PT DI to Complete Construction of N219s Next April

Jakarta (Antara) - Indonesia's aircraft manufacturer, PT DI, in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN), is scheduled to complete the construction of four N219 aircraft, a minister has said. "PT DI in cooperation with LAPAN is building N219s. Four aircraft of that type will be completed and assembled by April 2015," Research and Technology Minister, Gusti Muhammand Hatta, said on the occasion of National Technology Day here on Monday. PT DI has received orders for the construction of 100 N219s from a national airline, he said. In the construction of the N219s, PT DI produced airplane mock-ups, prepared material and required specifications to make flight engineering models and simulators. LAPAN, has the task of working on the design and development of the N219 planes. A total of 28 researchers had worked with the Indonesian airplane industry which was launched March 12, 2014, especially in the fields of avionic, electric, propulsion, engineering flight simulators, aerodynamics, and structure analysis, according to information from PT DI. Besides LAPAN, the Indonesian aircraft manufacturer also involved other agencies such as the ministry of research and technology, the agency for assessment, application of technology (BPPT) and the ministry of industry. In this project, BPPT conducts assessment on the aircraft's aerodynamics and structure. The ministry of industry develops the support industries and creates industrial clusters for the N219 production. The N219s were designed by Indonesians and were developed with about 60 percent indigenous content, Industry Minister, MS Hidayat, earlier said. (*)