NAL’s Hansa-NG has successful maiden flight

The two-seater Hansa New Generation (Hansa-NG) aircraft, a revamped version of the original Hansa developed three decades ago, had a successful maiden flight Friday when it took off from the HAL airport and flew for about 20 minutes.

Designed and developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru, the aircraft was flown by test pilot Captain Amit Dahiya to an altitude of 4,000 feet and gained a speed of 80 knots before landing, the NAL said in an official statement. Dahiya said all flight parameters were normal.

The unique features of the two-seater include a glass cockpit with cabin comfort, digitally controlled engine, electrically operated flaps, long endurance, low acquisition and low operating cost.