The Hindu Business Line : Saras - many more flaps before real take-off

SARAS, the hatchling of Indian civilian aircraft industry, has tested its wings twice. Those involved with it say the indigenous light transport aircraft has many more miles and milestones to fly before it can pass the ultimate flight muster.

A high-profile official inaugural flight is said to be round the corner later this month or in early July. Until then, the entire National Aerospace Labs team led by Director, Dr B. Ramachandra Pai, is on a code of silence on anything related to the yellow twin-engine turbo-prop `bird.'

A second prototype will follow and the craft has to totally undergo a few hundred hours of flight before it can be posed to the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation for an FAR 25 (Federal Aviation Regulation) air-worthiness tag, informed sources said. "It's a 2-3-year programme," they told Business Line. It has so far done a 20-minute flight each on May 29 and June 7.

The challenging Rs 150-crore programme for the 14-seater multi-utility aircraft was conceived in early 1990s, but actually got off the drawing board in 1998 with grant from the Technology Development Board of the Department of Science & Technology, NAL parent, the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

The programme was hinged on a series of studies in the late 1980s, which indicated that the country needed a fourth level or feeder airline. One market survey has put the demand at 250 aircraft to fly short, 400-km hops as air-taxis for tourists, ambulances, executive planes, military and coastal surveillance and for connectivity in remote regions like the North-East.

The Centre for Civil Aircraft Design & Development, NAL's arm in charge of the Saras project and led by former Director, Dr T.S. Prahlad, has aimed the design at short take-off and landing, high cruise speed, ruggedness, ease of maintenance and low operating cost.

But there are also concerns about the weight of the prototype: it is one tonne more than the desired six tonnes. In its present configuration, the extra load will kill its commercial viability, as the plane cannot take in more than five passengers instead of the proposed 14, according to Dr S.R. Valluri, who was NAL's longest serving Director from 1965 to 1984. The weight aspect may even warrant starting afresh on the project and a cost overrun, he said. Dr Valluri was also the DG of the Aeronautical Development Agency, Bangalore, which is developing the light combat aircraft `Tejas.' Without naming the steps that they were taking about this, a well-placed NAL source said these were being taken care of. "The process of optimisation is on," he said.

Yet another scientist involved with the project for several years said this was part of the process and even the military craft LCA had an initial higher load 400-500 kg - just as many other major international aircraft projects. NAL has also developed Hansa, the very light twin-seater aircraft that is now flying at several flying clubs.

Saras flies on two 800-HP Pratt & Whitney Canadian engines. When certified, Saras is to be produced by HAL, at a price of Rs 20-30 crore apiece. The Indian Air Force has stepped in as the first customer for 6-7 aircraft. Saras will be put to the higher FAR 25 civil certification, a more demanding order than a military certification for aircraft in terms.

Most of the components have been bought out while some are from NAL. The wings come from HAL, Nasik. Soon after the 1998 Pokharan nuclear tests, the project hit a major road block when the US denied it two critical components - a propeller engine item and an auxiliary power plant that drives the accessories. NAL finally procured them from elsewhere.

More Stories on : Airlines | Science & Technology

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Greater transparency in fleet acquisition: Praful Patel

Emirates SkyCargo to offer direct flights to New York

Saras - many more flaps before real take-off

KCCI seeks more air services for Mangalore

New ship joins SCI fleet

Port charge hike hits operators

Rlys seeks Rs 2,000 cr more for safety, expansion work

Wagon demand from SAIL to shoot up

Eco tea