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The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to induct indigenous SARAS aircraft. The indigenous multi-role light transport aircraft (LTA) SARAS programme is expected to get a major boost with the Indian Air Force (IAF) placing an order for 30 extra SARAS aircraft besides the 15 already ordered.
The 14-seater SARAS multi-role LTA programme under development by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is worth $36.6 million. This civilian transport aircraft has suffered delays for a decade due to design flaws, an under-powered engine, excess take-off weight and non-availability of components following the 1998 sanctions imposed by the U.S.
Senior IAF officials revealed that the IAF will implement the ‘SARAS’ programme through an Integrated Project Management Team headed by the commandant of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, members from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), NAL, related Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories and the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification.
‘SARAS’ LTA is equipped with two rear-mounted turbo-prop Pratt and Whitney engines in a pusher propeller configuration and is designed to take off from and land on short, semi-prepared runways. It has advanced design features like state-of-the-art avionics, carbon fibre composite control surfaces, low-drag wing, low cabin noise, a maximum speed of 550 kmph (at an altitude of 7.5 km), a range between 500 and 2,000 km and a maximum takeoff weight of 7,100 kg with a useful payload of 1,200 kg.
Despite its maiden flight in 2004 and over 170 flights of the two prototypes, the issue of excess weight is yet to be sorted. The ‘SARAS’ is designed to carry between eight and fourteen passengers and is extendable to an 18-passenger variant in multiple modes of operation.
SARAS will be apt to fulfill a variety of roles such as executive transport, light package carrier, remote sensing and aerial research service, coast guard, border patrol, air ambulance and other community services.
SARAS is the first civil aircraft program aimed at certification standard, FAR 25. The ‘SARAS’ program is unique in that the propeller configuration of SARAS is pusher type and it is the first indigenously designed civil transport aircraft in India. In light of its unique configuration and in absence of any precedence for certification of an indigenously designed and developed aircraft against a FAR airworthiness standard in India, the prototype flight-testing of SARAS aircraft has become a critical issue.
While the first flight of SARAS aircraft was flown on 29 May 2004 and the prototype flight-testing was progressing satisfactorily, NAL still has to iron out some of the rough spots. Even after a delay of almost a decade and cost overruns to the tune of $5 million, NAL is awaiting certification of airworthiness for SARAS aircraft from Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as NAL failed to bring down its weight. The flight certification is now expected after 2010.However, NAL is confident that the demand for Saras LTA will only increase down the years.
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