10/31/2010. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The co-operation agreement between Shorts of the UK and Embraer of Brazil to develop a new version of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, to meet or exceed all UK MoD Air Staff Target 412 requirements as a Jet Provost replacement for the RAF, was announced in May 1984. The Shorts S.312 Tucano was selected by the UK Government on March 21, 1985, partly because it was the least expensive of all competitors.

Re-engined with the required 1,100 shp Garrett TPE331-12B turboprop engine, the seventh production EMB-312 (c/n 312007) was first flown in Brazil on February 14, 1986, registered as PP-ZTC. After 14 hr 35 min flight testing, it was air freighted to the UK were it was registered in the 'Class B' as G-14-007 (later it was reregistered G-BTUC), and it flew for the first time in the UK on April 11, 1986.

The first Shorts S.312 Tucano T.Mk.1, serialed ZF135, was officially rolled-out on January 20, 1987, although three weeks had passed since it first flew on December 30, 1986. It was delivered to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down on June 26, 1987 for provisional type certificate trials, the second S.312 (s/n ZF316) was delivered to Boscombe Down on October 1, 1987. With ZF138 deliveries to the Central Flying School at Scampton began on June 16, 1988. The first aircraft was formally handed-over to the RAF on September 1, 1988.

The RAF received 131 Tucano T.Mk.1s, of which at this moment 58 are still in service, 2 are written off, and 41 are stored, while the balance (30) have been sold to civil owners, mainly in the USA. To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain two aircraft were painted into a commemorative color scheme (as shown here) worn by RAF Spitfire Squadron in 1940, the other aircraft was ZF317 (c/n S098) coded 'QJ-F'."