The aircraft will be certified within the next 4 months before it gets inducted into service

New Generation aircraft, Hansa, which has been designed and developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Bengaluru-based National Aerospace Laboratories on Friday made its successful maiden flight.

The Ministry of Science and Technology in a statement said the aircraft took off from the HAL airport at 2 09 PM (on Friday) and flew at an altitude of 4000 ft. and gained a speed of 80 knots before it made a successful landing after about 20 minutes.

Maintaining about the aircraft’s features, the Ministry stated it has a highly efficient digitally controlled engine, glass cockpit with cabin comfort, electrically operated flaps, long endurance, low acquisition and low operating cost.

Given such unique features of the aircraft, CSIR-NAL has received 72 Letters of Intent from various Flying Clubs, the Ministry claimed.

It stated that the aircraft will be certified within the next 4 months before it gets inducted into service.

The flight was monitored in telemetry by senior officers and scientists and engineers from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and CSIR-NAL.

Capt. Amit Dahiya, test pilot, who flew the aircraft, has expressed his happiness and told that all the flight parameters were found normal and it is a Text Book flight.

Dr Shekhar C Mande, Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR, while congratulating Team NAL said that this successful milestone flight is the culmination of efforts of the CSIR-NAL design team, flight test crew and DGCA with support from ASTE.

He further mentioned that CSIR-NAL has already identified a private partner and series production will start soon.