Embraer ERJ 140 (X-Crafts)

The Embraer ERJ 140 (EMB 140 / EMB 135KL) by X-Crafts recreates one of regional commercial aviation's most distinctive "scope-clause specials" natively in X-Plane 12. Positioned between the compact 37-seat ERJ 135 and the standard 50-seat ERJ 145, the real-world ERJ 140 was engineered specifically to meet the contractual scope clause requirements of American Airlines' pilot union in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which capped regional feeder capacity at 44 seats. Embraer achieved this by shortening the baseline ERJ 145 fuselage by 4.6 feet (1.42 meters) while maintaining common wings, empennage, systems, and cockpit type rating. American Eagle (later Envoy Air) and Chautauqua Airlines operated the overwhelming majority of all airframes built, making the ERJ 140 an iconic symbol of turn-of-the-century US regional hub feed.

In native X-Plane 12, X-Crafts presents the ERJ 140 under their completely rebuilt "v2" generation. Powered by twin rear-mounted Rolls-Royce (Allison) AE 3007A turbofans producing approximately 7,400 pounds of thrust each, the ERJ 140 offers an agile, lively climb profile. The flight dynamics—modeled in collaboration with Cameron Son (X-Aerodynamics) and verified by type-rated ERJ line pilots—accurately translate the direct hydromechanical controls with artificial feel units that give Embraer's first-generation regional jets their celebrated, hands-on stick-and-rudder character.

On the flight deck, the aircraft features Honeywell’s Primus 1000 avionics across five high-contrast CRT/LCD screens (dual PFDs, dual MFDs, and a central EICAS) alongside an authentic Thrust Rating Panel (TRP) for setting FADEC takeoff, climb, and cruise thrust modes. Navigation is powered by a custom Flight Management System (FMS) capable of executing real-world procedures including holding patterns, flyover waypoints, DME arcs, and custom radials. To assist simmers learning the classic Honeywell workflow, X-Crafts integrates their AirComms™ interactive guidance copilot—providing contextual prompts, checklists, and audio/visual reminders from cold-and-dark to shutdown. Combined with an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) offering direct SimBrief dispatch, takeoff/landing performance calculators, and AviTab integration, the ERJ 140 delivers a nostalgic, high-tempo commuter experience for regional sim routes.

Primary Missions & Operational Roles

• Historic American Eagle & Envoy Regional Feeder Routes: Flying authentic 44-seat scope-clause regional hops connecting major midwestern and southern hubs to secondary spoke communities (e.g., Dallas/Fort Worth to Abilene or Tyler; Chicago O'Hare to Kalamazoo or Evansville).

• Thin-Market Commuter Shuttle Operations: Operating short-haul sectors under an hour where quick gate turns and rapid climb-out performance maximize daily airframe utilization.

• Manual Throttle & Energy Management Training: Mastering regional airliner flying without autothrottles, requiring continuous manual power and pitch coordination across climb, level-off, step climbs, and final approach.

• Slick Wing Jet Handling Practice: Managing descent energy in a high-speed, slatless regional jet where high indicated airspeeds demand early descent planning and proactive flight spoiler modulation.