The Mahindra Aerospace-NAL C-NM5 five-seat turboprop has conducted its maiden flight, a key milestone for the first Indian aircraft developed by a public-private partnership.
The flight took place on 1 September and lasted 45 minutes, said Mahindra. It was conducted from Latrobe regional airport in Australia, where Mahindra's Australia unit GippsAero has a facility. Subsequent flights have evaluated aircraft stability and control in different flight regimes.
The company hopes to meet Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 23 norms, with international type certification the ultimate goal. The company will market the aircraft globally.
© Mahindra Aerospace
"The programme is India's first public-private partnership to develop an aircraft, and this milestone event is the result of teamwork across three development teams: the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories, Mahindra Aerospace and GippsAero," said Mahindra & Mahindra, the parent company of Mahindra Aerospace.
The C-NM5 is powered by a Lycoming IO-540 engine. It has non-retractable landing gear and large access doors.
Previously, the company has referred to the aircraft as the NM5-100.
Source: Flight International
