Indian firm to make 2-seater multi-role aircraft

State-run National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) and Delhi-based Mesco Aerospace would jointly develop and manufacture a two-seat civil aircraft for multi-roles, including pilot training, coastal surveillance and hobby flying, a top official said on Friday.

"We have signed an agreement with Mesco to develop, produce and market our Hansa-Next Generation (NG) aircraft that will ease the availability of indigenous aircraft for pilot training and other functions," said city-based NAL Director Jitendra J. Jadhav in a statement.

Mesco will produce a prototype of the aircraft at its facility in the next 13 months for the first test-flight and certification by the state civil aviation regulator by March 2020.

Post certification, the Hansa will be manufactured by Mesco under a licence agreement with NAL. Mesco is also expected to set up a service centre for the aircraft.

According to market estimates, India has an immediate requirement of 70-80 units of 2-seat aircraft.

The partners plan to price the aircraft at Rs 80 lakh for the basic version and Rs 1 crore for the fully loaded version, with all features.

The fixed wing aircraft can also be used for cadet training, coastal surveillance, and bird reconnaissance by the respective stakeholders.

The two firms will bring out the Hansa-NG by modifying NAL's production version of two-seater aircraft Hansa-3.

Hansa-3 will be fitted with an advanced Austrian Rotax 912iSc engine with better fuel consumption, reducing the airframe weight, simplifying steering operations by a steerable nose wheel, LED lights, provision for baggage among other modifications.

The incorporation of newer technologies will make the new aircraft satisfy the requirements of flying clubs for personal and commercial pilot licences, the statement added.

--IANS

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