Past And Present Employees Restore Second Prototype
EMB-110
At a commemorative observance of the 40th anniversary of the
first flight of the Bandeirante prototype, which occurred on
October 22, 1968, Embraer presented the second prototype of
the Bandeirante, after a careful restoration process performed by
current and former employees. Members of the original team
responsible for designing and building the aircraft were in
attendance at this weekend's gathering, as were several public
officials.
Development of the original Bandeirante aircraft was carried out
by the Research and Development Institute (Instituto de Pesquisa e
Desenvolvimento - IPD) of the-then Aeronautics Technical Center,
which is now the Aerospace Technology General Command
(Comando-Geral de Tecnologia Aeroespacial - CTA).
Three prototypes were built... a project that resulted in the
creation of Embraer on August 19, 1969.
"The Bandeirante is a benchmark for the Brazilian and worldwide
aeronautics industry and we are very pleased to contribute to the
planes preservation and to tell its story, which is good reason for
the justifiable pride of all Brazilians," said Horacio Forjaz,
Embraer Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs.
The second Bandeirante prototype originally belonged to the
Brazilian Air Force (FAB). It will now join the collection of the
Santos Dumont Foundation in the city of Cotia, São
Paulo.
The airplane, with registration number 2131, was disassembled
and transported to Embraer's headquarters, where teams consisting
of current and former employees, many of whom worked on the
Bandeirante program in the ‘70s, handled the restoration
process. The operation began on September 1, and was concluded in
little over a month.
"The restoration of the Bandeirante prototype is an important
historical feat. We are very happy about Embraer's sensitivity and
that the airplane has returned home," said the President of the
Santos Dumont Foundation, Major General and engineer José
Vicente Cabral Checchia.
The second prototype of the Bandeirante flew for the first time
exactly 39 years ago, on October 19, 1969, in the colors of the FAB
(which designated it as YC-95). The painting was redone in the same
colors and shades – white, with a blue strip in the middle,
and gray on the underside. Painted under window screen, on the
airplane's nose, are the flags of the ten South American countries
where the prototype made demonstration flights.
The interior refurbishment included paneling, seats, closets and
lavatory, which were given the same colors, shades and textures of
materials used at that time. The new green carpet is identical to
the original, as is the beige curtain, which was handmade, with
green details forming the stylized image of an airplane wing. The
electrical system also required special care, in order to
reactivate the internal lighting of the cockpit and passenger areas
(corridor, courtesy, and safety lights), as well as the external
lighting (navigation, landing and taxi).
Of the three original prototypes of the Bandeirante, the first
belongs to the collection of the Aerospace Museum (Museu
Aeroespacial - MUSAL), in Rio de Janeiro, and the third is on
permanent display in Santos Dumont Park, in São José
dos Campos.
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