HAL's made in India Udan plane clears major milestone

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said on Monday it has successfully carried out the Ground Run and Low Speed Taxi Trials (LSTT) of the Hindustan-228 (VT-KNR) aircraft for DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) 'Type Certification'.

The event was part of 75th Independence Day celebrations at HAL's Kanpur facility on Sunday, the Bengaluru-headquartered HAL said in a statement.

"This is a major milestone for the first fixed wing Made-in-India civil aircraft in India.  It is a step forward towards strengthening regional air connectivity", said CEO of HAL's Accessories Complex, Sajal Prakash.

DGCA Director Indranil Chakraborty said the type certification will also enable HAL to get the international certification for the aircraft. The aircraft complies with the latest "FAR 23 certification" requirements.

HAL's Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers.

The Division has ventured into the manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft to support the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) of the Government of India.

"This aircraft could be utilised successfully by civil operators and State Governments for their intra- and inter-state connectivity with seamless support towards training, maintenance and logistics", the statement said.

The Hindustan-228 is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like Para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications, HAL added.