News: India has launched its first indigenous pilot trainer aircraft, Hansa-3(NG), marking the country’s march towards self-reliant aerospace manufacturing.
About Pilot Trainer Aircraft “Hansa-3(NG)”
- It is India’s first indigenous trainer aircraft developed for pilot training.
- Developed by: It is designed and developed by CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Aim
- The aircraft provides a cost-effective alternative to foreign trainers and trains pilots for Private and Commercial Pilot Licences.
- It supports India’s aviation ecosystem by meeting the growing demand for pilots through indigenous technology.
- Key features
- It is a two-seater, low-wing, composite airframe with a bubble canopy that gives panoramic visibility.
- Powered by: It is powered by a fuel-efficient, digitally controlled Rotax engine with an advanced electronic fuel injection system that maintains the optimum fuel–air mixture at different altitudes.
- The aircraft has a modern glass cockpit and electrically operated flaps.
- Range: It offers a range of 620 nautical miles, 7 hours of endurance, and a maximum cruise speed of 98 KCAS.
- It serves as an ideal low-cost trainer for pilot licensing, and an electric variant, E-HANSA, is under development to support sustainable aviation.
About CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
- It is India’s only civilian aerospace research and development laboratory focused on aerospace science and engineering.
- It was founded on 1 June 1959.
- Headquarter: It’s headquarter is in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- It functions under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
