Saras’ second flight successful

Bangalore saw history made, perhaps on April 18 when after two years, the second prototype of Saras, the indigenous 14-seater multi-role light transport aircraft, made its successful maiden flight .

Wing Cdr RS Makker was the chief test pilot for today’s flight. He was joined by Wing Cdr A Malik as the co-pilot and Wing Cdr MS Ramamohan as the flight engineer.

Saras, India’s first indigenous civil aircraft, is being developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) , a constituent unit of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

All the personnel belong to the Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE) of the IAF, which is the flight testing organisation for Saras.

The first prototype of Saras made its maiden flight on 29 May, 2004 and its formal inaugural flight on 22 August, the same year. The first prototype has so far completed 106 flights.

NAL said several improvements had been made in the second prototype, the most important ones being the incorporation of two higher power engines ~ PT 6A-67A with 1,200 horsepower each in place of the PT6A-66 of 850 HP each used in the first prototype – and new propellers of larger diameter.