SARAS inaugural flight slated for Sunday

S

sikder

Banned Member
Aviation history will be created in India on Sunday when the first indigenous civil aircraft, SARAS, will take to the skies.

SARAS, a 14-seater light transport aircraft with rear mounted twin turboprop engines, has been designed and developed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore.

The aircraft, on its inaugural flight, would be piloted by Sqn Ldr K K Venugopal and Wg Cdr R S Makker as co-pilot who belong to the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment of the Indian Air Force, official sources said here.

The IAF has already issued a Letter of Interest for procuring six SARAS aircraft for training, troop transport, executive and casualty evacuation roles, they said adding a detailed project report would be shortly submitted to the IAF headquarters.

While preliminary work on the aircraft was going on since 1990, the government sanction came in 1999 for the creation of two flying prototypes and one structural specimen at a total cost of Rs 131.38 crore which was later revised to Rs 157.59 crore.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200408202045.htm
 
S

sikder

Banned Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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Commercial production of SARAS likely by 2008

The first prototype of Saras, the indigenously developed civil aircraft, on Sunday made its inaugural flight here, with design agency National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) announcing that it had begun working on its expanded version.
Escorted by IAF's Kiran trainer aircraft, Saras, piloted by Squadron Leader K K Venugopal and Wing Commander R S Makker, flew for about 20 minutes demonstrating its prowess with about 500 kg of instrumentation.

"The flight was perfect, the weather was nice and there was no turbulence," said Venugopal.

The inaugural flight was put off last month following a minor technical glitch during a test sortie.

The "flawless" sortie was witnessed by Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal, CSIR Director General R A Mashelkar and top NAL and other defence scientists.

Admitting that the first protoype was "heavier" than its desired weight, Saras Project Director K Yegna Narayan said "quite a lot of work has to be done to make it a commercially viable aircraft."

NAL, he said, would fit in a more powerful Canadian Pratt and Whitney engines for the second prototype, besides beginning work on a 19-seater version of Saras. The agency needs an additional Rs 30 crore "for productionising Saras."

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200408221402.htm

http://www.business-standard.com/co...tono=164877&leftnm=lmnu2&lselect=0&leftindx=2

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/823635.cms
 
P

P.A.F

New Member
India tests civilian aircraft prototype

BANGALORE, Aug 22: India successfully flight-tested on Sunday a prototype of its 14-seater civilian aircraft whose development had been delayed by US sanctions, officials said.

The inaugural flight of the aircraft, christened "Saras" (Crane), lasted 20 minutes, officials and witnesses said. The aircraft can attain a maximum speed of 500 kilometres per hour and cruise at an altitude of 7.5 kilometres.

The plane, powered by rear-mounted twin turboprop engines, has been designed to land and take-off on semi-prepared runways, said Kapil Sibal, India's junior minister for science and technology

It was designed and developed by the National Aeronautics Laboratory based in this southern city with help from India's Aeronautical Development Agency and the Defence Research and Development Organization.

Mr Sibal said the aircraft was expected to be ready for production by 2010. It can be used as air taxi, ambulance, for aerial survey, reconnaissance or carrying cargo. "During the next 10 years, the aviation industry will be worth Rs1,000 billion ($22bn)," Sibal told reporters after the test flight.

"India wants to be part of this industry. Instead of importing aircraft, the time has come when people will come and negotiate with us for our aircraft," he said. -AFP

http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/23/top11.htm
 
R

Roger Smith

New Member
ashoaib said:
Good news. It makes me happy when developing nations achieve something.
Click to expand...
It will be good, if Pakistan and India for that matter SAARC countries develop its own AC and export the same.

So far HAL has produced 31 ALH helicopters, 29 have been given to Indian armed forces (IAF, IA, IN & ICG)., I assume HAL has orders of over 200 ALH from the Indian government plus export :smokingc:
 
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