Date:11/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/08/11/stories/2007081151921000.htm

Back Saras hopes to get final nod by Dec ’09

Our Bureau

Bangalore, Aug. 10

Saras, the country’s first civil aircraft endeavour, is set for its final flight tests next year and should get its certification by December 2009, its project director has said.

National Aerospace Labs, which has designed and developed the craft, has started improving on it through a third prototype — PT3 — to meet the flight standards and this will be ready to fly by December 2008, said Mr M.S. Chidananda, Saras Project Director and Head of NAL’s Centre for Civil Aircraft Design & Development or C-CADD. PT-3 was mandated by the Director General of Civil Aviation.

Mr Chidananda said PT-3 would be 500 kg lighter than the older version because of the use of composites on the tail and wings. The aircraft can then carry enough payload, extra fuel and fly a longer range. It would finally settle at a weight of 7.1 tonnes.

NAL has sought around Rs 40 crore additional funds from its parent, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, to make the improvements. A core team of 40 NAL scientists and a few others are working on the plane.