Hindustan Ardhra

ATS-1 Ardhra
Role	Training sailplane
Manufacturer	Civil Aviation Department of India, Hindustan Aeronautics
First flight	5 March 1979

The Hindustan Ardhra was a sailplane designed in India for pilot training by the government's Civil Aviation Department in the late 1970s as the ATS-1 Ardhra. It was a two-seat aircraft of conventional configuration and wooden construction. The Indian Air Force ordered fifty examples in the early 1980s to be produced by Hindustan Aeronautics and the type was approved for use for flying by cadets.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and instructor
• Length: 8.61 m (28 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 16.50 m (54 ft 2 in)
• Height: 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 21.8 m² (235 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 12.5
• Empty weight: 328 kg (723 lb)
• Gross weight: 508 kg (1,120 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 210 km/h (130 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 26
• Rate of sink: 0.8 m/s (160 ft/min)

References

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 255. 
• Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1985-86. London: Jane's Yearbooks. pp. 746.