Test pilot gives thumbs up to N-250

PARIS (JP): "We had a smooth flight. The plane was in top shape."

That was the verdict from Indonesian Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Sumarwoto who, along with 12 others, flew the Gatotkoco, the initial prototype of the N-250, all the way from Bandung, West Java, to here for the Paris Air Show.

The twin turboprop aircraft took three days to cover the distance.

"We didn't encounter any major problem," Sumarwoto, who was here to also fly the N-250 at the airshow, said during a break at the PT IPTN chalet at Le Bourget airport.

The N-250 is the showpiece of PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), the Indonesian state aircraft manufacturer, which made its international debut at the recent air show.

It was the first time the plane, which made its maiden flight in Jakarta in August 1995 and uses the fly-by-wire system, had ventured outside Indonesia. By the time it reached Paris, the plane had clocked more than 500 flying hours.

The journey from IPTN's plant in Bandung included refueling stops in Batam (Indonesia); Bangkok; Calcutta; Bombay; Muscat; Riyadh; Alexandria (Egypt), and Brindisi (Italy).

"The longest flight we made was four and a half hours, and it was really smooth," flight test engineer Hindawan H. said.

"We did not really stretch the plane to its limits. We played it safe," he said.

Gatotkoco did encounter some bad weather during the journey, including on the way to Brindisi, but Sumarwoto said each time the plane managed to detour into better climes.

"We saw it on the radar, so we had enough time to avoid it," he said. "And we had assistance from the nearest control tower every time."

Ice formed on the plane's wings as it flew between Calcutta and Bombay. This had never occurred in previous test flights in Bandung, but was bound to happen one day.

"It was an opportunity to test the plane's de-icing system," Hindawan said. "It worked successfully."

The Gatotkoco crew's only complaint during the journey was the slow handling on the ground at some of the stops. "You know, customs clearance and administration stuff," Sumarwoto said.

The return journey to Bandung was likely to take even longer because Gatotkoco was conducting a sales promotion "roadshow" in 14 cities in 11 countries across Europe and Asia.

The time spent at Le Bourget for Sumarwoto and Hindawan was also used to compare notes with test pilots from other countries.

"There is a kind of bond between test pilots, no matter where you come from," said Sumarwoto, who has been seconded by the Indonesian Air Force to work for IPTN.

It was also an opportunity to view some of the more recent and state-of-the-art planes on display here.

"My favorite is Sukhoi's SU-32FN," said Sumarwoto, 45, who spent a lot of time flying F-5 fighter planes during his career in the Air Force.

"My favorite is the C-17 transport plane, which also uses the fly-by-wire system," Hindawan said. (emb)