NAL Saras
The NAL SARAS is a toy in the development of short-range transport aircraft of the Indian aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics.
Development
Originally, it is a development of the Russian design bureaus Mjassischtschew. After years of development, the Russian design bureau took the Indian aviation and aerospace companies added because of financing problems and turned the plane a joint project. Finally, the Russians dropped out completely from the project. The rest of the development took over the Indian National Aerospace Laboratory ( NAL). It has set itself the goal of bringing the SARAS for series production. The project is struggling with significant time and weight problems. The first prototype took off after a long delay to the first flight on 29 May 2004. A second prototype followed in early 2009. However, he went a short time later by the fall lost and killed all three crew members.
The second improved prototype is expected in the third quarter of 2012.
The Indian Air Force procure as the first and only customer from 2014 50 machines.
Construction
In the NAL SARAS is a twin-engine low-wing monoplane with two side-mounted on pylons on the rear propeller turbines and T-tail. The two engines are designed as so-called Pusher ( = with thrust propellers), resulting in a reduction of the noise in the cabin result.
The aircraft will be able to boot from hot and high airfields with unprepared slopes and land. Different variants are planned: passenger plane for short trips, flying ambulance and surveillance aircraft. A stretched variant for 19 passengers will also be offered.