RI's first plane makes its debut
BANDUNG, West Java (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated the country's first domestically-designed medium-range commuter plane in a roll-out ceremony coinciding with the nationwide commemoration of Heroes Day yesterday.
"The rolling out of the N-250 today depicts that we are following up on our national heroes' struggle for independence 49 years ago," Soeharto said in his speech during the ceremony, which was attended by Mrs. Tien Soeharto, Vice President and Mrs. Try Sutrisno, a number of cabinet members and foreign ambassadors.
He said the success in the development of high technology in the aircraft industry has bolstered the country's confidence that Indonesia will be able to prevail and develop the most advanced technology.
In yesterday's ceremony, Soeharto inaugurated the first prototype of the 50-seat subsonic N-250 plane, which applies the innovative technology called "fly-by-wire". The prototype is called Gatotkoco, after the flying hero of the ancient Mahabarata epic, which has inspired Indonesia's wayang puppet theater and wayang orang opera.
State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, who is also president of the state-owned aircraft maker, PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), said that the other three prototypes, the N-250-100 series, will have a capacity of 64 to 70 seats.
The ceremony was marked by the emergence of the Gatotkoco prototype from a hangar amid a colorful fog created by dry ice. It was pulled by IPTN employees, while a choral group sang anthems. A poem written by Habibie was then read out.
"This is for you, the country, the heroes, the warriors; both the known and unknown ones. Please, receive gratitude from us, your younger generation," Habibie said in the poem.
Soeharto then poured water from a traditional clay jug over the plane, before breaking it in front of the aircraft. A traditional dance was then performed, illustrating the legend of Gatotkoco.
Names
Habibie said that the aircraft, worth US$13.5 billion, is the first of four prototypes prepared by IPTN.
"Gatotkoco is the name given by President Soeharto, who also named the other three prototypes; Koco Negoro, Krincing Wesi and Putut Guritno," he said.
Each plane has a potential minimum flying speed of 300 knots, or 556 kilometers per hour, and a maximum speed of 330 knots, or 612 kilometers per hour, for a distance of 1,482 kilometers.
The three other prototypes are scheduled to be launched in February, June and August next year.
After the ceremony, President and Mrs. Tien Soeharto inspected the various systems and equipment of the Gatotkoco and the 1:1 scale mock-up of N-250-100.
Three domestic airlines, Merpati Nusantara, a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, Bouraq Airlines and Sempati Air have signed agreements with IPTN for the procurement of 188 N-250s. Gulfstream International Airline has signed a letter of intent for purchasing similar aircraft.
Habibie said a U.S. company has ordered 10 aircraft and a European firm another 24.
U.S. venture
In a press conference attended by hundreds of foreign and domestic reporters, Habibie said that his company has assigned IPTN North America (INA), IPTN's subsidiary in Seattle, the United States, to prepare the establishment of a joint venture to be called the American Regional Aircraft Industry (Amrai).
He said recently that the planned joint venture, which will set up an assembly plant with an investment of $100 million in the United States, will be able to produce one aircraft every two days, of which 50 percent will be marketed in North America.
According to Habibie, the planned venture will be 40 percent controlled by IPTN and 60 percent by foreign partners. "General Electric of the United States has confirmed it wants to take a 10 percent ownership."
President Soeharto is expected to announce the partnership and location of the planned U.S. plant next month.
Habibie, targeting the U.S. and European markets, has said repeatedly that IPTN has developed the latest technology for aerodynamics and avionic systems in the N-250, the first turboprop commercial plane using high sonic speed.
He said that the fly-by-wire technology applied for the N-250, which will be flown within the next eight months, is meant to support the aircraft control system in a sophisticated way.
He also said the operation of the prototypes will be used to obtain air certificates from the Directorate General of Air Transportation in July 1997 and from the Federal Aviation Agency of the United States in December 1997.
In developing the N-250 since 1984, IPTN has been supported by a number of foreign companies, including America's Boeing; Allison and Collins; the French firm, Messier Eram and Auxilec; the German firm, Liebherr, and the British firm Dowty and Lucas.
N-250 will have its maiden flight in July or August 1995, when Indonesia celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence. Its commercial production is expected to start in late 1997. (icn)