EMB 120 Brasilia

Embraer · Brazil · first flew 1983 · airliner

The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia is a 30-seat twin-turboprop regional airliner that established Embraer as a major force in the commuter market.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	20 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

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

Spot it by:

Low wing with wing-mounted props
Distinctive T-tail
Slim pointed nose

Recognise it by the low wing carrying the engines, a tall T-tail, and a slender pointed nose on a compact fuselage.

Specifications

The EMB 120 Brasilia has a length of 20 m (66 ft).
It has a wingspan of 19.8 m (65 ft).
Its maximum speed is 574 km/h (357 mph).
Typical crew: 2 flight crew.

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

History

First flown in 1983 and in service from 1985, the Brasilia paired a low wing carrying Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118 engines with a T-tail. It proved popular with US commuter carriers and saw 354 built before production ended in 2001.

Variants

The improved ER, advanced and combi versions offered greater range, more power and mixed passenger-cargo layouts. Dedicated cargo conversions extended the fleet's service life into freight operations.

Where you'll see it

While most heavily used in the Americas, the Brasilia appeared with European regional operators feeding traffic toward UK and continental hubs. It remained a recognisable commuter type on routes serving smaller regional UK airports through code-share feeders.

Related aircraft

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