GippsAero has made the maiden flight of the C-NM5 prototype it's built for Indian parent company Mahindra Aerospace and India's CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories.
Jointly developed by Mahindra Aerospace and India’s CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) in India’s first public-private partnership involving aircraft development, the all-new C-NM5 is the product of nearly three years of design work between the two Indian companies and GippsAero. Mahindra tasked GippsAero with building the C-NM5 prototype, which the La Trobe-based manufacturer’s rapid prototyping team completed over the last 10 months.
The C-NM5 is a five-seat, fixed-gear tricycle undercarriage all-metal aircraft powered by a Lycoming IO-540 engine, the same power plant used in GippsAero’s ever-popular workhorse GA8 Airvan. It’s said to boast large cabin access doors to a spacious, reconfigurable cabin interior that can be adapted to different roles. Mahindra says simplicity of systems and ease of maintenance have been design drivers throughout the aircraft.
While scant other details have been released on the sleek-looking low-wing, it’s expected to have a useful load of 500-600kg and a cruise speed of around 160 knots – figures which will put it in direct competition with the Cessna C206 and G36 Bonanza. It is expected that it will be targeted at the training, charter, tourism and medevac markets. The C-NM5's price point hasn't officially been announced, but Mahindra anticipates it will cost around 20 per cent less than similar models from Cessna.
The successful maiden flight of the prototype, flown by independent test pilot Keith Engelsman and supported by GippsAero’s flight test team, occurred on September 1 and lasted for 45 minutes. The flight involved testing basic handling of the aircraft, and subsequent flights have evaluated aircraft stability and control in different flight regimes.
“The successful first flight of the C-NM5 prototype is a great milestone for the Mahindra Aerospace family,” Mahindra Aerospace CEO Arvind Mehra said. “Beyond the technology, the event reflects our commitment to invest in GippsAero and becoming more globally competitive together. I have been impressed by the effectiveness of the working relationship that has developed between our Indian and Australian teams, and of the close cultural relations between our two countries.”
“GippsAero is proud to have produced the prototype of the C-NM5 in partnership with our parent company Mahindra Aerospace,” GippsAero CEO Dr Terry Miles said. “The construction of a working prototype in 10 months is an outstanding achievement for our team, and a testament to the manufacturing skills that we have nurtured within our organisation here in regional Victoria.”
“We are very pleased that Mahindra have invested in GippsAero and had the confidence to trust us with building the prototype of this milestone aircraft and undertaking successful first flights,” Director of Technology at GippsAero George Morgan added. “We are confident that following completion of the development program, the C-NM5 will receive international certification as with other GA aircraft.
“The achievement also reinforces our belief in our ability to deliver our upcoming development programs for new models in the Airvan family of aircraft.”
Those new models include the GA10 turboprop and the GA18, the latter of which is based on the N24A Nomad. Both of these programs are said to be progressing along as planned and on schedule. Read more on GippsAero’s exciting new aircraft programs.
Developmental flight testing and evaluations for the C-NM5 are continuing, with the ultimate objective of achieving Type Certification in keeping with international regulatory standards, followed by a global sales and marketing programme.
The C-NM5 prototype during its first flight. (GippsAero)
