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 short-range airliner developed through a joint Brazil/Argentina effort in the late 1980s.
It featured innovative pusher turboprop engines, positioned well aft of the cabin to significantly reduce noise and vibration, alongside a unique high-aspect-ratio clean wing designed for minimal cruise drag.
These design choices resulted in superior performance, including a cruise speed of 328 knots and higher cruising altitudes, which initially garnered interest from U.S. airlines.
Despite its advanced design and performance, the program was canceled in the early 1990s due to a substantial increase in cost, making it economically uncompetitive, though Embraer applied lessons learned to subsequent successful 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.