SUMMARY: While India’s aerospace industry is growing, most of it is on the military side while commercial aviation is far behind, yet HAL (Hindustan Aircraft Ltd) started with license production of the Hawker Siddley 748 turboprop airliner almost 40 years ago (89 built) and then in the mid-1980’s continued with the Dornier 228 (till now +125 built), and that is it? Oh, lets not forget the never ending 29 year development of the NAL Saras, a 14 passenger pusher turboprop resurrected earlier this year again, for what ? its too small for India’s needs. The Indians know they need bigger aircraft, have the “plans” for the 80-90 seat Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) turboprop and the 70-100 seat Indian Regional Jet (IRJ), but as of now its just talk and nice computer generated pictures. Of the top 7 major aerospace manufacturing nations, India is ranked 7th, yet was ahead of the Chinese 30 years ago, but it has not moved forward, while the Chinese now have the ARJ-21, C919 and soon MA-700 turboprop, all India has is the little 19 passenger Dornier 228, and that is it. What is India waiting for ? it has a huge market for aircraft between 19 to 100+ passenger turboprops and jets, it could have been a major competitor in that segment to Brazil, Canada and China, but its out of the game, too late now because too many new players in the market, Japan (MRJ-75/90), Turkey (TR/TRJ-628), Russians (SSJ100, MC-21) and Indonesia (N219), and other nations to come ?

Then in 1985 HAL signed a licence agreement with Dornier Luftfahrt of Germany to build the 19 passenger, un-pressurized turboprop Do228, and by 2014, 125 were manufactured in India. The Air Force and Navy took most, but 10 went to local airline Vayudoot in 1985.

It was dead for the past few years after a crash and just this year, it was revived again, but 14 passenger seats ? a similar aircraft (pusher configuration) Embraer CBA-123 Vector with 19 passengers and 307 kts was dumped in 1991 after 2 prototypes, (PHOTO-below, see any similarities ?). The NAL Saras is too small for regional airlines, it has to be at least 19 passengers, as India needs 30+ seat regional aircraft.

India will need a 50-90 seat turboprop, and that has been talked about for a long time, but going nowhere, as well talk of a Indian Regional Jet of 70-100 seats is going nowhere. They just can’t seem to get started and committed to anything, lots of great ideas on the Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) (BELOW) and Indian Regional Jet (IRJ) (BELOW), looks good on paper, but it needs to be built, ATR and Q400 need competition on the turboprop market and the regional jet market needs competition to Embraer’s E2’s and the Mitsubishi MRJ-75/90, as the CRJ fade away.

They could for instance, possibly by the Bombardier DHC-8-100/300 Type Certificate, the aircraft is rugged, able to operate into unprepared airstrips and high altitude airports, and they could potentially put into production very fast, and have a regional airliner of 37 to 54 seats.  Look Turkey is leap frogging the industry, through Sierra Nevada (SNC)  and Turkish engineering firm STM to restart production of the 32 passenger Dornier 328 turboprop and 328Jet regional airliners in Turkey and then stretch them into 60-70 seaters, so why not ? IF India doe sit on their own, with their development history, it will be at LEAST 15+ years before they have an aircraft certified.

Mahindra Aerospace, which bought GippsAero (Australia) few years back, is also a disappointment, its 8 seat singe engine piston powered GA-8 is selling poorly (66 delivered in the last 5 years) around the world and the 10 seat single turboprop GA-10 a stretch of the GA-8 is struggling for certification (PHOTOS – below)

he company bought the Type Certificate for what was the GAF (Australia) N24A Nomad, a twin engine turboprop with 18 passenger seats, that as been out of production for many ears and only 39 built. They want to launch it as the GA-18 having bought the program in 2011, but so far again nothing, and yet it has potential with the new RR250 engines, not for hot high conditions of Northern India, but globally it has potential, but if they can’t certify the GA-10 then forget the GA-18.

The Indian’s are too focused on military equipment and see little value in commercial aircraft jet they have the ability and capability to be a major player in the regional aircraft market, of 30 to 80 seat turboprops which India needs.

The AN-32 is now upgraded by Antonov into the AN-132 (PHOTOS – below) with Saudi Arabian investment (Taqnia Aerospace) with new PW 150 engines (5,000+ shp) and new Honeywell Primus Epic avionics and hot high capability to operate out of 13,000 foot airfields that India has. A much better choice for India’s conditions than a jet powered IL-214, their loss.

So India has issues in aircraft manufacturing and has fallen way behind the Chinese, yet they could have by now had a their own larger 40 -80 seat turboprop and regional jet for domestic market but for export as well, but they have serious issues to overcome, as the Comparison of commercial aerospace shows (BELOW), where India is 7th out of 7 countries, with so much do do, and yet I see little progress, lots of dreams and plans but NO action.

Learn something new ? I hope so, till next time, stay safe, fly low and slow, cheers.