Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A special display was given, only on Friday of the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 at RAF Fairford, by this Embraer KC-390 Millennium, flown by the manufacturer using their company demonstrator airframe.
Development of the KC-390 started as the Embraer C-390, later to be redesignated the KC-390 and then given the name 'Millennium'.
It's a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer and is the heaviest aircraft the company has so far made.
The first of two prototypes performed its maiden flight on 3 February 2015 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the Brazilian Air Force on 4 September 2019.
It can be configured for various operations such as troop, VIP and cargo transportation, and more specialised logistical operations such as aerial refuelling as a tanker and fire fighting.
The internal and external configuration of the aircraft can be rapidly interchanged for different missions, due to its modular design. It incorporates modern technology and mission software to aid crews. The cockpit has head-up displays for the enhanced vision system with four cameras and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion commercial avionics.
It can give inflight refueling to other aircraft through two wing-mounted probe and drogue pods from Cobham plc. These can deliver fuel at up to 1,500 L (400 US gal) per minute from a 35 t (77,000 lb) total fuel capacity, between 120 and 300 kn (220 and 560 km/h) and from 2,000 to 32,000 ft (610 to 9,750 m).
The aircraft is powered by a pair of IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines, mounted forward on the high wing. The wing features an anhedral angle, slats, and High-lift devices able to deflect up to 40°. The landing gear is equipped with low-pressure tyres, two 5.9 bar (85 psi) on the nose and four 7.2 bar (105 psi) on either side bogies, for the aircraft's use on soft, unpaved ground of austere airstrips or damaged runways.
It has a cruising speed of Mach 0.8 which, according to Embraer, enables payloads to be transported faster than any other airplane in the medium airlift market.
It can attain a controlled descent rate of 9,000 ft/min (2,700 m/min) at its 300 kn (560 km/h) maximum speed, through a combination of extended slats, idle thrust, and flight spoilers extended to 40°. When its flaps are fully deployed at 40°, it has a stall speed of 104 kn (193 km/h).
It has fully fly-by-wire flight controls combined with active sidesticks, reducing the crew's workload over conventional counterparts and allowing load factors up to 3G. An autothrottle system is installed.
The navigation systems, largely supplied by Thales Group, include an Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS, and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) transponder.
It's fitted with SELEX Galileo's Gabbiano tactical radar, capable of GMTI, SAR, ISAR, SART modes amongst others. For self-defense purposes, an Elbit Systems-supplied directional infrared countermeasures suite is typically installed.
An integrated onboard maintenance system actively monitors the health of the overall aircraft and various subsystems at all times.
The hold has a length of 18.5 m (61 ft), width of 3.45 m (11.3 ft), and height of 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in), and is mainly accessed via a large rear ramp built into the tail. It can carry payloads of up to 26 t (57,000 lb). This allows for the carriage of either two fully-tracked M113 armoured personnel carriers, one Boxer or Brazilian VBTP-MR Guarani wheeled armoured vehicle, a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, 74 litters with life-support equipment, up to 80 soldiers or 66 paratroopers with full gear. Loads of up to 42,000 lb (19 t) can be air dropped. A cargo handling and aerial delivery system, produced by DRS Defense Solutions, is incorporated.
Typical amenities present in the hold include a galley, an accessibility-friendly toilet, automatic temperature control, and noise/vibration mitigation measures.
Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have agreed to expand the capabilities of the KC-390 for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, with a focus on Maritime Patrol.
The KC-390 is marketed as a jet powered alternative to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
It’s currently in service with the Air Forces of Brazil (7 delivered of 19 ordered), Portugal (2 delivered of 5 ordered) and Hungary (1 delivered of 2 ordered).
As well as 2 airframes for an ‘undisclosed customer’, it has also been ordered for the Air Forces of Austria(4), Czech Republic (2), Netherlands (5) and South Korea (3) and selected for future order by Sweden and Slovakia.
defense.embraer.com/air/c-390
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
A special display was given, only on Friday of the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024 at RAF Fairford, by this Embraer KC-390 Millennium, flown by the manufacturer using their company demonstrator airframe.
Development of the KC-390 started as the Embraer C-390, later to be redesignated the KC-390 and then given the name 'Millennium'.
It's a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer and is the heaviest aircraft the company has so far made.
The first of two prototypes performed its maiden flight on 3 February 2015 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the Brazilian Air Force on 4 September 2019.
It can be configured for various operations such as troop, VIP and cargo transportation, and more specialised logistical operations such as aerial refuelling as a tanker and fire fighting.
The internal and external configuration of the aircraft can be rapidly interchanged for different missions, due to its modular design. It incorporates modern technology and mission software to aid crews. The cockpit has head-up displays for the enhanced vision system with four cameras and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion commercial avionics.
It can give inflight refueling to other aircraft through two wing-mounted probe and drogue pods from Cobham plc. These can deliver fuel at up to 1,500 L (400 US gal) per minute from a 35 t (77,000 lb) total fuel capacity, between 120 and 300 kn (220 and 560 km/h) and from 2,000 to 32,000 ft (610 to 9,750 m).
The aircraft is powered by a pair of IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines, mounted forward on the high wing. The wing features an anhedral angle, slats, and High-lift devices able to deflect up to 40°. The landing gear is equipped with low-pressure tyres, two 5.9 bar (85 psi) on the nose and four 7.2 bar (105 psi) on either side bogies, for the aircraft's use on soft, unpaved ground of austere airstrips or damaged runways.
It has a cruising speed of Mach 0.8 which, according to Embraer, enables payloads to be transported faster than any other airplane in the medium airlift market.
It can attain a controlled descent rate of 9,000 ft/min (2,700 m/min) at its 300 kn (560 km/h) maximum speed, through a combination of extended slats, idle thrust, and flight spoilers extended to 40°. When its flaps are fully deployed at 40°, it has a stall speed of 104 kn (193 km/h).
It has fully fly-by-wire flight controls combined with active sidesticks, reducing the crew's workload over conventional counterparts and allowing load factors up to 3G. An autothrottle system is installed.
The navigation systems, largely supplied by Thales Group, include an Inertial Navigation System (INS), GPS, and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) transponder.
It's fitted with SELEX Galileo's Gabbiano tactical radar, capable of GMTI, SAR, ISAR, SART modes amongst others. For self-defense purposes, an Elbit Systems-supplied directional infrared countermeasures suite is typically installed.
An integrated onboard maintenance system actively monitors the health of the overall aircraft and various subsystems at all times.
The hold has a length of 18.5 m (61 ft), width of 3.45 m (11.3 ft), and height of 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in), and is mainly accessed via a large rear ramp built into the tail. It can carry payloads of up to 26 t (57,000 lb). This allows for the carriage of either two fully-tracked M113 armoured personnel carriers, one Boxer or Brazilian VBTP-MR Guarani wheeled armoured vehicle, a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, 74 litters with life-support equipment, up to 80 soldiers or 66 paratroopers with full gear. Loads of up to 42,000 lb (19 t) can be air dropped. A cargo handling and aerial delivery system, produced by DRS Defense Solutions, is incorporated.
Typical amenities present in the hold include a galley, an accessibility-friendly toilet, automatic temperature control, and noise/vibration mitigation measures.
Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have agreed to expand the capabilities of the KC-390 for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, with a focus on Maritime Patrol.
The KC-390 is marketed as a jet powered alternative to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
It’s currently in service with the Air Forces of Brazil (7 delivered of 19 ordered), Portugal (2 delivered of 5 ordered) and Hungary (1 delivered of 2 ordered).
As well as 2 airframes for an ‘undisclosed customer’, it has also been ordered for the Air Forces of Austria(4), Czech Republic (2), Netherlands (5) and South Korea (3) and selected for future order by Sweden and Slovakia.
defense.embraer.com/air/c-390
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
