8 8 , ▁the ▁first ▁production ▁aircraft ▁performed ▁its ▁first ▁flight . ▁Del iver ies ▁of ▁production ▁aircraft ▁to ▁Italy ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁the ▁first ▁examples ▁were ▁delivered ▁to ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁Air ▁Force ▁during ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁prototype ▁two - se at ▁AM X ▁made ▁its ▁first ▁flight . ▁ ▁Design ▁ ▁The ▁AM X ▁is ▁a ▁conventional ▁shoulder - wing ed ▁mon op lane . ▁It ▁is ▁composed ▁primarily ▁of ▁al umin ium ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁using ▁traditional ▁construction ▁methods , ▁however ▁elements ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁tail ▁fin ▁and ▁elev ators ▁use ▁carbon ▁fib re ▁composite ▁materials . ▁For ▁its ▁size , ▁a ▁large ▁proportion ▁of ▁the ▁AM X ' s ▁internal ▁space ▁is ▁allocated ▁to ▁av ion ics ▁and ▁on board ▁computer ▁systems , ▁both ▁the ▁navigation ▁and ▁attack ▁systems ▁are ▁computer ized . ▁For ▁access ibly ▁and ▁ease ▁of ▁maintenance , ▁all ▁av ion ics ▁are ▁installed ▁directly ▁in ▁b ays ▁beneath ▁the ▁co ck pit ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁worked ▁upon ▁at ▁ground ▁level ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁support ▁platforms . ▁ ▁Draw ing ▁on ▁experience ▁from ▁the ▁Pan avia ▁T orn ado , ▁the ▁AM X ▁is ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁a ▁hy brid ▁flight ▁control ▁system ; ▁a ▁fly - by - wire ▁control ▁system ▁is ▁employed ▁to ▁operate ▁flight ▁control ▁surfaces ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁spo ilers , ▁rud der ▁and ▁variable ▁inc idence ▁tail