The Indonesian light twin turboprop transport aircraft, based on the Casa C-212, made its long-awaited maiden flight on 16th August.
LAPAN, the Indonesian Institute of Aeronautics and Space, has announced the much-delayed maiden flight of the first N219 light twin turboprop transport aircraft on 16th August at Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, West Java.
The aircraft was flown by PTDI Chief Test Pilot, Captain Esther Gayatri Saleh, as Pilot In Command (PIC), with First Officer (FO) Captain Adi Budi Atmoko, and Flight Test Engineer (FTE) Yustinus K.
For security and safety reasons, the aircraft made its 30 min flight at an altitude of 8,000ft above the remote Batujajar and Saguling Reservoir areas.
N219 is a 19-passenger plane designed by LAPAN and manufactured by PTDI (PT Dirgantara Indonesia). Designed for flexible operations connecting remote areas, the aircraft will be modestly priced and will offer low operating and maintenance costs. Applications include freight delivery, medical evacuation, passenger service and troop transportation.
The all-metal design is based on the Casa C-212, which is produced under licence by Indonesian Aerospace.