In Brazil, in the late 1960s, the need to modernize agricultural techniques and to combat pests, such as “rust” in the coffee crop, were priorities for Ministry of Agriculture technicians. Despite advances in this area, there were not many options for aircraft specialized in spraying insecticides and fertilizers on the domestic market, since this was a technology that was only for hazardous situations.

In 1969, the Ministry of Agriculture contacted PAR (CTA Aircraft Department), because it was interested in developing crop dusting aircraft to replace the models being imported from the United States. There was already a cropduster designed and produced in Brazil, the SP-18 Onça from IPT, but it did not fit the needs of the moment.

The CTA negotiated with the Ministry of Agriculture, which decided to provide financing and studies for the new aircraft began. A draft of the aircraft was soon ready. It was named the Ipanema, in honor of the Historic Ipanema Farm, located between Iperó and Sorocaba (SP), which housed an agriculture aviation research center and school at the time, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The new aircraft would be a low-wing, single-engine plane made of aluminum plate alloys. A 260 HP engine and a high-performance propeller, manufactured by Hartzell, were chosen. The spray tank would be installed between the pilot and the engine. It would hold up to 580 liters (about 153 gallons), similar to two imported agricultural aircraft. The sprayers would be installed on the wings, and the cabin would be fully pressurized and insulated to prevent pilot intoxication. It would also be possible to fully disassemble the aircraft. This would ensure that after each operation a thorough cleaning could be performed thus preventing corrosion, which is a constant danger to aircraft that work with chemical products.

The plane would be equipped with several aerodynamic solutions to guarantee safety when flying low over crop canopies. In order to provide greater safety, if a collision were to occur with an obstacle, such as power lines, a steel blade capable of cutting cables and other objects would be positioned in front of the pilot's windshield and the landing gear's legs.

With the creation of Embraer in 1969, some of CTA's projects were transferred to the company. Embraer thus assumed development of the Ipanema, whose name was changed to the EMB 200. Ipanema’s first prototype flew on July 31, 1970. It was the second aircraft produced by Embraer, soon after the Urupema. In March 1971, Corsário de Aviação S.A. placed an order for ten aircraft. In December of that same year, the EMB 200 was officially approved. On February 11, 1972, the first Ipanema was delivered and put to work dusting coffee crops in Catanduva (SP).

In 1973, the Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement with Embraer to hold a course for agriculture mechanics at the Ipanema Farm. At the inauguration of the VII Agriculture Aviation Course and the I Agriculture Mechanics Course on August 6, 1973, the Ministry received five EMB 200 airplanes from Embraer to train crop duster pilots on. This was the first time domestic aircraft would be used for such courses.

In 1973, the National Monetary Council authorized the inclusion of agricultural aviation services in the Rural Credit Manual in order to make cropdusting more widespread in Brazil. On November 22 of that same year, Embraer delivered an Ipanema to Serviços Agro-Aéreos do Sul Ltda., making it the company’s100th airplane delivered on the Brazilian market. The aircraft also became a success beyond the country’s borders and accounted for a large share of Embraer’s sales in the 1970s. The first Ipanema to be exported went to Uruguay's Ministry of Agriculture, in 1975, and it also represented one of the company's first exports.

Despite its popularity, the Ipanema underwent several adjustments to improve its performance. Furthermore, in 1973 Embraer developed and launched a new version of the aircraft, the EMB 200A, with bigger wheels and constant speed propellers (variable pitch), without any alterations to the engine and hopper. In September 1974, Embraer launched the EMB 201 with a more powerful engine (300 HP), a tank that could hold 680 liters (180 gallon) of agricultural chemicals and an injection system that would prevent power losses during abrupt maneuvers at low altitudes.

After Embraer bought Neiva, the Ipanema began to be produced in Botucatu (SP), at Neiva’s headquarters. By 1984, 500 Ipanema airplanes had already been sold.

In the 1990s, the Ipanema project had to meet new agricultural demands in Brazil. Thus, a new version of the Ipanema was launched in 1992, the EMB 202, with a 950 liter (251 gallon) tank and an optional electrostatic spraying system. This option used technology from the United States, where every particle released by the spraying nozzles was electrically charged and thus attracted by the plant. This allowed for complete coverage of the product being applied, resulting in greater savings.

In 2002, while in search of new market opportunities, a new version of the EMB 202 was developed. It was equipped with a 320 HP engine and ran on ethanol, a fuel developed in Brazil and used by a large part of the nation’s automobiles. This new version, certified by the CTA in October 2004, was called the EMB 202A.

In 2005, the ethanol-fueled Ipanema won Scientific American’s 50 award, making it one of the 50 best inventions of that year worldwide as judged by this respected magazine. Also in 2005, the Ipanema won two other awards – the prestigious Flight International Aerospace Industry Award, in the General Aviation category, and the Gerdau Group’s Melhores da Terra (Best on Earth), awarded in Brazil.

In 2003, Embraer delivered its 900th Ipanema; by that time this aircraft represented approximately 85% of the domestic fleet of agricultural aircuraft. In 2005, the 1000th Ipanema was delivered, in its EMB 202A version. On April 7, 2010, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Ipanema’s first flight, Embraer delivered its 1100th Ipanema to Foliar Aviação Agrícola Ltda., in the state of Tocantins. It is the only aircraft that the company has continually manufactured since it was founded.

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Versions

EMB 200 – equipped with a Lycoming O-540-H2B5D, 260 HP, 2700 RPM (sea level) engine and fixed pitch propeller. Hopper with capacity for 580 liters (153 gallons). First flight: July 31, 1970.

EMB 200A – launched in 1973, it only underwent changes to its wheels, which were larger, and propellers, which were constant speed (variable pitch).

EMB 201 – launched in 1974, it has a more powerful 300 HP engine and a hopper with capacity for 680 liters (180 gallons). It has an injection system in order to prevent power loss during sudden maneuvers at low altitudes.

EMB 201A – launched in 1977, it has a new wing profile with significant improvement in aircraft performance.

EMB 201R – launched in 1976, this special model was created to pull gliders; it has the same characteristics as the EMB 201A, but without the hopper.

EMB 202 – launched in 1992, with a 950 liter (251 gallon) hopper, and an optional electrostatic spraying system.

EMB 202A – ethanol-fueled version, equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-K1J5, 320HP, 2700RPM, 6 cylinder engine. Hopper capacity is the same as the previous version.

Product Name	Ipanema
Embraer Code	EMB 200
Market niche	Agriculture
Project Start	1969
1st Flight	July 31, 1970
Certifications	Officially approved by the CTA on 12/15/1971
1st Delivery	2/11/1972 - Empresa Corsário de Aviação S.A.

DIMENSIONS
Length	7,43 m	24,38 ft
Height	2,20 m	7,22 ft
Span	11,20 m	36,75 ft
PERFORMANCE
Maximum cruise speed	209 km/h	113 kt
Range	770 km	416 nm
Take off distance (maximum weight, sea level, ISA)	360 m (ground run)	1,181 ft
Landing Field Length (sea level, ISA)	226 m (ground run)	742 ft
Engine Group	Lycoming O-540-H2B5D. 260 HP. 2700 RPM	Lycoming O-540-H2B5D. 260 HP. 2700 RPM
Product tank capacity (hopper)	580 liters / 550 kg	153 US Gal / 1213 lb