KC-390 Aircrafts Undergo Comprehensive Inspection in Brazil

There are many interesting facts surrounding the KC-390, the first medium military transport aircraft designed and developed entirely in accordance with 21st-century requirements, manufactured by the Brazilian company Embraer. Hungary has purchased two aircraft, the second of which is scheduled to arrive at the MH vitéz Dezső Szentgyörgyi 101st Air Brigade in Kecskemét (central Hungary) at the end of November.

Founded in 1969, Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica (Brazilian Aeronautics Company) has grown to become the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the aviation industry. Since its privatization in 1994, the previously known acronym Embraer has become the official name, under which it has gained significant reputation in the market during its fifty-five years of operation. This success has extended to the defense industry with the design of the KC-390, particularly in Europe, based on current trends, where Hungary’s commitment to this model has played an important role.

Photo: Kazi Antal/honvedelem.hu

Most countries have a military aviation authority that operates separately from the civil authority and is responsible for the safety, regulation, and supervision of military and other state air transport. An important part of their remit is to assess the type certification of new military aircraft, to which the design and manufacturing organization itself is also subject. In Hungary, this task is performed by the State Aviation Department of the Ministry of Defense.

If the military aviation authorities of two countries mutually recognize each other’s operating procedures and regulations, they also recognize the certificates issued by the other. That is why it was a major breakthrough in the European market when the Hungarian Armed Forces voted in favor of the KC-390.

Thanks to the official supervision of C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft, the Hungarian aviation authority is one of the first military aviation authorities to earn NATO certification, and its assessments are considered significant by many partner countries.

The work of the experts of the HM State Aviation Department continues during the handover of the aircraft, currently at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto site. Here, they are primarily involved in the manufacture of the main components of the KC-390, the assembly of the aircraft, and the entire range of flight tests, including all the inspections required for delivery to the customer.

Experts from a number of organizations are represented in the delegation traveling to take delivery of the second aircraft. The staff of the MH Logistics Support Command’s Quality Assurance Directorate ensures the quality compliance of all aircraft accessories. This includes everything from screws and wires to the entire structure of the aircraft and the materials provided by the manufacturer for its repair, such as paints.

Photo: Kazi Antal/honvedelem.hu

The KC-390 aircraft manufactured by Embraer differ not only in their configuration, based on the requirements of the ordering countries, but also in their paintwork. The Hungarian Armed Forces’ aircraft, including the Gripen fighter jets, have been painted in air superiority gray, which provides lower visibility in the sky thanks to its light blue-gray hue. The paint used on military aircraft also has hidden advantages: the aircraft heats up less, its infrared signature (i.e., its detectability by thermal imaging devices) is reduced, as well as its radar visibility.

From an aeronautical engineering perspective, the Millennium is the “Swiss Army knife” of 21st-century military transport aircraft. Its modernity and versatility result in extremely complex systems, which were examined during the handover by soldiers from the MH Vitéz Dezső Szentgyörgyi 101st Air Brigade’s Aviation Engineering Battalion and one of the unit’s navigators.

Its ability to meet the challenges of the age is evident in a number of features. These include the cockpit’s seven-centimeter-thick, multi-layered, 150-kilogram windshield, the removable armor protecting the computer center in the nose of the aircraft, and the so-called OBIGS system (on-board inert gas generation system). The latter filters oxygen from the propellant environment in the fuel tanks and replaces it with nitrogen, thereby reducing the risk of fire and explosion.

The entire inspection, including the examination of documentation, takes two full weeks, after which preparations can begin for the aircraft to be flown to Hungary.

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