Bengaluru: Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said National Aerospace Laboratories’ (NAL’s) 14-seater passenger aircraft ‘Saras’ is being revived and the flight test will take place in the next one-and-half months.
Harsh Vardhan has also said while the 19-seater will be developed in the days to come, plans are also on to give thrust to a 70-seater plane.
Permissions had been given for carrying out the flight testing and evaluation of SARAS PT1N aircraft. Flight testing will start shortly with the help of ASTE (Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment) team, and engine ground tests have been initiated.
The data would be collected from the tests post which manufacturing will happen in one-and-half years, he told reporters at the Aero India 2017 at the Yelahanka airbase here on the third day of Asia’s premier air show.
“We have taken up the SARAS programme quite aggressively…..SARAS is a 14-seater plane, in fact in the future we would want to convert into 19-seater also. New prototype has been developed with all modifications done after having the feedback,” Vardhan said.
He said “Ground testing has already been done and in the next one-and-half months it is going to start the official test flying, initially some 25 test flights have been planned.”
Vardhan also said that the 14-seater is primarily for air force, but the improved version of the 19 seater was also being planned for the civil aviation.