SARAS completes 2nd test flight successfully

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : India’s indigenous light transport aircraft SARAS was successfully test flown for the second time on February 21, 2018. The flight commanded by Wing Commander U P Singh, Group Captain R V Panicker and Group Captain K P Bhat of Indian Air Force- Aircraft and System Testing Establishment, took off from HAL’s airport in Bengaluru for a text book flight.

This was the second of the 20 test flights planned for SARAS PT1N, before freezing the production version. The first successful test was carried out on January 24, this year. The design and development of the aircraft is being done by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories ( NAL). According to NAL, the production model design is expected to be ready by June-July this year, according to a PIB release.

Congratulating the CSIR-NAL scientists and the commanders of Indian Air Force – Aircraft and System Testing Establishment, Science & Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the flight commanders deserve special appreciation, for their courage to fly an aircraft, which was rejected earlier. He announced commendation award for the Commandant and the test crew of ASTE.

“The project was dumped by the previous government after an accident during test flight in 2009. Though the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) had exonerated the aircraft from any design flaw or poor-quality production, no effort was made to revive the project,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan, who was present during the second test flight on February 21. “The credit for reviving the indigenous project goes to the present government headed by Narendra Modiji, who had given a thrust to ‘Make in India’ mission.

After the project was revived by the present government, NAL has incorporated design modifications and improvements on the SARAS PT 1 model, like 2×1200 shp engines and 104-inch diameter propeller assembles to cater to second segment climb gradient requirements, improved flight control system, rudder area, main wheel and brakes to cater to 7100 kg AUV, indigenously developed stall warning system, etc.

“The unit cost of the aircraft with more than 70 per cent indigenous content will be around Rs 40-45 crore as against Rs 60-70 crore for imported ones and has far more benefits than what the imported aircraft offer,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, HAL has been identified as the production agency for the military version of SARAS, while the production of civil version will be given to identified private industries. India needs 120-160 aircraft in this genre – both civil and military versions – in the next 10 years.

“SARAS Mk 2 will be ideal for commuter connectivity under Government of India’s UDAAN Scheme for variety of applications like air taxi, aerial search/survey, executive transport, disaster management, border patrol, coast guard, ambulance and other community services,” said Dr Vardhan.