India unveils details of indigenous 70-seat turboprop

India has adopted a turboprop design for its first indigenous regional aircraft and has released preliminary specifications for the planned 70-seater.
National Aerospace Laboratories is looking for foreign partners for the Regional Transport Aircraft RTA-70 and hopes to secure additional government funding later this year.
NAL officials say that they plan to design the RTA-70 with the Indian market in mind, adding that existing turboprops do not meet those requirements. These include improved fuel efficiency, short landing and take-off capability, and the ability to transport cargo.
This will give the aircraft 25% lower acquisition costs, 25% lower operating costs and 50% lower maintenance costs than existing turboprop regional aircraft, says NAL.
"Many towns and cities remain unconnected due to the cost of operations. Short take-off and landing abilities, capability to land on ill-equipped airfields, including all weather operations, can be of very high benefit," NAL says in its RTA-70 brochure.
NAL is eyeing a composite airframe. The aircraft will be powered by two "next-generation turboprop engines", it adds. It would have a fly-by-wire control system, open distributed modular avionics, automatic dependence surveillance - broadcast navigation capabilities, and advanced displays.
06/03/10 Siva Govindasamy/Flightglobal

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2010, New Mar 2010