From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 17: HAL will showcase its indigenous civil platforms, Hindustan-228 aircraft and ALH Dhruv upgraded civil helicopter during Wings India 2024 to be held from January 18 to 21 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.         

C B Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Additional Charge), HAL says, “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,” he said. 

HAL will be present at Hall A, Stall No 25 during the show. 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.        

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

Upgraded Civil Dhruv Helicopter:  

The upgraded civil Dhruv helicopter, a variant of advanced light helicopter, is a 5.5-ton, 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 program (RCS) of Government of India. 

Hindustan-228:  

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 variety of roles – Regional Airliner and Air Taxi, VIP and Executive Transport, search and rescue, casualty evacuation and Ambulance, Cargo and Logistics Support, Calibration of Airport Nav-aids, Geographical surveys, Aerial photography. 

The aircraft cockpit is upgraded with fully digital glass cockpit, upgraded avionics and systems. The aircraft is Type Certified by DGCA. 

Civil LUH:  

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.