It is no secret that size does matter when it comes to aviation. When waiting for your flight to depart in the gate area, your attention is usually caught by massive aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or the Boeing 747. However, one thing is admiring a plane from the outside; another is flying on it. Sometimes, smaller aircraft offer enhanced comfort, more space, and quicker boarding and deboarding procedures.

Smaller aircraft are usually referred to as regional aircraft, as they are often operated on short-haul shuttle routes between spokes and a carrier's hub. The advantages of such jets are manifold. First, their quick turn-around times allow airlines to operate several daily frequencies, thus offering a wider choice in terms of schedules - a much-appreciated feature, especially by business travelers.

Additionally, flying to small, regional airports with these aircraft enables airlines to achieve positive load factors, a daunting challenge for larger single-aisle aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 families.

Embraer is one of the world's most renowned manufacturers of regional jets. Among the different variants, one finds the Embraer 145. Since its introduction in 1995, this aircraft has played a crucial role in the fleets of numerous regional and legacy airlines. Although small, the E145 does not fall short of exciting facts.

1 A private-jet-like experience

This aircraft has a capacity of 50 passengers.

Since they are operated on thinner routes, regional jets rarely exceed a capacity of more than 100/150 passengers.

In the case of the Embraer 145, the capacity is just 50 passengers. This might sound like a minimal number. However, this aircraft usually flies to tiny regional airports with limited capacity. Additionally, demand for some of the routes this aircraft serves predominantly relies on business travelers who must juggle between cities to attend meetings. In some cases, it might be even hard to fill a 50-passenger jet on some of these thin routes.

In 1998, for instance, American Eagle began operating the Embraer 145 on regional domestic routes. The regional branch of American Airlines operates this aircraft on various routes, the shortest being between Dallas Forth Worth and Waco Regional Airport in Texas. The flight time between the two airports is just 20 minutes from take-off to touch down! This means there is a lot of competition from other modes of transport. Those needing a flight on such a short distance are a niche that justifies operating an aircraft with such reduced capacity.

The table below summarizes the other main specifications of the Embraer 145:

2 A bit of color under the wings

The vortilons are installed to prevent stalls

It is common for passengers to board regional jets using the aircraft stairs instead of the jet bridge. If this has happened to you before, you might have noticed some sharp yellow objects installed under the wings.

These eye-catching capsule-like objects are called vortilons. They work the same way as the vortex generators found on the top of many aircraft wings. Their aim is to:

• Create a vortex of air when airflow passes them, thus avoiding stalls when the aircraft flies at lower speeds
• Keep the airflow attached to the wing, favoring its transition from the front section of the wing to the rear one, where the ailerons are mounted.

Thanks to the vortilons, the Embraer 145 can fly at higher angles of attack before facing the threat of a stall. Indeed, the vortilons-produced vortexes flow to the wings' upper surface, modifying the pressure distribution and delaying flow separation, thus increasing maximum lift. The vortilons also enhance take-off and landing performance on this regional jet.

3 Always happy landings with the E145

The Embraer 145 relies on the so-called trailing-link gear

Unlike most aircraft, the Embraer 145 has a rather unique landing gear called trailing link.

The most traditional landing gear configuration relies on a central strut with wheels at the bottom part. Conversely, a trailing link gear is based on a flexible L-shaped joint with a pivot point and an angular shock absorber whose aim is to smooth out landings. During approach, when the aircraft is still airborne, the landing gear hangs low until touchdown. At that point, it swings backward, and the angular shock absorber takes in much of the impact force with the ground.

Smooth landings are also ensured by the aircraft engines, two Rolls-Royce AE3007-A1 turbofan engines. At their back, these engines feature clamshell-style reverse thrust stories. Not only do these redirect air forward upon landing, but they also help increase drag, improving the overall landing performance.

4 An authentic flying experience for the pilots

The aircraft does not feature the engine autothrottle

Against all odds, flying the Embraer 145 might be a more authentic flying experience compared to other aircraft.

For instance, the Brazilian jet does not feature an auto-throttle engine. The engine autothrottle is the electronic or electromechanical device that enables pilots to control the engine thrust by selecting a flight profile or a parameter rather than manually controlling fuel flow by engaging the engine thrust levers.

The Autothrottle plays a relevant role in reducing the pilots' workload. Indeed, they:

• Set and manage engine power to meet climb restrictions, the exact cruise speed, and speed/altitude restriction upon landing
• They offer speed protection to prevent stalling, in that autothrottles automatically engage when speed reaches a certain limit deemed too low.

Additionally, the Embraer 145 does not feature the navigation app capabilities of newer aircraft. This means that when flying an arrival or departure procedure, pilots manually input all the different steps of the procedure, even when the autopilot is engaged.

5 The largest operator

The largest operator of the Embraer 145 has a fleet of 76 Embraer 145

28 years after its introduction, the Embraer 145 still plays an important role for airlines operating regional routes.

The US carrier Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, is the world's largest operator of this aircraft type. According to ch-aviation, the regional airline has a total of 76 E145s, 54 of which are currently being flown, while 22 are inactive. Their value amounts to $83 million.

The second largest operator is also a US carrier, JSX, which operates point-to-point flights in the US and Mexico. The carrier counts 32 Embraer 145s. However, it also operates the other variants of the family, i.e., the Embraer 135 (16 exemplars) and E140 (1), for a total of 48. The total value of the airline's fleet amounts to $40 million.

The following table offers an overview of the main differences of the Embraer 145 variants:

Have you ever flown on the Embraer 145? Let us know by clicking on the comment button below!

Sources: Aviation Stock Exchange, Bold Method, Embraer, Skybrary, Swayne Martin