Hindustan 228-201 LW: The aircraft of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) can take off with a maximum take-off weight of 5,695 kg. It has a capacity of 19 passengers and offers several benefits to the operators.
DGCA Approval: The new variant of the ‘Hindustan 228-201 LW’ aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has been approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).dgca) has been approved. New with a capacity to carry 19 passengers aircraft The variant can take off with a weight of 5,695 kg. With this, this aircraft has come under the sub-5,700 kg aircraft category.
This variant will give many operational benefits to the operators. This includes reducing the requirement of pilot qualification and making pilots eligible to fly planes with commercial licenses. This will help in increasing the pilot pool for the plane and reduce the cost. In addition, the new variant will reduce training requirements for flight and ground crew, including aircraft maintenance engineers.
Hindustan 228-201 LW: Features
The Hindustan 228 is being offered to operators as a 19 or 17 seater commuter aircraft. It comes with toilet and VIP/Executive variant which has 11 seats, worktables, a gallery and a toilet. The aircraft will also be available as an air ambulance with two stretchers with portable oxygen and additional seats for paramedic staff. HAL said that many new features will also be added to this aircraft which have been approved by the DGCA.
The new variant is different from the old variant
HAL has introduced Dornier 228 with many advanced features. These include luxurious features like FLIR system, satellite communication tools, ESM technology, speech encryption equipment, enhanced ground proximity warning system and traffic collision avoidance system. In 2016, HAL decided to make a civil version of this aircraft and hence the Hindustan 228 was launched.
Developed in Kanpur
This aircraft is the civil version of the Dornier 228. The civil version was manufactured by the Aircraft Division at Kanpur. The new variant is being introduced to support the UDAN scheme and to enhance local connectivity. This aircraft will make air travel cheaper. Apart from this, HAL also has approval for 6,200 kg AUW aircraft with a seating capacity of 19 passengers.
