Page 218 - DMGT521_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 12: Work Break Down Structure

Notes
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Case Study National Aerospace Laboratories

or more than a decade, K.Yegna Narayana, director of the light transport aircraft
(LTA) project at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bangalore had little
Felse than thinking, talking about and working on his project. At NAL hangar near
his office, the aircraft is getting finishing touches. The 14-seater LTA, now named Saras
and looking impressively big near tiny two-seaters designed and made by NAL, is set to
roll out on 4th February. It will fly by the end of June. Saras is the first civilian aircraft to
be designed and manufactured completely in India. India is entering the civil aircraft
industry this year. India contributes 0.1% to the world aircraft manufacturing market of
$350 billion. Saras is the first serious attempt to address this anomaly.
The project was conceived by Roddam Narsimha, who was the director of NAL in 80s and
early 90s. Narsimha had decided that NAL needed to design aircraft and not just do
research. The first attempt was an assembly: the experimental light canard aircraft. NAL
then designed the two-seater Hansa, the only all-composite two-seater in the world. Hansa
got certified in 2000. Even while the Hansa work was in progress, NAL decided to make
Saras. The first feasibility study was done in 1989. Russia's Myasischev Design Bureau was
a partner. But Saras got stuck due to lack of funding. The Russians pulled out due to
economic difficulties. By the end of 90s, it seemed that Saras would never be developed. In
1999, the Department of Science and Technology's technology development board (TDB)
agreed to help. TDB sanctioned a grant of 65 crore for the development of Saras. The
estimated development cost was 132 crore. The Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research, of which NAL is a part, put in 52 crore. Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and the
ministry of Civil Aviation put in 9 crore and 5 crore respectively. The project got
underway by end-1999, 10 years after the feasibility study.
A number of companies worked on the project. HAL designed and developed the landing
gear, electrical systems and few other parts. Taneja aerospace made most of the sheet
metal parts. NAL did the design and development, structural and qualification testing and
the project management. The Central Mechanical Engineering and Research Institute,
Durgapur, developed the throttle control box. About 20 firms in Bangalore did the machine
tooling. To reduce development costs, developers used off-the-shelf components as much
as possible. T.S. Prahlad, who was NAL's director till recently, says, "Saras is specially
designed for Indian conditions." It can take off from short run ways, in hot conditions and
on high altitudes. It can fly in any kind of weather. India's feeder airline services are
poorly developed; even existing services like Vayudoot have stopped operations. 7 Other
than poor management, two major problems have been lack of cheap Indian aircraft and
poor economies of scale for maintenance. Saras could solve both.
NAL now estimates an Indian market of 200 planes in the next 10 years.The aircraft industry
has a considerable influence on the economy of a country. The economic impact of aviation
on the world's GDP is about 10%. After Saras, the next civil aircraft project is the 100-seater
from HAL. Can these two projects Kickstart an aircraft industry in the country?
Questions:

1. Study and analyze the case.
2. Write down the case facts.
3. What do you infer from it?
Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6929735/Project-Management0406

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