N250 aircraft, trillions of rupiah project that ran aground because of the 1998 crisis

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The first aircraft made in Indonesia N250 Gatotkaca officially museumed at the Mandala Dirgantara Museum in Yogyakarta. This aircraft has been grounded for decades in the hangar PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Persero), Bandung.

The N250 series is the fruit of the dream of the Minister of Research and Technology in the New Order era, BJ Habibie, so that Indonesia can make its own aircraft. The goal is none other than so that Indonesia, which is geographically an archipelago, can be connected by air.

N250 aircraft was designed and built in 1986. In 1995 the aircraft was successfully airborne in the skies of Indonesia. Initially, the N250 was designed for a market of 30 passengers, but later it was changed to a capacity of 50 passengers.

But alas, sweet story aircraft N250 this must stop when Indonesia is hit monetary crisis or krismon in 1998. The N250 aircraft project was stopped by the state due to the economic crisis. Project closure IPTN also done by the government on the advice of the IMF at that time.

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Quoted from Kompas Daily, August 10, 1995, the N250 aircraft manufacturing program to the following prototyping stage ran aground the 1998 monetary crisis. In fact, to get to production, it takes an investment of 650 million US dollars, or currently worth Rp. 8.45 trillion.

Along with that, IPTN experienced a setback, marked by the layoff of around 15,700 workers in 1997, now only 4,200 people remain. This is in line with the decline in aircraft production. The tide was also experienced by strategic industries and other industries.

BJ Habibie himself directly led the project until it successfully flew. The N250 aircraft are the only turboprop aircraft in the world to use fly-by-wire or fwb with flying hours of approximately 900 hours.

Turboprop is a type of generator that uses a gas turbine to drive the propeller. Technology fly-by-wire will protect the pilot from dangerous maneuvers. This technology can take control of the aircraft when the pilot is off guard.

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Because everything is completely electronic, the maintenance nature of this aircraft is more efficient than its predecessor aircraft.

The flight speed of the Gatotkaca N250 aircraft can reach 610 km per hour. Meanwhile, the operating altitude is 25,000 feet with a cruising range of 1,480 km.

In addition to the complicated fbw, the intention of turning the N-250 into a propeller plane with a high cruise speed of 330 knots or nearly 600 km / hr, left IPTN engineers faced with enormous engineering challenges, which they had never experienced before.

Everything is not easy. One time generator auxiliary power the unit that has to provide additional electrical power is dead, there is also the rudder is moved to turn the plane to the left, the plane turns the other way around, there is also a broken engine generator axle.

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The N250 aircraft started its first flight on August 10, 1995 at Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung. Thousands of people witnessed the first flight of the nation’s first made aircraft.

The takeoff of the N250 was also broadcast live by TVRI. The roar of takbir, cheers of pride, and applause echoed when the N250 piloted by Erwin Danuwinata managed to take off.

At that time, President Soeharto, who was watching the first flight, even wiped a handkerchief several times to wipe away his tears. Soeharto immediately hugged Habibie who was beside him because he could not hold back his happiness.

“Now we can walk upright together with other nations in the world,” said BJ Habibie Kompas Daily, 11 August 1995.

“The success of testing the N-250 is not my success, but the success of the next generation. This success for me is not very important, it is important for the younger generation as the next generation,” he said again.

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An atmosphere of pride as well as emotion enveloped the technicians, engineers, and hundreds of pairs of eyes who witnessed the smooth landing of the N250 aircraft at Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung after a flight of 56 minutes.

Applause as the plane left the runway and when it landed and greeted each other accompanied by an irresistible emotion over the successful flight test of the aircraft, which was named “Gatotkaca”, enveloped the atmosphere of the ceremony which was also covered by many foreign journalists.

“The success of the N250 flight test is a historic milestone for the entire Indonesian nation, because it succeeded in designing modern aircraft by themselves. This is the mainstay of IPTN and also the community, because this project was designed entirely by Indonesians,” said President Soeharto at the time. .

He added that with the successful creation of the N-250, Indonesia could reduce its dependence on foreign countries. In addition, this new aircraft is proud, because it can be sold to other countries.

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“I convey the highest appreciation to IPTN. Hopefully it will be the pride of Indonesia and also other developing countries who feel the same fate as Indonesia,” said Soeharto.

The success, he continued, would encourage greater confidence in one’s own abilities, be able to look to a brighter future, and raise awareness of the importance of the Development Trilogy.

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