Saras-PT1 of the aircraft will be modified and converted to a Saras-PT3 by fitting the higher thrust Pratt and Whitney engines. An extended version of Saras is planned. Commercial production of the aircraft is now expected by 2010.
A senior Air Force official said the 14-seat aircraft, designed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, costs about $8 million. A structural redesign reduced the weight of the second prototype by more than 500 kilograms from the first prototype, which weighed 5,118 kilograms, said an NAL scientist. The plane is powered by a high-thrust engine from Pratt and Whitney, the scientist claimed.
Saras, named after the Indian crane, is a multirole aircraft that can be used for aerial search, border patrol and airlifting troops. It can take off from and land on short, semi-prepared, runways. Saras will get its relevant certifications by 2010, the NAL
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