http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080610040349&Page=Q&Title=Orissa&Topic=0
Light passenger flight on scientist’s ‘runway’
Tuesday June 10 2008 14:25 IST
Express News Service
BERHAMPUR:
Now working at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a Government- run institute at
In an informal address to the mediapersons after the function, he spoke about his ideas on the proposed aircraft.
The aircraft would be light weight, accommodates 50 to 70 passengers, fuel efficient and able to land in shorter runways without much infrastructure, said the former vice-chancellor of
Such an aircraft is needed in the country to make air-connectivity across districts which would help in the economic development besides putting the unutilised airstrips to use, he said.
There are about 450 small airstrips across the country but most are unutilised, with only 66 airports operating at present, he said.
Although small aircraft operate in other countries, the proposed aircraft would be different from others and cost and fuel efficient.
"The concept for manufacturing this kind of new aircraft by utilising new technology has already been established and now we are trying to make its design," Harinarayana, Padmashree awardee and former DRDO scientist, said.
If the work for this type of passenger aircraft starts this year,
Several private companies, including Mahindra and Mahindra, Satyam and UK-based Swraj Paul’s company are among several others which have shown interest to invest with an aim enter the aviation sector, he said.
"We, however, want the proposed project in public-private partnership (PP) mode involving the government," said the scientist who was born in Berhampur and graduated in mechanical engineering from
Email: hnkota@yahoo.com
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Additional links:
1) Bio-data of D.
http://www.uohyd.ernet.in/academic/specialized_centres/UCESS/KotaHarinarayana.html
2) Scientist moots idea of manufacturing passenger aircraft
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200806081861.htm
3)
http://www.ada.gov.in/others/news/events/dr_kota/dr_kota.html
4) Dr. Kota in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Harinarayana