The Indonesian dream to build a twin jet aircraft, N2130, has ended. After years of designing and campaigningIPTN has to give up the project. On September 29, 1999, PT Dua Satu Tiga Puluh (DSTP), the company responsible for N2130's funding, was officially dismissed. Its preliminary design was to be handed over to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the US$ 70 million spent on the design process was to be considered as 'sunk-cost'.With the changes in Indonesian Government President Abdurrahman Wahid replacing former president B.J.Habibie who was also former IPTN's director and the uncertainty on who will be appointed minister of industry and trade replacing Rahardi Ramelan the faith of IPTN's transonic aircraft looks more uncertain. Just a month before, following the liquidation of PT DSTP on September 15, Indonesian government (represented by Mr. Habibie) still showed an optimistic attitude toward the problem.
However, when Angkasa called the Ministry of Industry and Trade shortly after the election of President Abdurrahman Wahid known familiarly as Gus Dur one of the public relation officer said, "We are still in the dark, Mr. Ramelan rarely comes here due to his full agenda, while we don't have any idea who will replace him in the next cabinet." This implied the faith of N2130 is depending on the new government's attitude and interest.
Liquidation
PT DSTP's final shareholders meeting on September 29 came with three decisions. First, to hand over the intellectual rights (Hak Atas Kekayaan Intelektual) of N2130 to the Government of Indonesia; second, to legalize the final report made by the liquidation board; and third, to give all debt settlements and responsibilities to the liquidation board. Following the decision, PT DSTP handed the intellectual rights of the aircraft's preliminary design to the Government, i.e. the President of the Republic of Indonesia (at that time was B.J.Habibie) , which in practice appointed (former) Minister of Industry and Trade, Rahardi Ramelan.
Saadilah Mursjid (former cabinet's secretary) acting as DSTP's president director and Sudharmono (former Indonesia's vice president) as its commissioner/shareholder represented DSTP on the meeting, held in Granadi Building, Jakarta. The shareholders meeting concluded the decision to liquidate PT DSTP (September 15), and thus dismiss the board of director as well as the shareholders.
The press release signed by the "likuidator perseroan" (company board of liquidation) whose member wasn't specifiedmentioned that DSTP has settled all its obligations to shareholders in August through September 1999. Other obligations to Bank Pembangunan Daerah (BPD) has also been discussed. "Public accountant Delloitte Touche/HTM audited DSTP's closing financial report dated on August 31. Its report will be submitted to the board of liquidation shareholders meeting to gain legalization and responsibility dismissal to the board of liquidation (acquid et decharge)" stated the release.
All of DSTP's assets which is a set of papers comprising the preliminary design of the 80-130 seater aircraftwere handed to Ramelan, (former) minister of industry and trade, along with its debts. While the 70 million dollar cost spent for the design by PT IPTN N2130 division was considered 'sunk-cost'.
N2130's flight plan
PT Dua Satu Tiga Puluh (DSTP) as owner or holding company was founded in 1995, soon after IPTN N250's roll out. The aircraft itself, the twin jet 80-130 passenger aircraft N2130, was put into design since 1994, while the plan was already announced three years earlier. According to the timetable presented by IPTN during the Le Bourget Paris Airshow 1995, on March 1997 N2130 should be on 'Design Requirements and Objective' phase, by April 1997, it should have been in the preliminary design process which will be finalized in 2000.
On October this year until March 2003, the aircraft should go through detail design process while detail part manufacturing should take place from December 2001 to May 2003. The assembly phase, if ever took place, should begin at January 2003.
Still according to the 1995 time table, the all-Indonesian-made aircraft would have its maiden flight on March 2004, and the very next month go into certification process until it finally delivered to its first operator on the June 2006 Indonesia Air Show.
Dr.Ing.Ilham Habibie, head of IPTN's N2130 division who is also B.J.Habibie's oldest son, told Angkasa in an interview on August 1998 that the dismissal of PT DSTP as shareholders would not automatically stop the project. By December 15, PT DSTP was liquidated and dismissed. And so by the end of last year, the decision was made to freeze the program on its preliminary design phase.
Big question
Angkasa analyzed the decision to give N2130's intellectual rights to Rahardi Ramelan is proper at the time it was made. Besides being the person involved in the program since its announcement in 1995, Ramelan was when the decision was madethe minister in charge of such matters. Some believe, as mentioned in the German magazine der Spiegel, that Ramelan was the person who received the transferred money from German's Ferrostaal in 1991. Both Habibie and Ramelan denied the article. Still speculations was high, since PT DSTP's board of directors as well as its board of shareholders refused to comment.
Apart from the rumors, no one can predict the faith of N2130, whether an international investor will be interested to purchase the design, or would it stay on paper as 'the Indonesian impossible dream'.
Source: ANGKASA N0.2 NOVEMBER 1999 TAHUN X
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