged along the runway. The airplane involved was PT-SPE, an ERJ 145ER and this
happened at Afonso Pena Airport, in Curitiba, Brazil. The airplane was damaged beyond economical
repair. On September 29, 2006, an ExcelAire Embraer
Legacy EMB 135BJ, Civil Registration N600XL, collided with Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight
1907, a Boeing 737-800, while flying over the northern state of Mato Grosso en route
to Manaus from São José dos Campos. The Legacy made an emergency landing at a military
airstrip at Cachimbo, Pará, Brazil, with minor damages and with its 5 passengers and
2 crew members uninjured. The Gol 737 crashed in the Amazon forest east of Peixoto de Azevedo,
killing all 148 passengers and 6 crew members. On 7 December 2009, an Embraer ERJ 135 operated
by South African Airlink on a scheduled flight SA-8625 from Cape Town, overshot the runway
when trying to land in wet weather at George Airport; no fatalities were reported. It was
determined that the aircraft touched down in the area of the fourth landing marker.
According to the air traffic controller on duty at the time, the landing appeared normal,
however the aircraft did not vacate the runway but instead veered to the right and went past
the ILS localizer. The aircraft collided with eleven approach lights before it burst through
the aerodrome perimeter fence coming to rest in a nose-down attitude on a public road.
The preliminary investigation showed the tyres did display some evidence of aquaplaning.
The plane was damaged beyond economical repair. On August 25, 2010, an ERJ 145 operated by
Passaredo, crashed on approach to Vitória da Conquista. The plane landed short of the
runway and the crew lost control, resulting in the aircraft sustaining severe damage before
coming to a stop away from the runway. Two of the 27 people on board were injured. The
airline said the plane was unable to lower landing gear, although observers said the
landing gear was lowered while the aircraft was landing.
On September 4, 2011, a United Express Embraer 145 slid off the runway upon landing at Ottawa
Macdonald-Cartier International in Ottawa, Canada. All 44 passengers aboard were uninjured.
The plane sustained substantial damage to its gear and wing on the righthand side. The
plane was damaged beyond economic repair. Specifications
See also
Related development Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia
Embraer Legacy 600 Embraer R-99 and P-99
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Bombardier CRJ100/200 Fairchild Dornier 328JET
VFW-Fokker 614 Yakovlev Yak-40
Embraer E-Jet family Related lists
List of civil aircraft References
Notes
Bibliography ERJ 145 information at Airliners.net
Embraer Legacy Super Mid-Size Corporate Jet AeroSpace Technology website
Information on Harbin Embraer EMB-145 Press Release for Rio-Sul Crash
Endres, Gunter and Gething, Mike.. Aircraft Recognition Guide,. New York: Harper Collins
Publishers. ISBN 0-00-713721-4 Aviation Week & Space Technology, 29 October
2007 issue, p. 66 New Embraer-145 AEWC for India
External links ERJ Family official site.