NAL's Hansa-NG aircraft takes to skies in maiden flight

The Hansa Next Generation (NG) trainer aircraft being developed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in the city, conducted its maiden flight on Friday.

The aircraft took off from HAL airport at 2.09 pm and flew at an altitude of 4,000 feet at a speed of 80 knots before it returned to the airport 20 minutes later. Test pilot Captain Amit Dahiya who undertook this sortie said that all flight parameters of the aircraft were normal and in line with expected parameters.

The Hansa-NG is an upgraded variant of the two-seater Hansa aircraft. NAL said that the aircraft has a glass cockpit, a high-efficient digitally controlled Rotax 912 ISC engine, electrically operated flaps and long endurance. The aircraft is also touted as having low acquisition and low operating costs.

“CSIR-NAL has already received 72 letters of intents from various flying clubs and the aircraft will be certified within the next four months before it gets inducted into service,” NAL said in a statement.

The flight was monitored in telemetry by senior officers and scientists from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (Cemilac). Dr Shrkar C Mande, Secretary, DSIR and Director General, CSIR, who was also present, stated that NAL has already identified a private partner for series production of the aircraft.

The aircraft had been issued a type certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2020, the manufacturing of the first aircraft for flight trials was initiated by NAL in September 2020.