Saras plane

Why is it in news?

First flight trials of the new version of the indigenous civilian airplane prove successful.

Details

• Nearly a decade after a tragic crash of the 14-seater Saras, which effectively stalled the indigenous civilian aircraft programme, Wednesday saw the first flight trial of the new version of the airplane, PT1N (Prototype 1 New).
• Insiders said the first of the over six “design confidence building” trials went off successfully. For 40 minutes, the aircraft, accompanied by a defence escort, flew to speeds of 140 knots and reached a height of 8,500 feet.
• In the coming weeks, subsequent design and altitude alterations can see the flight reach closer to its top speed of 184 knots and 30,000 feet in height,
• The aircraft programme, named after the Indian crane Saras, was first conceptualised in the 1990s as a way to establish a short-haul civil aviation market.
• In January 2016, it was reported that the project has been cancelled.^[1] But in February 2017, the project has been revived.

About Saras

• The NAL Saras is the first Indian multi-purpose civilian aircraft in the light transport aircraft category as designed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL).
• SARAS PT1N, a 14-seater passenger aircraft, is an upgraded version of the plane; aircraft took off at about 11 am from HAL airport and flew for about 40 minutes at the maximum height of 8500 feet at the speed of 145 knots.
• The NAL Saras project was conceived in order to study and fulfill the civil aviation requirements of India and recommended ways of establishing a viable civil aviation industry

Source

The Hindu