RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During the 6th edition of Mostra BID Brasil, a trade fair held in Brasilia focused on military and defense products, São Paulo-based DESEAR (Desenvolvimento Aeronáutico ), a startup created by former Embraer employees, officially presented on Tuesday its second aircraft project, the ATL-300, a high-wing turboprop.
Similar to the ATL-100, unveiled by the company in 2018, the new plane is larger and has a pressurized cabin with retractable landing gear, and capacity to transport up to 40 passengers in a commercial configuration, or 4 tons of cargo – with a rear ramp for loading bulky objects.
The ATL-300 is in theory a rival to the French-German ATR-42, the smaller version of the best-selling regional turboprop on the market. The aircraft’s layout features a T-tail, wing-mounted engines, and winglets to reduce drag.
Desaer said the plane could fly at a speed of 318 knots (about 520 km/h) at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,500 meters) – the range of the ATL-300 is 1,400 nm (2,600 km).
The company also highlighted its ability to operate at high altitudes, on runways located at an altitude of 3,000 meters. The ATL-300 will also be able to land and take off at a distance of just 800 meters on semi-prepared or even unprepared runways, including sharp approach angles.
Because of this, Desaer considers the ATL-300 a dual aircraft, capable of meeting both commercial demands such as regional and cargo flights, as well as military demands in cargo transport, paratroopers, soldiers or aeromedical evacuation missions.
The main details of the project are still kept confidential, but the company says the new plane will be attractively priced at around US$21 million and will share systems being developed for the ATL-100.
Desaer is preparing to announce the start of construction of its headquarters in Brazil in 2022. It expects to generate around 300 high-skilled jobs during the design phase and a total of 1,300 jobs throughout the production chain.
According to the CEO of Desaer Evandro Fileno, the first flight should take place in 2026 and enter into service in 2027.
DESAER
DESAER Desenvolvimento Aeronáutico is a Brazilian startup, headquartered in São José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, whose purpose is to develop and manufacture aircraft.
Created in 2017 by professionals who left Brazilian companies in the aeronautics industry, especially Embraer, through Voluntary Dismissal Programs (PDV), DESAER has 100% Brazilian capital and is headquartered at the premises of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) in São José dos Campos, São Paulo state.
Aiming to cover a niche in the market that belonged to the Embraer Bandeirante, DESAER announced in 2018 the ATL-100, a twin-engine high-wing, turboprop, semi-monocoque structure, non-pressurized, with fixed tricycle-type landing gear, a maximum takeoff weight of 19,000 lb (8.6 t), capacity for up to 19 passengers or 3 LD3 containers, MTOW range of 1,600 km and cruise speed of 380 km/h, able to operate on short, unpaved runways without ground support.