The first serial production KC-390, Embraer’s military transport jet, has successfully completed its maiden flight.
The aircraft, which is for the Brazilian Air Force, 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.
Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security said, “Today we celebrate another important milestone into the production of the KC-390. This aircraft combines outstanding flexibility with superior performance and productivity”.
The KC-390 is a tactical transport aircraft designed to 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.
Development of the KC-390 started in 2006 and has suffered several setbacks extending the development and testing time. Most recently in May 2018, a prototype KC-390 left the runway and crashed.
