SINGAPORE, February 27: Indian aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is planning to diversify into the civilian sector with the production of a 50-seat turbo prop airliner.``We are planning to diversify to meet the growing needs of industrial aerospace while continuing to stress on military requirements,'' HAL's chairman C G Krishnadas Nair told The Indian Express at the Asian Aerospace '98 (six-day) being held here. Military requirements presently make up around 90 per cent of its activities.
HAL is using the platform provided by AA '98, the world's third largest airshow after Farnborough and Paris, to locate partners for its 50-seat airliner.
``We're here to meet all our future collaborators and promote the opportunity for joint ventures,'' Nair said between hectic meetings with aerospace giants.
Though nothing more than a colourful concept drawing at the HAL's AA'98 pavilion, the aircraft marks a maiden attempt by the largest aeronautical complex in South East Asia to grab of slice ofthe civil aviation pie.
HAL officials say that the programme is based on studies which project a major leap in the country's civil aviation sector. The potential in air traffic will come from new city paris and feeder lines to smaller cities.The feeder route aircraft of the 50-seater capacity is expected to double by 2010, they say. ``The Indian requirement is projected at around 80-100 aircraft, it is sufficient to break even even for a co-production or joint venture,'' Nair said. Concept drawings of the turbo prop aircraft project it as a `Multi-Role Quick Change' aircraft to meet civil passenger, military and cargo needs.
On the military front with series production of the long-delayed LCA years away, HAL will sign a deal for licensed production of the SUKHOI Su-30 by JUne this year.
Earlier this month, a team from Sukhoi manufacturer Irkutsk Aviation Plant discussed the techno-economic feasibility of the project with defence ministry officials in Delhi. According to the preliminary report, HAL willdeliver the first SU-30, four years from the date of signing the contract.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
