DRDO set to acquire DO-228 as the new Flight Test Bed | HAL set to roll out modified Dornier

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is all set to acquire a new flight test bed (FTB) in the form of a modified and custom-made Dornier (DO-228) aircraft. The DRDO hopes to reduce the dependency on foreign agencies to carry out the tests, once the desi FTB is rolled out. The platform, being manufactured by Kanpur-based Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), will likely to be with the DRDO by the first week of April. With all modifications, the FTB is expected to cost over Rs 100 crore. 

DRDO sources tell Express that many industries and government firms were on the hunt for a suitable platform to undertake standalone tests of critical components and systems. With the increase in indigenous aeronautical activities within the country, the initial plan was to go for a foreign aircraft and later equip it with Indian systems. "Embraer was one of the candidates we looked at. Generally the test and design data of an imported aircraft are not shared owing to the proprietary clause. We couldn't have flown our own FTB without knowing these details either. So the plane to import was shelved and DO-228 was the automatic choice. HAL's TAD Kanpur have all the expertise available with them in manufacturing the Dorniers," an official said. 

With the arrival of a new FTB, DRDO hopes that the development time for various projects will come down. "The FTB will come handy for all airborne system evaluations. We hope to test all systems of Tejas, unmanned air vehicles on the FTB. In addition, radars, antennas, radio altimeters, data links and ATOL systems (automatic take-off and landing) will now take the FTB route. So far some limited Indian radars were tested with Israeli help," the official said. DRDO has put two consoles on the yet-to-be-named FTB, with the potential for adding two more. 

The new FTB is expected to serve the needs to DRDO for the next 20 years. Currently, the Centre for Airborne Systems, DRDO lab, operates an Avro for limited tests. The new FTB will be on the rolls of Electronics & Radar Development Establishment, another DRDO lab, and it will be flown by the Test Pilots from Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment of the Indian Air Force.
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