Expense Ultimately Doomed Fast, Quiet CBA-123 Vector

Unconventional engineering effort was a clean-sheet reimagining of the 19-seat airliner that later fueled development of the ERJ-135/145 series of regional jets.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 10:43 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

From directly below, the CBA-123’s unique wing and unconventional engine configuration are plainly visible. [Credit: Kev Slade]

Key Takeaways:

The Embraer CBA-123 Vector was an unconventional 19-seat airliner, a joint Brazil-Argentina project aiming to revolutionize short-range air travel.
It featured innovative rear-mounted pusher turboprops for a significantly quieter cabin and a unique high-aspect-ratio wing designed for enhanced aerodynamic performance.
These design choices resulted in exceptional performance, including much higher cruise speeds (328 knots) and altitudes compared to contemporary turboprops.
Despite strong initial interest from airlines, the project was canceled due to a prohibitive increase in its target price, though its development informed later successful Embraer regional jets.

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Airliner design, by and large, tends not to embrace the unconventional.

Whether jet or turboprop, we generally see only two general layouts—engines mounted on the wing or aft pylons, and propellers are almost exclusively mounted on the wing. Chalk the lack of variety up to convergent evolution or to operators and markets that favor conservative predictability, but it’s a reality that was almost universally adhered to by major airframe manufacturers.