HAL’s trainer aircraft makes first flight

With Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar watching, HTT-40, the indigenously designed and built basic trainer aircraft for Air Force pilots, officially demonstrated its flight on Friday morning.

The small plane, painted bright yellow, was in the skies for about 15 minutes over the old HAL airport in Bengaluru around 9:15 a.m.

Group Capt. (Retd.) Subramaniam, HAL’s chief test pilot, flew the Hindustan Turbo Trainer.

A few hundred employees and invitees witnessed the formal inauguration of the trainer aircraft.

Later, Mr. Parikkar congratulated the design team of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. for realising and flying the plane in the promised time.

HAL CMD T. Suvarna Raju said they are aiming to get the aircraft certified in 2018. It would need three flight prototypes, two static versions and a zest.

HAL took up the project in 2013 with a finance of Rs 350 crore. An additional Rs. 200 crore will be needed to build prototypes.