[5] The Brazilian military government considered aircraft strategic equipment, and in an effort to reduce dependency from foreign companies, the state-owned Embraer was established in 1969.

[6] A production license to assemble the MB.326 was acquired in 1970 to familiarize the company with military design,[4] and in 1973, the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante was introduced with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A engines.

[14] Encouraged to undertake a follow-on project known as "Universal II", Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva rolled out the prototype N621A (YT-25A) in 1975 with an extended body, four hard points,[15] and the more powerful 400 hp Lycoming IO-720-A1A engine which drove a three-bladed Hartzell propeller.

[23] Therefore, in January 1978, Embraer's design team, which was led by Guido Fontegalante Pessotti and included Joseph Kovacs, commenced to redesign the EMB-311 to produce the EMB-312.

[25] The specifications were concluded in February 1979,[26] and the main differences from the EMB-311 were the more powerful PT6A-25C engine, raised rear cockpit, and the addition of ejection seats.

[21] Eventually, the original specifications underwent a major modification, including a smaller fuselage with an upright cruciform tail instead of a swept-back tail; a more domed canopy; extended elevators; greater distance between the nosewheel and back wheel; reduction of the wing root; and an increased wingspan, tailplane, and landing gear.

[30] In August 1982, the second prototype was lost during clearance trials, in which full rudder was applied when the type exceeded the maximum designed diving speed (Vd) of 539 kilometres per hour (291 kn; 335 mph) by 64.7 kilometres per hour (34.9 kn; 40.2 mph), causing the leading edge skin to tear apart, followed by a −30g dive, resulting in a complete disintegration of the airframe.

[12][31] The tailplane leading edge of the first prototype was modified,[31] and requirements were cleared in 1983, after which it achieved a maximum diving speed of 607.5 kilometres per hour (328.0 kn; 377.5 mph).

[33] The following month, the prototype made its international debut at the Farnborough Airshow, crossing the Atlantic just a few days after its maiden flight.

[34] Inspired by one of the most well-known birds in the Amazon rainforest, a Brazilian Air Force cadet suggested the aircraft be named the "Tucano" (English: toucan), and this was approved on 23 October 1981.

[34] An agreement was signed in May 1984 between Embraer and Short Brothers to modify the EMB 312 to meet a Royal Air Force requirement for a high-performance, turbo-prop trainer to replace the BAC Jet Provost issued in 1983.

[35] Short Brothers was responsible for the final assembly and licence-built 60% of the aircraft parts, although the wings, landing gear, and canopy were built in Brazil.

[36] In March 1985, after a competition with other types, the Short Tucano was declared the winner, with an order worth £126 million for 130 aircraft and an option for a further 15.

[2] The study was stimulated by the unsuccessful bid for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System program, in which Embraer teamed with Northrop Grumman.

It featured a reinforced wing skin developed for the model F, an improved glass cockpit, full pressurization system, electrical swing back canopy opening and zero-zero ejections seats.

[37] The EMB-312H's design later served as a starting point for the EMB-314 Super Tucano, dubbed the ALX, and adopted by the Brazilian Air Force as the A-29.

[39] Major aircraft features include an automatic torque control system and the jet-like, single-lever throttle which combined both engine power and propeller pitch, assuring smooth and rapid acceleration and deceleration.

[38] The aircraft is fitted with a retractable tricycle undercarriage with steerable nosewheels,[38] allowing a fairly large[clarification needed] crab angle during cross-wind landing.

[42] High manoeuvrability, stability at low speeds, and four underwing pylons providing for up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of ordnance, allow the training aircraft to engage in tactical bombing campaigns in low-intensity conflict or counterinsurgency environments and in counternarcotics interceptions.

[57] As part of the FAB's four-year pilot-training program at the Academia da Força Aérea (AFA), the EMB-312 is flown on the last year as an advanced training vector.

[58] Brazilian Naval Aviation cadets are required to fly 100 hours on the Tucano at the AFA during the first stage of the three-year training program.

[60] During Operation Traira in February 1991, six Tucanos were used for close air support against a group of 40 rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which had seized a Brazilian military detachment.

[72] After 15 years in service, the French Tucano fleet was withdrawn on 22 July 2009,[74] despite the fact that most aircraft had only reached half of their potential operational life.

[83] In the following month, a Honduran Tucano shot down a drug-smuggling, twin-engined prop Cessna over the Bay Islands, killing the two occupants, including an undercover DEA agent.

[75] The type is based at Atar in the northwest of the country, where they are used in attack missions against Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) guerrillas.

[95] The 3o Escuadrón de caza "Moros" in Asunción operates the Tucanos in counter-insurgency missions, forming the squads "Gamma" and "Omega" since 1996.

[103] During the Cenepa War, loaded with four Mk.82 bombs and equipped with night-vision goggles, a fleet of Tucanos carried out a night bomber raid targeting Ecuadorian forces over the Cordillera del Cóndor at dawn on 5 February 1995.

[110] The standard production model with fatigue life of 8,000 hours:[27] An uprated version built for the French Air Force, the EMB-312F is equipped with Telecommunications Electronique Aeronautique et Maritime (TEAM SA, part of Cobham plc) avionics,[111] Thomson-CSF (now Thales Group) navigation aids,[72] increased fatigue life, propeller and canopy de-icing system and a ventral airbrake.

[27] The type features a more powerful Honeywell 820 kW (1,100 shp) Garrett TPE331-12B engine with four-blade, variable-pitch propeller,[27] custom avionics, structural strengthening expanding fatigue life to 12,000hr,[113] two-piece canopy for better bird strike proofing, pressurized cabin, a ventral airbrake, aerodynamic changes to the wing, better wheel brakes, and an optional armament capability.

Short/Embraer EMB 312S prototype MSN 312007 G-BTUC (ex PP-ZTC) is on display at Ulster Aviation Society museum, Maze Long Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland Data from Air International, Vol.