Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante
 

The mini-airliner from South America, introduced into Australia by the late Jack Masling in the late 1970's as step up for from the Piper Chieftains, Beechcraft Queenairs and Cessna 402's for the local Reg 203 operaters.
Initially they could be operated single pilot but that changed in 1983, with the introduction of two crews for any aircraft on RPT that carried over nine passengers

Aided by cheap Brasilian government finance and deferred payments the Bandit soon proved popular with the local operaters.

Form some operaters the Bandit was a licence to print money by the truck load, and for others it was a quick way to financial ruin.

Over the years the Bandit has been operated by, Airnorth, Airlines of South Australia, Air Tasmania, Airlines of Tasmania, Ausair, Eastern Airlines, Flight West, Hazelton's, King Island Airlines, Lincoln Airlines, Lloyd Aviation, Murray Valley Airlines, Skywest, Sunshine Express, Sunsate, Talair and Transtate, to name a few.

For a lot of us it was our first turbine endorsement and the first time into a multi-crew aircraft. Off to ground school for a few days to learn about those very, very tricky turbine engines, nicad batteries, ITT and N1 gauges, prop governors, fire detection and extinguishers, fuel system and then the engineering exam. Once that was passed out to the aeroplane for the endorsement, and into the world of checklists, standard operating procedures, and getting used to flying from the left hand seat and figuring out how that HSI, RMI and Flight Director all worked. Then go flying and get used to the big beast, out to company designated training area for stalls, steep turns, assymetric flight, inflight shutdowns and relights, back to aerodrome for assymetric circuits, rejected take-offs, then a NDB and a VOR approach and finally back for a few night circuits and then we call it a day. Paperwork signed off for the endorsement and then the line flying starts next afternoon on the unsuspecting passengers.

Must be a few stories out in Pprune land about the Bandeirante.

Ahh the Randy Banty! Don't forget were the weapon of choice for a number of operators in NZ too, with Eagle, Rex, trans-global/City jet!

Solid wee machine just needed 'bout 100SHP extra per side for hot days at places like Taupo.

Had a convenient strorm window on the left side that could be opened in flight for sucking out stow away insects and bad smells!:}

You can add Pagas, Advance and Davey's to the list of operators as well.

Are you sure about PAGAS?
Don't remember that.

Airlink PNG, South West Air PNG, and Aeropelican too.

VH-WBA and WBQ. Skippers Aviation out of Perth?

FWIW I know the record in PNG used to be 40 POB out of Moresby - standing room only!

Dangerous Dave managed 44 I think. Unfortunately it did not go un-noticed.....

Yes, Pagas definitely operated VH-PGS, which later became P2-RDR.

And 19 POB in a C402, which also did not go un-noticed......

I think TAL were the second EMB110 operator in the region, after Maslings. The first TAL Bandit cost US$575,000.

i think you can add Air South to the list as well. although whether or not the bandit was used on the RPT runs, I do not know.

Thanks CW, that's quite a squeeze!
I've had 573 in a 747-300, but everyone had a seat. :)

Sissy

just trying to get the character number up

And a few charter operators such as Aerolink Air Services (WBI, MWV, MWF and BWC) and Airtex Aviation.

Executive Air and NJS also operated one each.

BWC (owned by Ivan) must have been one of the best painted Bandits when it was painted in it's 'tropical' scheme. At times it was called the flying fish bowl and whilsy in service with Aerolink carried live seafood from Tassie back to Sydney.

dis wun...........

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../7/0182712.jpg

Go the mighty Bandit! :ok: What a delight to fly! And a damn sight better looking than a B1900 :E

I can think of many positives - and the odd negative, but all in all a great machine and definitely worthy of its name - Bandeirante - which translates to 'Pioneer' in english (or so I'm told)

A real pity they didn't upgrade them to 4 bladed props and at least another 100SHP, if not more! I reckon there is still a market for them. Maybe embraer will look into re-starting the line with new engines, wing, avionics, higher weights/performance etc like Viking Air is now doing with the Twotter... :D

May she continue flying for many years to come :}

Ahhh the Blue Wave Cruiser! Worked on it with Exec Air in Darwin 'til we all got sacked.

bbbbbbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Who would have thought Embraer would go on and build the E120, ERJ135/145 and the ERJ170/190.

Thought there would be a few more Bandit war stories out in PPrune land?

The "new" DHC6-400 is the same MTOW and MLW as the previous DHC6-300, with -34/-35 engines, an STC that has been around for some years. The major difference is the empty weight (due to new technology), reducing the -400 weight to around that of the original -200, just over 3,000 kg, although the Viking web site does not give an empty weight for the "new" -400.

The website gives the standard basic weight as 3121 kg. :ok:

I reckon they should have the Garmin SVT as standard equipment in new Twin Otters. There's been quite a few CFIT accidents due to high terrain and low vis closing in, in the past. This type of new technology would definitely help.

Well it stands to reason that a manufacturer will continue to gain knowledge and experience and keep making new and better products.

Except for the Australian aviation manufacturing industry which came to a complete stop with the Nomad.

:ugh:

The Bandit was only the very successful "tip of the iceberg" seen in Australia. Embraer started life building Piper aircraft under license. By the time the Bandit arrived in Australia, they had produced a number of Piper aircraft plus a range of Embraer aircraft that never came to Australia. One interesting aircraft was a military variant Bandeirante with wing tip tanks and a MTOW around 14,000 pounds, another Bandit derivative was a shortened, pressurised executive aircraft.

In the mid 1970s Embraer were already well down the track with their EMB120 design philosophy and the stretched, jet derivatives, the EMB135, 154 etc.

By far the most interesting development of the EMB110 was the Xinghu (EMB121).

It had the bandit wing and engines with a newer fuselage.

Photos: Embraer EMB-121A Xingu Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

I flew this one briefly in Belgium. It had a flight deck designed to mimic a 737-200 (as it was originally built for flight training).

Talk about go, Trev...

More info here...

Embraer EMB121 Xingu | Airliners.net

I only logged 100 hours in the E110. As I was already flying a B200 my Chief Pilot thought a 2 hour endorsement would suffice and to be honest it did. I then did a little charter work around the traps in the Bandit mostly single pilot but on occassion two crew due to customer requirements. It was a really simple aircraft to fly and understand. A good first turbine endorsement, and it had a tiller, a novelty to me at that stage of my career. I sort of envied those that were flying them. I flew it initially for a South Aussie operator and then for a few hours with a West Aussie operator. I would have liked to fly the old beast some more but I moved on. They always looked good and passengers seemed to like them despite the fact they were stuck below 10,000 feet - supposedly - except in PNG.
The two crew concept in an E110 which could be flown easily single pilot (which was what I was endorsd to do as were most) was actually a good way to introduce two crew procedures to new recruits. Except no one wanted to be a Bandit F/O - of course - but promotion was generally pretty quick.
Good to see that the DHC-6 will be revamped as the industry needs a new upgraded work horse, with upgrade avionics and nav gear.
I have no stories, an old manual, a few un-remarkable photos and lots of fond memories of the E110/Bandit.
CHEers

That looks like the perfect private twin..........

Its not that fast by those numbers though:confused:

Depends what you are comparing it to... but the Xinghu II went very well indeed when it was just two crew. It was mostly the rate of climb that was impressive.

You can see where the Brasilia came from!

Bandit P1 & P2, good ships for the time, was operated SP, and later was an easy introduction to turbines for a low time new Commercial when the two-crew rule came in. Where I flew it we couldn't take advantage legally of the increased MTOW under the American SFAR 41 rules - so payload on long sectors was a problem. Might have been a problem at the increased weight on one engine if anything happened had we had it, but they were very reliable, working every day. Just need another 100 hours on one to round out the logbook but few operated now. On one 300 mile leg when it had a day off for maintenance, when we substituted a 300 series Twin Otter it carried the same load due to the reduced operating weight but took half an hour longer. The difference in the operating weights and the extra fuel required made the payload carried over this distance much the same. Think the passengers preferred the Bandit cabin on the longer legs. The 400 series Twotter, with a reduced operating weight and the -34 engines, should be a good hauler - just need to get it to go 30 or 50 knots quicker for the longer legs.

My first turbine command and I loved it. Beautiful big wide cockpit with everything laid out logicaly. Loved the tiller, Flew it both SP and multi crew and logged nearly 1000 hours. The only problem was short legs. We normaly flew sectors around 100-150 NM, and usually had to refuel at every port anytime we had anywhere near full loads.

First Turbine job for me...did a grand total of 88hrs in them. Marvelled at the time when I first looked at the manual (which I still have) as this thing was telling me you needed to slow down to 160 kts or something to get the first lot of flap out.....wow..practically supersonic, my brain still only seems to work at 160kts:rolleyes:

Wouldn't be too many companies operating Bandeirantes in Australia, Airtex and Air South would be amongst the few, any others?

Embraer got their start by assembling Piper Aircraft in knocked down kit form and then progressed to sub assembly or parts manufactured by Piper.
The range include Cherokee 235, Arrow, Archer11, Cherokee Six, Lance, Seneca11 and Chieftain. Embraer bulit a total of 2370 kits for Piper.
They also developed a PT-6 conversion for 50 Chieftains in conjunction with another aerospace company.

Embraer approached Piper to market the EMB-110 but this was declined by Piper in 1974.

Piper had also at this time entered in an agreement with Pezetel in Poland to build a turbine powered commuter aircraft based on the PA-35 Pocono.
The Pocono was to be powered by PT-6/27 and bulit for operaters looking to get into commuters operations with impending derugulation in America.

Pity C.A.C or G.A.F hadn't got into an arrangement like that with Piper or Cessna to build aircraft on there behalf for the Pacific region.

Another lost opportunity.

Two things amazed me about the mighty Bandits that I flew.

1. The emergency gear retract switch that had a caution next to it, something along the lines of 'use of this switch may cause serious structural damage to the aircraft'

2. Not sure how it worked anymore, but the decision speed was higher than the rotate speed - so the call was "rotate......decide"

Good machine and like me, simple!:ok:

This was to be the greatest development of the Bandit!
 

The CBA-123.

19 pax, 300kts.:ok:

Brazilians and Argentinians working together but $ and politics knocked it out.:{

Photos: Embraer CBA-123 Vector Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

No, EMBRAER was created in 1969 to produce the Bandeirante, which first flew in 1968. NEIVA bulit the Piper Aircrafts under license from 1975 to 2000.

Looking for EMB 110 Power Setting Tips
 

Hello All,

I'm about to start a job on the the 110 and I'd like some power settings to familiarize myself with before training starts. Anything you can remember is greatly appreciated.

Embraer produced the EMB-810(Seneca II)/820(Cheiftain) and Cherokee versions from 1974 to 1980. When Embraer aquired Neiva in 1980 production was transfered. Interestingly from 1984 Neiva started a program of refitting EMB-820 aircraft with PT-6 550 hp with a 1000lb increase in max weight. A number of other South American countries produced aircraft or parts for Piper but only Embraer built aircraft were differentiated with a unique type. I have heard a rumor that they are not allowed to be transfered to US registration as part of the licence agreement and are cheaper to aquire as a result. I was warned when purchasing PA34 or PA31 to check the actual serial number records to ensure it was an actual Piper not Embraer as this would affect resale.

The caution for emergency gear retract was to check the tiller (and therefore nosegear) was centred. If not the nosegear would crush the nose gear doors.

Stop Quick
 

And the advice to stop a runway overrun was to break the lockwire and select gear up whilst on the rwy. Effective- but . . . . . .

"Thought there would be a few more Bandit war stories out in PPRuNe land?"...
... A grey haired old gentleman once vaguely recounted this story but then again he may have been halucinating or even exagerrating, something he was prone to do. He said:

One fine day many many moons ago there was some calamity going on at the other end of the hangar as the call went out to all hands on deck for each person to bring an empty 44 fuel drum. Next thing there's a line of worker ants rolling empty drums toward the Bandit sitting on the hardstand as the resultant sound of thunder forced the disembarkation of all pax back into the adjacent terminal. Rolling Red Thunder comes to mind. The pax were then treated to an episode akin to the Keystone Cops, any distraction by the offer of light refreshments by harried ground crew ignored, as fuel was manually pumped out of each wing into the drums and subsequently rolled away, minus the thunder, the perplexed pax were subsequently reloaded and the much lighter Bandit now bounced into the air on it's slightly delayed journey with a now reduced endurance but much happier landing gear. Not very often was the landing gear happy but there were reasons to keep it very happy on this occasion.

A few thoughts to jog memories;

Fuel panel test....
Feather/unfeather during taxi....
Melted front pax windows.....
Nosewheel shimmy...
Cross generator start....
Dihedral or no dihedral stab....

Inertial Separators :ok: