The EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft project started even before the creation of Embraer, when in 1965, the IPD (Institute of Research and Development)—a department of the CTA (Aerospace Technical Center)—re-launched an old aircraft project, then called IPD-6504 (because it was the fourth project of 1965), in accordance with the specifications ordered by the Ministry of Aeronautics. In June 25, 1965, the development of the project was given the go-ahead by the Castelo Branco government.

It was Colonel Paulo Victor, the CTA director at the time, who christened the IPD-6504 aircraft “Bandeirante.” The moniker was symbolically loaded, harking back to the idea of the Bandeirantes (trailblazers) as pioneers of national integration.

It used to take five years and a great deal of investment to go from designing to manufacturing an airplane prototype, taking into consideration the restrictive political and economic outlook Brazil was going through in the mid-1960s. Despite that, the first Bandeirante prototype was built in three years and four months after its project was approved. On October 22, 1968, the Bandeirante took its first test flight.

On August 19, 1969, Embraer was set up, at first just to serially manufacture the Bandeirante aircraft, then named EMB-100. On January 2, 1970, Embraer began to operate, and was able to take over the production of the aircraft. Despite the aircraft’s good performance, some changes were proposed, and its final version, called EMB 110 Bandeirante, was larger—with 12 seats in the military version—and it had some additional technical advances when compared with the first prototypes. With the necessary adjustments, serial manufacturing started in 1971.

In 1977, Embraer introduced a new version of the aircraft, the EMB 111, known in Brazil as “Bandeirulha,” an adapted version of the Bandeirante meant to develop missions of maritime information, search and rescue. It was designed to fill a need of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which sought to replace the old Neptune P-15 airplanes.

The first delivery of this version was to the Chilean Navy in 1977. FAB received its units on April 11, 1978, at the Salvador Air Base. In the same year, the aircraft was publicly introduced during the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the most important aviation tradeshows in the world, held in England.

The version has calibration to aid navigation and capacity for up to five passengers—two pilots, a radar operator and two observers. Equipped with two 750-SHP Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turboprop engines, it can reach a cruising speed of 385 km/h (239 mph). Its fuel tank has greater capacity than the conventional Bandeirante, and so it therefore has greater flight range.

The nose of the Bandeirante was modified and covered with fiberglass radomes to protect the antenna of its AN/APS-128 radar, used for coastal surveillance, search, rescue, navigation and support in the development of weather charts. The radar is capable of detecting a target of 150 m² (95 miles) about 100 kilometers (63 miles) away, even in rough seas. These features were essential on one of the first assignments of the Bandeirulha for FAB: to hunt for illegal fishing boats out in the lines of fish schools on the north coast of Brazil. For night searches, the Bandeirulha has a powerful headlight on its right wing.

At the time of its launch, one its major selling points was its electronic equipment, which allowed automatic control and other advantages that no other similar aircraft in its class had.

Product Name	Bandeirante Patrulha
Embraer Code	EMB 111
Market Niche	Defense Market
Start of the Project	June 1, 1973
Maiden Flight	August 1, 1977
Rollout	June 30, 1977
First Delivery	FAB: 1977
Other Clients	Chilean Navy: 1978
Other References	FAB nicknamed the Bandeirante Patrulha “Bandeirulha”.

DIMENSIONS
Length	14,91 m	48,9 ft
Height	4,83 m	15,8 ft
Span	15,95 m	52,3 ft
PERFORMANCE
Maximum cruise speed	393 km/h	727 kt
Powerplant	Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 com 750 hp	Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 with 750 hp