Homegrown Saras takes wing

The first successful test flight of the 14-seater Saras at the Hindutsan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport here yesterday marks a key step forward in rectifying a historical imbalance that India has suffered from: it has forged ahead in a cutting edge area like space capability but remained behind in an area of earlier vintage "" civil aviation.

The country's first indigenously built civilian aircraft flew for over 30 minutes on Saturday, touching a height of 7,000 ft and achieving a speed of 140 knots.

This is the first prototype and much ground remains to be covered. The aircraft is about 900 kg heavier than what it ought to be and consequently on its first flight had five seats, instead of 14.

According to the specifications that have been targeted, the aircraft is supposed to have a maximum takeoff weight of 6,100 kg, a payload of 1,232 kg, a maximum speed of 620 km per hour, a cruising altitude of 35,000 ft, maximum range of 400 km with 14 passengers and an endurance of six hours.

A lot of hope is centred around this project. It will not only fill a key domestic need for a feeder aircraft but also address the international market, in which another emerging economy like Brazil has made an impact in the 30-seater market with the Embraer, which Jet Airways had at one stage decided to acquire.

The aim is to have the aircraft ready by 2006 and preliminary market studies project a demand for 200 aircraft by 2015. The Indian Air Force has announced it will use the Saras as a transport trainer.

The project, which is being handled by the National Aerospace Laboratories here under the specially constituted Centre for Civil Aviation Design and Development for the purpose, is very close to the heart of Dr R A Mashelkar, director general of CSIR.

Close to 500 scientists and technologist have worked on it and it is not at the state of the art but "ahead of it".

The Saras uses advanced avionics and will operate from short and semi-prepared runways, the sort that are there in the northeast.

Its fuel consumption is targeted to be 15-20 per cent less than the state of the art and "I believe when that happens, we can move forward and capture the market," says Mashelkar.

The development of the aircraft, which had been on the drawing board for 15 years ever since it was visualised by Prof Satish Dhawan, was delayed for various reasons.

First, the Soviets, who wanted to be a part of the development withdrew in 1997 because of the cash crunch along with the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Then the post-Pokhran blast sanctions imposed by the US hampered access of technology. The aircraft is powered by twin Pratt and Whitney engines.

In September 1999, Rs 131 crore was sanctioned for the project by the Union Cabinet.

Because of overruns (initially the Saras was expected to fly by 2001), the project cost is currently estimated at over Rs 160 crore. But even at this level, "it will be a fifth of the development cost, which would have been incurred elsewhere," says Mashelkar.

Saras, which was first displayed at the Bangalore air show early last year, is designed to be an all weather, pressurised aircraft with short takeoff and landing whose rear mounted engines will minimise noise and vibrations levels.

It is designed to be easy to maintain and meant to perform the roles of a feeder aircraft, air taxi, executive aircraft, light package carrier, remote sensing, coast guard, border patrol and air ambulance.