| EMB 202 Ipanema | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Agricultural aircraft |
| National origin | Brazil |
| Manufacturer | Embraer |
| Status | Active |
| Number built | 1500 as of 2022[1] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1969-present |
| Introduction date | December, 1971 |
| First flight | 30 July 1970 |
TheEmbraer EMB 202 Ipanema is a Brazilianagricultural aircraft used foraerial application, particularlycrop dusting. It is produced byIndústria Aeronáutica Neiva, a subsidiary ofEmbraer located inBotucatu, Brazil. The latest version of this aircraft is the firstethanol-powered fixed-wing aircraft,[2] which could give it an economical advantage over thegasoline version. The aircraft is widely employed in Brazil, having market share of about 80%, and the 1,700th delivery was completed on 24 November 2025. Besides aircraft, alcohol-conversion kits for gasoline-powered Ipanemas are also sold.
In the 1960s, the development of a Brazilian agriculture aircraft was motivated by the expansion of the agricultural products market, specificallysoybean andsugar cane. During this time, theIpanema aircraft was developed by engineers of theAeronautics Technological Institute (ITA) on the Ipanema Farm, located inSorocaba.[3]
The first version of the aircraft, theEMB-200, made its first flight on 30 July 1970[4] and wascertified on 14 December 1971.[5] The aircraft was equipped with a 260 hp (190 kW)piston engine. Series production started in 1972 by Embraer. In September 1974, theEMB-201 was introduced, including many improvements such as a 300 hp (220 kW) engine, newpropeller, new wings and increased capacity.
In 1982, the production of Ipanema was transferred to Indústria Aeronáutica Neiva, recently acquired by Embraer. In 1992, a new model, calledEMB-202 orIpanemão (big Ipanema), was released. The new aircraft had improvements onaerodynamics, a 40% greater capacity, and optional, modern equipment forelectrostatic aerial application.
In the following years, Neiva made significant improvements to the aircraft, such as addingwinglets to the wingtips, adding anair conditioning system to the cabin, lowering the position of the wings, decreasing resistance and reducing the weight of theexhaust system.
Since ethanol is largely available in Brazil, costing only about 25-30% as much as aviation gasoline, many Brazilian farmers have attempted to fuel gasoline-powered Ipanemas with alcohol, with varying degrees of success. The result of this was the development of an alcohol-powered Ipanema, which was certified by theBrazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA) on 19 October 2004. The alcohol-fueled Ipanema engine also has 20% lower maintenance and operational costs.[citation needed]
In 2015, an Ipanema with improved winglets was presented on theAgrishow agricultural exposition. The new winglets, designed by the department of Aeronautical Engineering of theUniversity of São Paulo's São Carlos School of Engineering, increased the performance of the aircraft by 20%.[6]
In parentheses are shown certification dates.
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004[8]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
