Today marks 45 years since the EMB111 Bandeirante Patrulha¹, “Bandeirulha”, P-95 in FAB, was introduced to the world!
The EMBRAER 111 is a 5-man aircraft designed for anti-submarine operations and maritime reconnaissance missions. The first mass-produced EMB 111 made its maiden flight in August 1977. On April 11, 1978 the first delivery of three units (from a total of 12 aircraft in the first order) was made to the 1st Squadron of the 7th Aviation Group, located in Salvador, Bahia.
In total, 29 aircraft were manufactured, 12 P-95A and 10 P-95B for the Brazilian Air Force, 6 P-95A for the Chilean Navy and one P-95A for Gabon. During the Falklands War, the Argentine Navy used two P-95As from the Brazilian Air Force under a lease agreement.
The Brazilian Air Force used the “Bandeirulha” (nickname received in the Air Force) in the following Aviation Groups: 1º/7º GAV – Orugan Squadron – Salvador (BA) and 4º/7º GAV – Cardeal Squadron – Santa Cruz (RJ), and still operates it in the 2º/7º GAV – Phoenix Squadron – Florianópolis (SC) and in the 3º/7º GAV – Netuno Squadron – Belém (PA), since 1977.
Another side of Bandeirante
The EMB 100 Bandeirante project, which began even before the birth of Embraer, provided the basis for the development of different aircraft, including the military variant EMB 111 “Bandeirante Patrulha,” nationally nicknamed “Bandeirulha”.
Presented in 1977, the aircraft was designed to carry out maritime classification, as well as search and rescue missions.
The aircraft was developed based on a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) need to replace old foreign models. The Chilean Navy took the first delivery of this variant in 1977. The FAB received its units on April 11, 1978, at the Salvador Air Base. That same year, the “Bandeirulha” was presented publicly during the Farnborough Air Show, which is one of the most important air shows in the world, held in England.
Bandeirante + Patrulha¹ = Bandeirulha
The Bandeirante Patrulha had navigation assistance calibration, with a capacity of up to five passengers – two pilots, one radar operator and two operators. Equipped with two 750 SHP Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turboprop engines, it could reach cruising speeds of 385 km / h. Its fuel tank was larger than that of the conventional Bandeirante, and therefore had greater range.
For the EMB 111 project, the aircraft’s nose was modified and covered with a fiberglass radome that protects the AN / APS – 128 radar antenna. The antenna was used for coastal surveillance, search, rescue, navigation, and support with the elaboration of meteorological charts. The radar was able to detect a 150-square-meter target about 100 kilometers away, even in rough seas. These characteristics were essential for one of FAB’s first “Bandeirulha” missions: discovering clandestine fishing boats off the north coast of Brazil. For night searches, the “Bandeirulha” also had a long-range headlamp on the right wing.
The technology on the aircraft was unprecedented for its time, and it offered other advantages no other aircraft in the category could.
| Technical Specifications | |
| Manufacturer: | Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. – EMBRAER – Brazil |
| Engine: | 2 turbo-prop Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34, 750 h.p.s. |
| Military Designation (FAB): | P-95A |
| Length: | 14,91 m |
| Wing Span: | 15.95 m |
| Height: | 4.83 m |
| Empty Weight: | 11,816 kg (ER version) and 11,808 kg (LR version) |
| Maximum Speed: | 393 km/h |
| Range: | 2.945 km |
| Armament: | 4 points under wings for 70mm SBAT rocket launchers (with seven rockets on each launcher) |
¹Patrulha = Patrol
Sources: Embraer and FAB (Brazilian Air Force)