HAL to showcase its indigenous civil platforms at Wings India

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (IANS) Aerospace and Defence equipment maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will showcase its indigenous civil platforms, Hindustan-228 aircraft and ALH Dhruv upgraded civil helicopter during Wings India 2024, beginning January 18 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.

During the four-day event, HAL stall will display scale models of LUH (civil variant), Hindustan-228, ALH (civil variant), Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) and accessories pertaining to civil aircraft.

It will hold business meetings with OEMs and customers besides signing agreements with its business partners for various projects.

"HAL is propelling the initiative of 'Made in India' fixed wing civil aircraft to boost regional connectivity in India. The Company is leveraging its strengths in manufacturing aircraft like Do-228 and HS-748 and extending its capabilities to civil aircraft programmes like the Regional Transport Aircraft. HAL is also actively pursuing collaborations for undertaking civil MRO activities," said C. B. Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Additional Charge), HAL.

The upgraded civil Dhruv helicopter, a variant of Advanced Light Helicopter, is a 5.5 tonne, twin engine helicopter, designed and developed by HAL. The helicopter can perform various roles like disaster management, Search and Rescue (SAR), underslung roles, Heli-tourism, VIP ferry etc. The helicopter has Advanced Glass Cockpit and avionics. This helicopter would meet the Regional Connectivity programme (RCS) of the Union government.

The Hindustan 228 aircraft is a multipurpose, light weight twin turboprop aircraft indigenously developed by HAL to cater to the remote regional connectivity on short haul air routes under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik). Hindustan-228 can be configured for a variety of roles - Regional Airliner/Air Taxi, VIP/Executive Transport, Search and Rescue, Casualty evacuation/Ambulance, Cargo and Logistics Support, Calibration of Airport Nav-aids, Geographical surveys, Aerial photography, etc. The aircraft cockpit is upgraded with fully digital Glass Cockpit, upgraded avionics and systems. The aircraft is Type Certified by DGCA.

HAL has also taken the initiative to develop a civil variant of the Light Utility Helicopter. The Company is pursuing the build of the LUH civil prototype with DGCA certification, expected to be achieved by December, 2025.