EMB 712 Tupi was the Brazilian name of the Piper Archer II, and it was produced by Embraer under license from U.S. manufacturer.

Launched in Brazil in 1979, in 1980 it was considered the least expensive and simplest tour airplane in the country, besides being economical and providing a high level of security, which afforded it broad acceptance among air clubs and on the domestic market (145 units were produced). Its weight allowed for it to undertake semi-acrobatic maneuvers, such as the lazy eight, the wing-over, and the chandele, but it was limited as a training airplane, since it was not homologated for roll maneuvers. However, it was a very satisfactory tour plane, with its comfortable double cockpit and four seats.

The fuselage was of the monocoque type, with a primary structure made of aluminum alloy. Equipped with a semi-tapered wing, the EMB 712 Tupi single-engine plane could reach a speed of 207 km/h with its 180-HP Lycoming engine. Economical, it consumed only 1 liter of gasoline for every 8 kilometers flown.

Embraer Piper Partnership

With only five years of existence, Embraer was already considered a solid company in 1974. With 3,000 employees, it had three successful aircraft on the market: the Bandeirante, for civil aviation; the Xavante, for military purposes; and the Ipanema, designed for agricultural use. But there were other markets to be won: in 1973, Brazil ranked first in the Southern Hemisphere among the importers of light, small single-engine or twin-engine aircraft with up to ten seats, which at the time were in great demand by Brazilian companies for executive travel, especially those manufactured by U.S. outfit Piper Aircraft Corporation. It was predicted that by 1978, the Brazilian market would absorb about 3,000 light aircraft. It would take three to five years for Embraer to develop similar aircraft, taking into account the studies required to conceive, design, and manufacture them, etc., which required resources that were not available. To get around the issue, Embraer entered into negotiations with Piper to produce some of their aircraft under license in Brazil.

During the celebrations of Embraer's fifth anniversary, the company signed a cooperation agreement with Piper to develop, produce, and market their light aircraft. Shortly after the agreement was made formal, the Brazilian government raised the import taxes for foreign light airplanes from 7% to 50%.

Initially, Embraer would manufacture only two aircraft, the twin-engine EMB 820 Navajo (Piper Navajo Chifetais) and the EMB 810 Seneca (Piper Seneca III). However, as early as 1974, the manufacturing of the single-engine EMB 720 Minuano (Cherokee Six) was also incorporated into Embraer's production line. That same year, the Company hired Neiva to produce the EMB 710 Carioca (Cherokee 235 Pathfinder) and EMB 711 Corisco (Cherokee Arrow II), all of Piper.

The five aircraft were presented officially on June 17, 1975, and during the event an EMB 710 Brazilian Carioca was raffled among air clubs, aimed at honoring these groups' activities. The winner was the Bragança Paulista Air Club. From 1976 to 1984, three more light aircraft were rolled-out: Tupi (Piper Archer II), Sertanejo (Cherokee Lance), and Carajá, the latter being an updated version of the Navajo, for a total of eight light aircraft.

In 1978, Embraer went on to produce the planes locally, with parts and components made in Brazil, except for a few items, and, in 1984, the entire light aircraft production line was transferred to Neiva, in Botucatu, State of São Paulo.

Light aircraft production went beyond expectations, since a total of 2326 Piper aircraft were delivered between 1975 and 2000.

Project name:	Tupi
Embraer Code:	EMB 712
Market niche:	Light Aviation
Launch:	1979
First sale:	1979
Production termination:	1992

DIMENSIONS
Length	7.50 m	24.60 ft
Height	2.43 m	7.97 ft
Wingspan	9.82 m	32.21 ft
PERFORMANCE
Top cruise speed	207 km/h	112 kt
Range	990 km	535 nm
Takeoff distance (top weight, sea level, ISA)	335 m	1100 ft
Landing distance (sea level, ISA)	256 m	840 ft
Powerplant	1 180-HP Lycoming Engine