The Family of Embraer ERJ 145 Regional Jets

640px-Bmi_embraer_erj145_g-rjxd_arp

The Embraer ERJ 145 family is a series of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company founded in 1969 with a current market cap of $7.13 billion. Family members include the ERJ 135, the ERJ 140, and the ERJ 145–the largest of the group–as well as the Legacy executive jet models and the R-99 family of military aircraft. Currently in service through a number of regional airlines throughout the world, the Embraer ERJ 145 family has been in service since its official introduction in 1996, while over 1,000 ERJ 145s are currently in service.

Launched at the Paris Airshow in 1989 as a stretched and turbofan-powered modification of the twin-turboprop commuter airliner EMB 120 Brasilia, the plane’s key components included straight wings with winglets, rear fuselage-mounted engines, a range of 1,550 miles, and a 75 percent parts commonality with the EMB 120. A year later, Embraer engineers began considering an entirely different–and more aerodynamic–design from the EMB 120 and proposed a more modified design that included a slightly swept wing with winglets and wing-mounted engines.

The plane’s design continued to evolve and change until its production design was finalized in late 1991. The ERJ 145 did retain a few of the original EMB 120 influences–including the three abreast seating configuration–while its key components included rear fuselage-mounted engines, swept wings without winglets, a “T”-tail configuration, and a range of 1,550 miles. The first flight of the ERJ 145 was in August of 1995, with the first delivery made a year later to ExpressJet Airlines–the world’s largest operator of the ERJ 145.

640px-Bmi_erj145_planform_arp

The ERJ 140 model, based on the ERJ 145, shared a 96 percent parts commonality and the same crew type rating upon its introduction in 1999 with the only significant changes being a shorter fuselage, a slightly derated engine, and an increased range. At launch, Embraer estimated the cost of an ERJ 140 to be approximately $15.2 million, while its cost of development was $45 million. Envoy Air, the regional jet subsidiary of American Airlines, operates the majority of the ERJ 140s. The ERJ 135, yet another member of the ERJ 145 family, was introduced in 1999 and featured a 95 percent parts commonality with the ERJ 145.

Specifications of the ERJ 145 models include a seating capacity of up to 50 passengers, a range of 1,550-2,000 nautical miles, and a length of 98 feet; the ERJ 140 models feature seating for up to 44 passengers, a range of 1,250-1,650 nautical miles, and a length of 93.3 feet; and the ERJ 135 models have a seating capacity of up to 37 passengers, a maximum range of 1,300 to 1,750 nautical miles, and a length of 86.4 feet. Each regional jet in the ERJ 145 family also features a crew of three (two pilots and one flight attendant), two Rolls-Royce AE 3007-A1 engines, a service ceiling of 37,000 feet, and a basic cruising speed of 515 miles per hour.

640px-City_airline_embraer_erj135_se-raa_arp

Along with Embraer’s ERJ 145 civilian regional jets, there are also a small number of military and executive models in operation as well. The Embraer R-99 and P-99 are military versions of the ERJ 145 and are equipped with Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan engines, providing 20 percent more thrust than their civilian counterparts. Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Greece, India, Mexico, Panama, and Thailand all use transport, airborne early warning, remote sensing, and maritime patrol models of the ERJ 145 in their respective Air Force, Navy, Army, and Border Security forces.

The Embraer Legacy 600 is a business jet derivative of the ERJ 145 introduced in 2002. With a unit cost of $27.45 million, the Legacy 600 features added rage via extra fuel tanks in the tail behind the baggage compartment and the addition of winglets and an extensive drag reduction program. The 86.4-foot luxury business jet also features a service ceiling of 41,000 feet, a seating capacity of up to 13 passengers, a maximum speed of 518 miles per hour, and a maximum range of 3,250 nautical miles.

Visit embraer.com for more information on the company’s various commercial, business, and military aircraft, including the family of ERJ 145 regional jets.

Video by BostonAirborne/YouTube.com

Photos by Adrian Pingstone/wikipedia.org

Written by Derrick Krom

Derrick is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia where he received a B.A. in English and Communication Studies. Throughout his life, Derrick has traveled the country and even got to study abroad in London, England for four amazing months. He's a guitar player, avid music fan and lover of literature, film, and all things entertainment.