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Indonesian Aerospace N-219

2019 MODERN AIRCRAFT

History of Indonesia Aerospace N-219

As an island nation, Indonesia's trade and tourism are at stake. As a result, governments and local industry have moved to invest in equally localized solutions to meet growing demand, revealing a viable domestic market for aircraft design, development and manufacturing. One of the emerging products is the N-219, a light utility vehicle with potential for both civilian and military markets.

The aircraft, based on the CASA C-212 "Aviocar", first flew in March 1971, produced in Spain (already operated by Indonesia). Indonesian Aerospace (IAe), the local group leading the development of the N-219, is targeting a market target price below $5 million per unit.

A prototype has been completed (2017) and entered flight testing, with a maiden flight planned sometime in 2017.

Like the C-212 before it, the N-219 relies on a high-wing monoplane configuration for excellent lift and instant runaway performance. The cockpit is located behind the short nose cone and the cockpit visibility is good. The fuselage is board-side, tapering towards the tail. The tail consists of a rudder and centrally mounted elevators. The landing gear can be moved on all legs and fixed in flight.

Up to 19 passengers can be accommodated inside, with two side-by-side in the cockpit.

Dimensions include a length of 54 feet, a wingspan of 64 feet, and a height of 20.2 feet. Empty weight is 9,500 pounds, and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is close to 15,500 pounds.

Aircraft power is provided by 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42 engines, 850 hp each, mounted under each main plane of the wing, driving four-bladed Hartzell propellers (early replacements were 2 x Honeywell TPE331 production engine, but regional availability and cost ultimately win). Performance includes a cruising speed of 245 miles per hour, a range of up to 970 miles and a service ceiling of 10,000 feet.

The aircraft will have a climb rate of 2,000 feet per minute and a strong heat and heat capability capable of operating on paved and undressed runways.

At the time of writing, the N-219 has only obtained local certification, and plans to seek certification abroad (i.e. US and Europe) in the near future. To date (2017), at least four operators (all local) have committed to such missions.

Planned configurations include standard passenger form, military personnel carrier, cargo/logistics carrier, medical evacuation, surveillance and patrol, and search and rescue (SAR).