DGCA approves upgrade of 'Made in India' Do-228 aircraft

New Delhi, Feb 27, (Fast Mail News):-- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved a new version of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) aircraft 'Hindustan Do-228'. After the upgrade, the new version of the aircraft will have a maximum take-off weight of 5,695 kg with a capacity of 19 passengers. HAL has been authorized to manufacture DO-228 domestically. It can be used to carry passengers and VIPs, carry cargo and as an air ambulance.

Bengaluru-headquartered HAL said in a statement on Monday that the new version of the aircraft after the upgrade would have a maximum take-off weight of 5,695 kg with a capacity of 19 passengers. This variant will have several operational advantages for operators such as the ability to be flown by non-commercial licensed pilots, thereby increasing the availability of the pilot pool for the aircraft and reducing operating costs. Also the new version will reduce the maintenance, training requirement for flight and ground crew including engineers.

The Hindustan-228 aircraft is the civilian version, built by HAL under license from the German company Dornier GmbH. It is a multi functional light cargo aircraft. A German organization designed and built the Dornier Do-228 in the late 1970s. In 1983, an agreement was signed between Dornier and HAL to manufacture the aircraft. The agreement was for licensed production of up to 150 aircraft. HAL has been authorized to manufacture DO-228 domestically.

HAL announced its intention to produce a civilian version of the aircraft in late 2016. A year later, Jayant Sinha, the then Minister of State for Civil Aviation, started a separate unit at HAL's Kanpur plant. The Transport Aircraft Division of Kanpur commenced production of the civilian version of the Do-228 to support the central administration's local connectivity program 'Udaan' (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). This flight program is part of the National Civil Aviation Policy of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in June, 2016. It aims to make air travel affordable for smaller cities and isolated areas of India.

The Kanpur division of HAL has expertise in manufacturing, maintaining, modifying and modernizing light transport and trainer aircraft for both the local and overseas markets. Additionally, they are working on building their own equipment and systems with the intention of reducing costs and achieving self-sufficiency. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on December 21, 2017, awarded the 'Certificate of Airworthiness' to HAL for its Do-228 civil variant aircraft, allowing it to be used by airlines within India for regional connectivity.

In view of its requirements, the Indian Navy had proposed several modifications to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, according to which HAL provided the aircraft with two-prop engines, surveillance radar, a FLIR system, ESM technology, satellite communication equipment, Upgraded with surveillance and patrol components including data transmission links, encryption. It is also fitted with Traffic Collision Avoidance System and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS).

According to HAL, the ground-run and low-velocity taxi trials of the Hindustan-228 (VT-KNR) aircraft were conducted on August 21, 2021. The aircraft has been modernized to improve performance, with an electronic cockpit, feedback loops on ergonomic data screens, and automatic self-tests to alert pilots if anything unexpected happens. It also has the most advanced aviation technology. As part of the upgrade a civil-certified turboprop minus ten engine has been added to replace the earlier minus 5 engine and the installation of five-bladed propellers has been completed.

According to HAL, the Do-228 aircraft has the capability of short take off and landing. It has adequate fuel and load capacity, low maintenance cost, high fuel productivity and best-in-class speed. The 19-passenger aircraft with a two-member crew can be customized for various uses, including carrying passengers and VIPs, cargo, serving as an air ambulance, aerial surveillance and photography, cloud seeding and Enables para jumping.