RI's first plane makes its debut

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)