This Tuesday (10/05) the CEO of Embraer's commercial aircraft division, Arjan Meijer, confirmed that the company is working with possible Indian partners to develop a new turboprop aircraft, where it will return to this market after 20 years of gap.
For Reuters, Meijer stated that the company is looking for partners in the Indian market to share the financing and execution of the project. The aircraft should be launched in 2023, according to the executive, with commercial flights starting in 2027 or 2028.
A partnership with a company in the Indian market could reinforce Embraer's product in the Asian market, which is currently the largest in the world and with ample demand for regional aircraft.
At the same event, Meijer also stated that Embraer expects to convert 700 E-Jets to freighters over the next few years. the manufacturer recently signed the first contract of its kind for 10 aircraft with NAC.
The Embraer Turboprop
Since 2019, Embraer has been presenting the possibility of building a new aircraft, to return to the turboprop segment.
Embraer's new turboprop should be equipped with a conventional engine, according to Meijer, if the manufacturer decides to proceed with the project between the end of this year and the beginning of 2023.
The 2027 deadline for entry into commercial use prevents Embraer from investing in a hybrid propulsion for its new aircraft. However, the manufacturer wants to incorporate aerodynamic improvements, materials, avionics and more economical conventional engines compatible with biofuels.
The new turboprop plane should focus on the 70 to 90 seat market, as previously posted.
As a target, Embraer expects a demand perspective for 1000 new aircraft in this market of 70 to 100 seats over the next 10 years. The demand exists even considering the plane's availability after 2027.
Possibility of Rolls-Royce engines
Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace President Chris Cholerton said his company, which focuses on widebody aircraft engines, was working to present a compelling turboprop engine proposal to Embraer.
In the projection above, we can see how Embraer bets on a refined design, derived from the 2nd generation E-Jets. The new jet aircraft was designed to achieve significant fuel savings compared to competitors, even if the option is for the conventional propulsion that already exists on the market.
We can also notice, in this photo that was part of a presentation to US airline executives, the engines installed in the tail.
During the presentation of the new project, Luis Carlos Affonso who is Senior Vice President of Engineering said that the new concept of engines installed in the tail will allow a quieter flight, providing a similarity to airplanes with jet engines making the trip more comfortable.
The executive also said that the new engine with “propfan architecture”, or turboprops with “reduction boxes” for example, they will be able to improve the operational efficiency of the aircraft and consequently reducing its operational costs.
