‘SARAS’ TO ROLL OUT NEXT WEEK
/ TEST FLIGHT YEAR END
‘SARAS’, India’s
first civilian aircraft, a 14-seater will roll out of the
hangar next week and take part in the Bangalore Air show without
taking to wings. It will be some more months, probably the year-end
when the ‘SARAS’ will sore into the sky on its maiden test flight.
The light multi-role transport aircraft is mainly intended for
use in far-flung, remote and hilly areas of the country. It is
ideal for executive transport, light package carrier, remote sensing,
ariel research service, coast guard, border patrol, air ambulance
and other community services.
Built indigenously
by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Banagalore, in collaboration
with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and several private enterprises,
the aircraft will usher in the dawn of civilian aircraft industry
in India in a big way, said the Director General of Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr. R A Mashelkar here
today. He said India first ventured into civilian aircraft production
and came out with the two seater ‘HANSA’ few years ago. It is
best for training, sport and hobby flying and has day and night
flying capability.
The project SARAS
was delayed due to sanctions imposed by the West in the wake of
Pokhran-2 tests. Dr. Mashelkar said that in a way the sanctions
helped in major indigenisation of the plane.
The twin turbo prop
multi-role SARAS is highly suited for short hops in the commuter
role as well as long range high speed cruise in the executive
transport role. It can cruise at a maximum speed of 520 km/hr
with a ferry range of 1942 kms.
