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Mon, May 31, 2004

First Flight: Indian-Made Saras

"It Was A Good Flight"

The first Indian-built civilian aircraft made history Saturday, successfully completing its first flight with what executives at India's National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) called "a good flight."

"It went off very well," said NAL Director B. R. Pai, quoted by the Press Trust of India.

For NAL, it was a long, expensive road to the Saras' first flight. Design and construction on the aircraft began in 1991. But after India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998, the US slapped a technology ban on New Delhi, dramatically slowing development of the project.

The prototype Saras was powered by two pusher turboprop engines designed and built by Pratt & Whitney of Canada. It flew at an altitude of almost 7500 feet after taking off from HAL Airport in Bangalore. The initial flight lasted approximately 20 minutes. Officials said it averaged a speed of approximately 150 kts.

NAL hopes the Saras (named for a type of crane native to India) will fill a number of civilian roles, from cargo transport to 14-passenger commercial carrier.

FMI: www.cmmacs.ernet.in/nal/pages/saraspg/sarashm.htm

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