Embraer EMB 820C Navajo

Embraer · Brazil · first flew 1973 · light aircraft

The EMB 820C Navajo is the Brazilian licence-built version of the Piper PA-31 Navajo, assembled by Embraer to satisfy domestic demand for light twin-engine business and commuter aircraft.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.94 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Brazilian-built Piper Navajo under Embraer licence
Twin counter-rotating piston engines on low tapered wing
Distinctive Navajo nose with large windscreen

Identical in shape to the Piper Navajo — oval fuselage cross-section, twin wing-mounted engines, pointed nose — distinguished by Brazilian registration and Embraer placards.

Specifications

The Embraer EMB 820C Navajo has a length of 9.94 m (33 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.4 m (41 ft).
Its maximum speed is 365 km/h (227 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2 + 6 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Embraer signed a manufacturing licence with Piper in the early 1970s to produce several Piper types locally, including the Navajo as the EMB 820. Production ran through the 1970s, supplying Brazilian regional airlines, charter operators, and government users with a locally supported aircraft.

Variants

The EMB 820C was the main production variant; Embraer also produced the EMB 821 Carajá (Chieftain equivalent) as a stretched, higher-capacity version.

Where you'll see it

Widely used across Brazil in commuter, charter, and air taxi roles; military examples served in FAB liaison duties.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.