Saras-Duet saga is resolved for good

As the Russian Interfax-AVN news agency reported in Sept. 8 the light 14-passengers aircraft Saras will follow the modernization according to Myasishchev's specialists recommendations. 'Till today the part of the work was already done. Particularly the expertize of what already done by the Indian specialists was conducted. The package of propositions for modernization was formulated' - said the source in Russian military-industrial complex. 'The second stage of the work is planned to start in Oct. 2010 and finish during the year, although elongation of this schedule is not excluded' - he considers: 'It will be more specific work on finishing, including ground tests. Not much changes in design is expected, but the questions about the safeness and controllability are remained, i.e. the problems which were not resolved by Indians'.



He pointed out that Saras-1 airframe will be modernized, since Saras-2 was crashed. However, in parallel the building of Saras-3 will start.

Saras was developed in India on the base of Myasishchev's M-102 'Duet' project, but during the development of Indian version the Indian specialists confronted some problems, the source confirmed. Saras has two PT6A-66 engines 850 h.p. each. Its maximal take-of weigh is 6100 kg. According to some reports, Indian AF intent to buy up to 45 these aircrafts, while Indian Navy - 15 planes minimum. Saras will change the vanila planes  An-2, de Havilland Twin Otter and others.

Take-off mas (kg) 5700-6100 depending of engine
Payload                1300
Manufacturing:      India, Russia
Purpose:               Passenger, Administrative, Business Jet
Pass                     14 persons
Range (km)           2000
Cruise Speed        550 (km/h)
Max Speed           650   
Wings, м              14.70
Lenght, м             14.95
Height, м              5.25  
Altitude                9000
 Crew                  2

BTW, on an Ukrainian Internet marketing site an offer for selling Saras plane with two Russian engines TVD-20M  2x 1375 h.p.  has appeared. Disregarding  how serious such offer can look just now, this fact itself certainly confirms the existence of great interest for this plane in the post-soviet countries. So, let's wait and see...