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 innovative 19-seat turboprop developed in the late 1980s, featuring unconventional pusher propellers for a quieter cabin and a unique high-aspect-ratio wing for superior aerodynamic performance.
Its advanced design allowed it to cruise significantly faster (328 knots) and higher than comparable turboprops, garnering initial interest from U.S. airlines.
Despite its technical merits and initial market enthusiasm, the program was canceled in the early 1990s after its projected price nearly doubled, making it economically unviable.
Though commercially unsuccessful with only three prototypes built, the development of the CBA-123 provided valuable engineering experience for Embraer, which was later applied to their highly successful ERJ regional jet series.

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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.