SMA has finalised a deal with National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) of India to supply its 170kW (228hp) SR 305-230 diesel engine for the Hansa 4 civil trainer now under development. This is SMA's first deal in India and could open up the Asian market for the company.
SMA says the NAL contract was assisted by fellow French powerplant builder Snecma. SMA is jointly owned by EADS, Renault and Snecma.
Flight testing the all-composite Hansa 4, an upgrade of the Hansa 3 trainer and NAL's first foray into the Indian civil aviation market, will begin in the first quarter of next year, leading to certification and first deliveries in 2004.
SMA is seeking to increase its share of the diesel engine market through retrofit and new aircraft installations. The SR305, which received US certification earlier this year, has already been selected by Cirrus and Maule to drive their respective SR22tdi and M-7 light aircraft. Seven retrofit programmes are also under development, including the Cessna 182 Skylane and EADS Socata TB20, for which supplemental type certificates are scheduled early next year.
Source: Flight International
