History of

The Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics ITB

1. The first ten years 1962 - 1972 : The birth of the Aeronautics Education
Higher education on aeronautical engineering in this country was started more than fourty
years ago in 1962, when two young staff members of the Division of Mechanical
Engineering at ITB namely, Oetarjo Diran and Liem Keng Kie introduced some
aeronautical engineering courses in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. Since then,
aeronautical engineering education was formally established as one of the three elective
sub-study program of the mechanical engineering study program along with the two
others:the mechanical construction engineering and the mechanical industrial
engineering.
The formal name of the aeronautical engineering sub-study program is 'Teknik
Penerbangan' meaning Aviation Engineering. This name was intentionally chosen
because it was a very popular term at that time, in order to attract many young aviation
enthusiast. The establishment of aeronautical education at ITB was mainly inspired by
the vision of our first President, Soekarno and also by the heroic pioneering of our
aeronautical engineering founding father such as, Adi Sutjipto, Nurtanio
Pringgoadisuryo, and Wiweko Soepono.

(a) Kunang-kunang

(b) Super Kunang

(c) RI-X

Aircrafts design & built by Wiweko & Nurtanio, 1945`

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At the fifth anniversary of the Indonesian Air Force in April 9, 1951, President
Soekarno as the Supreme Air Marshal of the Air Force delivered a speech entitled
"Meng-Garudalah di Angkasa". In this speech, he stated that, due to the very special
geographical location of Indonesia and the fact that our nation is in the form of
archipelago, The Aviation becomes very important strategic matters for this country
not only in term of military but also in terms of both of economical and political. He
stressed that particularly for our young generations, the importance of aviation should be
deeply realized.
His speech were followed by formal government action of sending many young students
to Europe and The United States to study aerospace and maritime technology starting in
1955 up to 1958. Many of these students will become future national leaders on
Aerospace technology such as O. Diran, Soegito, Erawan Lambri, Yuwono, Soekendro
Wardoyo, and B.J. Habibie. Another government actions were the expansion of the Air
Force Depot of Aircraft construction and testing to become the Air Force Aircraft
Preparatory Industry (Lembaga Persiapan Industri Penerbangan - LAPIP) in 1960
and establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Institute (LAPAN) and also
the Aerospace policy maker, the Indonesian Council on Aeronautics and Space
(Dewan Penerbangan dan Antariksa Republik Indonesia - DEPANRI), both in 1962.
Aviation enthusiast
The courses offered at the Aviation Engineering sub-study program, originally consists of
only aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and flight performance, stability & control
which were given, started at the third years of the Mechanical Engineering study
program. In the initial years of the development of Aviation Engineering education, the
staff members consists of few lecturers from both ITB such as O. Diran and Liem Keng
Kie and from LAPIP, such as RGW Senduk, Erawan Lambri, Soegito, Soekendro
Wardoyo, Yuwono, and many others.
Not too many students were interested to enroll at aeronautical education by that time, as
no clear national policy on aerospace technology, was set-up by the Government. Most of
the student attended the aviation engineering simply because they love aviation. They
may also be triggered by the International situation at that time with the space race
between the United States and the Soviet Union to reach the Moon and probably also
domestically, by the rivalry in rocketry between ITB and the Gajah Mada University,
UGM in the early sixtieth.
More-over there were only view aviation job available in the field of engineering, except
at LAPIP which, being a military establishment was not attractive for young graduates.
Most of the graduates of aviation engineering went to non-aviation jobs, but few were
stick to the aviation related job such as joined the airlines as operation manager, air traffic
controller and even some joint ITB to be a staff member at the aviation engineering substudy program of the Deparment of Mechanical Engineering.
The Rocketry
Since its establishment in 1962, the Aviation Engineering sub-study program
administratively received its status as Sub-Division of Aviation Engineering (AvEITB) of the Division of Mechanical Engineering. The Division of Mechanical
Engineering is it self part of the Department of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering.
This Sub Division was first chaired by the founder of the aeronautical education, O.
Diran, from 1962 until 1968.
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From the beginning of its development, the Sub Division of Aviation Engineering
always connected all of its activities with the government's aerospace agenda. In the early
sixtieth around 1962, where ITB and UGM developed solid propelant rocketry, students
of this Sub Division actively involved in the aerodynamic design and operational aspects
of the rocket trajectory under the leadership of O. Diran while students from The
Mechanical Engineering Division under the leadership of Wiranto Arismunandar
involved in the propulsion and propellant development. The launching of the ITB's solid
propellant rockets Ganesha X-1A and X-1B in 1962, were the answers to the UGM's
rockets Gama III and IV, which were launched four month earlier.

The Experimental Rocket of LAPAN

KARTIKA Rocket of ITB/TNI-AD/LAPAN

Following its establishment, LAPAN developed and modified a sounding rocket

KAPPA built by Japan for atmospheric research. This project were followed by project
PRIMA (Proyek Roket Ilmiah Militer Awal), in which an experimental rocket KARTIKA
was developed in a cooperation with the Indonesian Army and ITB, which was carried
out by the staffs and students of the Mechanical and the Aviation Engineerings.
Design and Engineering
In 1966, in respone to the new program at LAPIP, who built an underlicensed agricultural
aircraft PZL-Wilga 02 "Gelatik", O. Diran introduced a new aircraft design course at
the curricullum of the Aviation Engineering. This one semester course which consists of
class instruction and special design studio assignment become a mandatory course for
every aeronautical student since then. O. Diran and his student actively involved on the
Gelatik development at LAPIP, including its flight test development. He and his students
Sulaeman Kamil and others carried out reverse-engineering process to calculate the
design engineering of Gelatik aircraft in 1967.
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In 1968, the Sub-Division of Aviation engineering innaugurated its first graduate,

Sulaeman Kamil. He subsequently joined the staff member of the AvE-ITB, and
developed courses and research on aircraft structures and materials.

The PZL-Nurtanio Wilga 02/Gelatik, agriculture aircraft

The design course promoted by O. Diran proof to be invaluable, this was shown during
the LT-200 accident in 1973. The LT-200 was a new small trainer aircraft, built
underlicense and modified by LIPNUR (Nurtanio Air Force Aircraft Industryformerly LAPIP). There were some problems during development of this aircraft
particularly with regard to the center of gravity location due to the shifting of the fuel
tank position. This problems almost brought the aircraft into fatal accident when during
the take-off maneuver on its maiden flight the aircraft suddenly hit the ground
immidiately after lift-off. The Sub-Division of AvE-ITB was consulted to help to solve
this problem. O.Diran, his assistant and his students applied a systematic design approach
to overcome this problem successfully.
Experimental Laboratory
In 1970 Harijono Djojodihardjo, then chairman of the AvE-ITB expanded the
curricullum by introducing several new courses such as air transportation systems,
aircraft propulsion systems, numerical analysis and some elective courses such as
aero elasticity and special problems on aeronautics given as seminar assignment.
Harijono Djojodihardjo also established, the first Aero-hydro dynamics Laboratory.
This laboratory possesses a low speed wind tunell, with 1x1.5 meters test section, and a
water table to simulate compressible flow phenomena. The wind tunnel was originally
developed by LAPAN under the leadership of Nurtanio Pringgoadisuryo, the founder
of LAPIP and LAPAN. But after Nurtanio's fatal flight test accident on his newly
designed aircraft in 1966, the unfinished wind tunnel was transfered to ITB, and was reassembled by O. Diran and Liem Keng Kie. Finally in 1971 this wind tunnel was
improved and made operable by H. Djojodihardjo and his students under the funding
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from LAPAN and the Department of Defense and partly also from research project of
PELITA. This was the first time that the aviation engineering student enjoyed
experimental works on aeronautics, many of them graduated with final thesis involving
this laboratory.

The first Laboratory : Aero-Hidrodynamics

Another significant cooperation pionereed by H. Djojodihardjo was the joint

development of four seater Experimental Hovercraft, XHV-01 with the Air Force
Research and Development Division headed by R.G.W. Senduk during the period of
1969-1973.
Disciplinary Groups
In1971, in order to expand the AvE-ITB into more specific fields, Harijono
Djojodihardjo, proposed five disciplinary group for the sub-study program. These
disciplinary group were, (1) the Aero-hydro and gas dynamics, (2) the Structures,
Material science and Aeroelasticity, (3) the Aviation propulsion systems, (4) Stability and
Control and (5) Aircraft Design and Air Transportation Systems.
These disciplinary groups should be developed step by step in accordance with the
readiness and availability of the staff members and the stages of the laboratory
development.
Computational on Aeronautics
With the introduction of digital computers at ITB in 1972, O. Diran, upon returning from
his sabatical leave and reassuming the chairmanship of the AvE-ITB, initiated elective
course and seminar on the Computational Aerodynamics using several numerical
methods. One of his student Said. D. Jenie graduated in 1973, on the finite element
application of 2 dimensional flows. With the IBM 1401, the capability to conduct
computational fluid dynamics and computational structures were very limited. The
computational research on aerodynamics and aeroelasticity were further promoted and
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developed by O. Diran and H. Djojodihardjo.

Under the special arrangement, the student of AvE-ITB may used the computer facilities,
ICL-1000 of the National Statistic Institute (BSN) which has much greater capability than
that of ITB's.
Early Full Time Lecturers
At the end of the first decade, the number of the staff member of AvE-ITB increased into
five full time lecturers : Oetarjo Diran and four new staff members, Harijono
Djojodihardjo, Sulaeman Kamil, Sugiarto Wahyu Hidayat, and Said D. Jenie. These
four new staff members except H. Djojodihardjo were all the graduates from this sub
department.
There were also part time lecturers from LIPNUR, such as Ernis Burhan, Suhendra
Santoso, and from the Air Force Research and Development Division, R.G.W. Senduk.
With these eight staff members, the aeronautical educational program were developed
step by step by extending more academic cooperations with government aerospace
institutions such as LIPNUR, the Air Force's Research and Development Division,
LAPAN, Directorate General of Air Communication and some domestic airlines.
2. The second ten years 1972-1982 : Indonesian Aerospace in transition
At the end of 1972 under the new organization of ITB, the department of Mechanical &
Electrical Engineering was separated into two Departments, namely the Department of
Mechanical Engineering and The Department of Electrical Engineering. These two
Departments were part of the newly formed Faculty of Industrial Technology (FTI).
The Sub Division of Aviation Engineering become sub department of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering which was called the Sub Department of Aviation
Engineering (AvE-ITB).
Beginning 1973, the aerospace activities in this country were shifted from military
weapon / aircraft oriented to civilian applications oriented. The aerospace application
were shought not only developing utility civil aircraft, but also to cover broader aspects
such as wind energy, building aerodynamics and aeronomy research such as pollution
control and atmospheric modifications.
Wind Energy
In almost a decade H. Djojodihardjo utilized the Aero-hydrodynamics laboratory to
develop wind-mill technology as a means of generating electricity. Several wind mill
configurations were tested such as, conventional type, dariouse types and others.
Generating electricity from the wind energy proof to be very delicate problems. The
relatively slow wind speed in this country, a very good airfoil profile for the wind-mill
blade, and this, resulting in a very special material characteristics requirement to carryout the task.
A combination to fulfill the above aerodynamics and material structures produced
aeroelastics problems. The existing Aero-hydrodynamics laboratory seems insufficient to
provide test simulations. Also the lack of computational software at that time, prevented
the wind energy research to be carried out effectively. An ad-hoc in situ design test and
improvement were occasionally under taken resulting in not very efficient design. A
close cooperation with LAPAN in developing wind energy continued until 1990.
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Wind-mills development at AvE-ITB

Light Weight Structures

The disciplinary group on Light Weight Structures, was founded by Sulaeman Kamil
in 1978. This group is responsible for developing courses and research on the flight
structures disciplines. In order to do this, S. Kamil slowly but systematically expanded
further the curriculum by introducing the following courses such as strength of
materials, aircraft materials, aircraft loads, aircraft components, finite element
method, and fatigue and fractures mechanics.
Since 1978, the Sub Department of Aviation Engineering posseses two groups namely,
aerodynamics disciplinary group, which includes flight mechanics and aircraft design and
light weight structures disciplinary group.
Emerging of the National Aerospace Technologies Development Policy
In 1976, the government of Indonesia under the leadership of President Soeharto and
Bacharudin Jusuf Habibie, then, the State Minister of Research and Technology, who is
also Honorary Professor at ITB established a formal national policy on Technology
development in general, and Aerospace Technology in particular by establishing three
institutions necessary to carry out this task. These three institutions are the Nurtanio
Aircraft Industries (later to become Nusantara Aircraft Industries, IPTN), the Center
for Science & Technology Development (Puspiptek) and the Agency for the
Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).
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As an aircraft industry, IPTN will become the spear head of the Aerospace Technology
transformation program, while the Puspiptek will facilitate all the necessary experimental
laboratory for aerospace development such as Laboratory Aero-Gasdynamics &
Vibrations (LAGG) with its Low Speed Wind Tunnel, Laboratory for Structural Testing
(LUK) and Laboratory for Thermodynamics, Engine and Propulsion (LTMP). The BPPT
will be the agency to define and direct the policy for nasional technology development
programs, covering almost all field of technology such as, Aerospace, Maritime,
Automotive, Electronics and Communication, Production & Manufacturing and Bio
Technologies.
Through these three institutions B.J. Habibie proposed four phases of technology
transformations program. Each phase is characterized by one leading program centrally
carried out at the industry. These four phases of transformation, particulary for aerospace
technology are, phase (1) Technology Introduction with leading program underlicensed
the twin turboprob low subsonic aircraft, C212 "Aviocar" from CASA of Spain, phase (2)
Technology Integration with leading program joint design and integration of a new
airplane, the twin turboprop medium subsonic, wide body CN235 also with CASA, phase
(3) Technology Development with leading program indigenous design of the twin
turboprop high subsonic transport aircraft, N250, and phase (4) Industrial Research
with leading program of establishment of advanced industrial research, design and
engineering facilities, by developing indegeneous design of the twin jet transonic
transport, N2130.
The transformation of Aerospace Technology involve not only building facilities or
aircraft, but most importantly, building the man power quality and expertise into an
internationally standard to bring the nation at the same level with technologically
developed countries. Many first generation of the Aviation Engineering graduates joint
IPTN such as Hari Laksono and Edi Susilo where they will become future leaders of
this industry. The other joint The Directorate General of Air Communication such as
Wahyono, Budhi Muliawan Suyitno, and others.
The first phase of this transformation were carried out successfully between 1976 to 1980
followed by several underlicensed program for other aircrafts as well as helicopters.
The second phase was started in 1979 with the leading project, a joint design and
development of medium, wide body, twin turboprob transporter, the CN235, with CASA
of Spain. It is at this second phase that IPTN, Puspiptek, and BPPT need lots of aerospace
engineers, scientist, and technicians, ranging into several expertises from design,
computations, test, simulation, and production engineers. In order to fullfill these man
power requirement, not only for this phase but also for the following phase 3 and 4,
B.J. Habibie turned to the Institut Teknologi Bandung, in this case to the Sub Department
of Aviation Engineering.
Comprehensive up grading plan.
Habibie proposed a comprehensive up grading plan for aeronautical engineering
education at ITB with the ultimate goal to achieve internationally recognizable
standard for aerospace higher education. In 1980, B.J. Habibie, O. Diran, and S.
Kamil drafted several international cooperations with some European University of
Technologies, with the main goal to push aeronautical education at ITB in achieving
capability to support National Aerospace Technology development.
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Hence, at the end of its twenty years of relatively slow development, the Sub
Department of Aviation Engineering of ITB reached its turning point to accelerate its
development leading to a strong, accredited and internationally standard aeronautical
engineering higher education body in this country.
3. The Third Ten Years, 1982-1992 : Accelerated development
As the National Policy on Aerospace Technology development clearly defined, more and
more students entered the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering to pursue their
dreams on aeronautics and astronautics. The average number of student enrolled annually
in this sub department was significantly increased almost ten fold, from only three
students at the sixtieth to arround thirty five students in the eightieth.
International Cooperation
In the early 1980, the first International cooperation between the Sub-department of
Aviation Engineering ITB ( AvE-ITB) and the Department of Aerospace Engineering of
the Delft University of Technology (AE-TUD) ,the Netherlands were started. This
cooperation was a part of the greater umbrella agreement established by BPPT, IPTN
and ITB on the Indonesian side, and by NLR (The Netherlands Aerospace Research
Institute) and TUD (the University of Technology Delft ) on the Netherlands side. This
cooperation was named TTA-79 (Technology Transfer Agreement-79) sponsored, in the
Indonesian side ,by the Government through BPPT and IPTN.
The TTA-79 was a five year cooperation covering activities that systematically and
comprehensively up graded the Aviation Engineering education at ITB into
internationally recognizable standard, capable to support the national aerospace
technology transformation programs. These activities were (1) An extensive basic
aeronautics courses from visiting professors of AE-TUD to the students of AvE-ITB,(2)
Opportunity for students of AvE-ITB at their final academic year to do their thesis at
AE-TUD under joint supervision from the instructor/professor from both sides, (3)
Design, development and construction of basic aeronautical laboratories for regular
academics exercise and thesis research, (4) Opportunity for the staff members of AvEITB to visit AE-TUD to do some academic research or familiarization with a specific
instruments to be installed at ITB.
Parallel to the above activities, a cooperation between NLR and BPPT were also set up as
a part of TTA-79, to design and construct the aero-gas dynamics laboratories at Puspiptek
in Serpong, the LAGG.
Another agreement was also established between the Rector of ITB, Prof. Dodi Tisna
Amidjaja and President Director of IPTN, B.J. Habibie in 1978 to offer opportunity for
the AvE-ITB staff members, technicians as well as students to work at IPTN as a full or
part timer employee to gain hands-on experience in the aircraft design, development,
engineering and production program.
The success of this International cooperation was largely accredited to the following
pioneers in international aerospace cooperation O. Diran and S. Kamil of AvE-ITB, J.L.
Van Ingen, O. Gerlach of AE-TUD and H. Poesponegoro of IPTN and Harsono
Wiryosoemarto of BPPT and R. Jager and Jan vd Bliek of NLR.
Mean while, the interest of many young bright graduates to joint the Sub-department of
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Aviation Engineering was also significantly increased. In the early eightieth three more
graduates joined the staff member. They were Cosmas Pandit Pagwiwoko and Bambang
Basuno, followed a few years later by three new breed of graduates who just completed
their final research thesis at TU Delft, Djoko Sardjadi, Ichsan Setya Putra and Hari
Muhammad. At almost the same period a graduate from the Department of Civil
Engineering, I Wayan Tjatra also joined the staff member.
As was their seniors these new staff members were not just giving lectures to the
students, but they were also carried out pioneering activities in the aerospace
engineering education development particularly, in establishing laboratories or test
facility, experimental as well as computationals. They spent almost half of their time
with their seniors , managing the development cooperation with TU Delft.
Flight Mechanics
In1982, Said D. Jenie, pull the flight mechanics courses out from the aerodynamics
disciplinary group to become a new separate Flight Mechanics disciplinary group. He
immediately expanded the flight mechanics courses into four courses, flight
performance, flight dynamics, flight control and flight measurements. Initially these
four courses were given in the form of classroom instructions and no laboratory exercise
were given as no flying laboratory were available at that time.
This disciplinary group offers atmospheric as well as space flight mechanics, so that
students can keep up with general progress on basic space technology (Astronautics)
which was ,by that time, beginning to shift from a space exploration era into a space
commercialization era. In this case, two elective space flight courses were introduced
namely, Rocket Flight Mechanics and Astrodynamics (Orbital Mechanics).
The above two courses were needed by engineer who want to pursue their carreer in
LAPAN or in the Defense Division of IPTN.
Visiting Professors : TU Delft, Aachen, Braunschweig, Muenchen, and Berlin.
The development program under the TTA-79 proceeded very smoothly through out the
years of 1980 until 1986. During this period, the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering
ITB received some basic aeronautical lectures from several visiting professors of TU
Delft and also some laboratories, test facilities and workshops, therefore strengthening
the academic capability in conducting the education programs.
The visiting professors that gave lectures at AvE-ITB according to their expertise were as
follows. For aerodynamics, theoretical as well as computational, J.L. van Ingen and J.W.
Sloof; for light weight structures, computational as well as design, Schijve, de Jonge,
Rothwell and Verduijn; for flight mechanics, performance as well as stability and
control, G.J.J. Ruijgrok, O.H.Gerlach, J.A.Mulder, M. Baarspul and Van der Vaart; for
flight systems, F.J.Abbink and Schoonhoven; for aircraft design, E.Torenbeek and C.
Bill; for aeroelasticity , R.J.Zwaan and for aircraft maintenance, Smith.
At almost the same period, under the sponsored of BPPT, the AvE-ITB received foreign
lectures on aerospace engineering from professors of the Aachen, Muenchen, Berlin, and
Braunschweig University of Technologies, of Germany. Under the Transfer Lectures
Agreement between BPPT and DAAD of Germany, the professors that gave lectures to
AvE-ITB were, for aerodynamics : D. Hummel, U. Ganzer, for light weight structures :
Huba Ory, Meyer-Jens, Kossira, for flight guidance and control : R. Brockhaus and G.
Schnzer and for Helicopter : Reijchert.
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During the lectures each professor was accompanied by one young staff member of
AvE-ITB to assist the professor in preparing the lectures notes and to obtain some
lecturing experiences.
Aeronautical Research Laboratories
The first subsonic wind tunnels capable of simulating two and three dimensional test
model commenced in 1984. The development of these wind tunnels were largely
accredited to Djoko Sardjadi , who is specializing his expertise on experimental
aerodynamics. He design and constructed these wind tunnels under the supervisor of
prof. J.L. van Ingen of AE-TUD and prof. O.Diran of AvE-ITB, during his thesis
research at TU Delft. These wind-tunnels, being much better in its flow quality ,replaced
the original wind tunnel of the Aero-hydrodynamics laboratories developed some years
before. Since then, these laboratories are used in a regular academic exercise for
aerodynamics related courses as well as for doing research and development program on
aerodynamics.

(a) The Low Speed Wind Tunnel Laboratory

In 1985, the first aircraft structural laboratories of AvE-ITB was inaugurated. These
laboratories consists of a compression testing machines and a static test rig for aircraft
structures. These labs were largely developed by Ichsan S. Putra, who is specializing his
expertise on the experimental fractures mechanics. He design and constructed these test
facilities under the supervision of prof. Schijve of AE-TUD and S. Kamil of AvE-ITB.
Since then, the aircraft structures experiment was incorporated into a regular aircraft
structural courses, where every students of aviation engineering should take as a
mandatory basic requirements.

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(b) Static Test Rig

(c). Compression Testing Mechine

The First Aeronautical Research Laboratories

Aeroelastomechanics
In 1986, a new disciplinary group of Aeroelastomechanics was established, under the
leadership of H. Djojodihardjo. This group further expanded the curicullum by
introducing several new elective courses such as, Unsteady Aerodynamics, Structural
Dynamics, Aeroelasticity and Elastomechanics.
Most of the courses were given in the form of classroom instructions
Aero-Gasdynamics
Aircraft Design & Air Transportation System
At the same year, the disciplinary group of aerodynamics were further broken up into two
separate disciplinary groups the Aero-gas dynamics group and the Aircraft Design
and Air-transportation systems group. These two groups were developed under the
leadership of prof. O. Diran. The courses related to the last group were further expanded
into aircraft design and synthesis, aircraft structural design concept, Air
transportation systems management and operations.
Therefore, in 1986, the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering ITB consists of five
disciplinary groups, The Aero-gasdynamics, The Light Weight Structures, The
Flight Mechanics, The Aeroelastomechanics and The Aircraft Design & Air
Transportation Systems disciplinary groups.
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CN 235, a work horse to get experiences

In the eightieth, IPTN carried out its second phase of the Technology Transformation
program with the leading program, joint design of the CN235, with CASA of Spain.
IPTN invited all the staff member of AvE-ITB and its students to participate in this
program, to gain knowledge and hands-on experiences in the real industrial rated aircraft
development. During this particular CN235 program some of ITBs staff members
became lead engineers of IPTN, such as prof. O.Diran as a Chief Designer, S.Kamil as a
Chief of Structural Fatigue Test program who conducted the full scale fatigue test of the
CN235 at LUK, Serpong. H. Djojodihardjo as a Chief of Dynamics group who carried
out the ground Vibrations Test on the Prototype and Said. D. Jenie as a Chief of Flight
Test Development and Certification program. At that time, many students of AvE-ITB
joint the CN235 program either as assistant engineers or designers, and utilized their
working subject as research topics for their final academic thesis. Many students
graduated out from the research topics on CN235 and some of them would became future
leaders of IPTN such as Agung Nugroho, Jusman SD, Edwin Soedarmo, Eddy B.
Setiawan, Najib Muhaimin, Supra Dekanto, Hindawan Hario Wibowo, Agung
Sampurno, Made Wirata, Mochayan, and many others.

The twin turboprob medium transporter IPTN/CASA, CN-235

The cooperative program TTA-79 finished in 1986, and subsequently continued with
similar cooperation program the ISARD (Intermediate Support on Aeronautical
Research and Development). In this new cooperative program Fokker Aerospace
joined the club in the Netherlands side. The activities of ISARD were, (1) to continue and
finish-up all carry over programs of TTA-79 that had not been accomplished, (2)
Upgrading the academic degree of the young staff member of AvE-ITB into Doctorate
level in TU Delft, (3) Further developed facilities such as offices and classroom
buildings, Library and its necessary aerospace journals, catalog and magazines and a
basic Flying laboratory.
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Flying Laboratory
In early 1987, The Flying laboratory was developed by modifying the small agricultures
aircraft the Nurtanio-Wilga2 Gelatik which already owned by ITB and formerly
operated by the ITB Aerokreasi , an aeroclub of ITB. The flying laboratories were
developed by Hari Muhammad of ITB and Bagus Eko of the Flight Test Center (FTC),
IPTN and Kees van Woerkom of TU Delft under the supervision of prof. O. Gerlach
and prof. J.A. Mulder of AE -TUD and Said D. Jenie of AvE-ITB. This flying
laboratory was officially named Laboratorium Ilmu-ilmu Fisika Terbang LIFT
or Laboratory for Flight Physics Sciences. The flying laboratory LIFT made its
maiden flight in mid 1987, test piloted by IPTN test pilot Erwin Danuwinata, flight test
engineer Bagus Eko and flight test instrumentation engineer Djatmiko. In October 18,
1988 the first flight performance exercise commenced carrying two students.

The Flying Laboratory LIFT "Gelatik"

Since then, the flight exercise using LIFT was incorporated into flight measurement,
flight performance and flight dynamics courses as a mandatory laboratory requirement.
Having a flying laboratory, the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering ITB
automatically become a member of a few elite of Aerospace Engineering Education in
the world that posses a flying laboratory. With the flying laboratory became fully
operational in 1989, a special flight courses such as flight test engineering, flight test
data analysis methods and parameter identification were introduced as an electives
courses in the group of flight mechanics by Said D. Jenie and Hari Muhammad.
The TNI-AU F-16 "Fighting Falcon", new philosophy of a flying machine
In 1986 the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) was about to select its new generation of
fighters. Between two candidates of modern fighter, the General Dynamics F-16
"Fighting Falcon" and the Marcel-Dassault "Mirage-2000", the government chosen the
former to be the future fighter of the TNI-AU. In 1987 the chief of the Division of
Research and Development of TNI-AU (RD-AU), Air Vice Marshal Soedjarwo,
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asked the help of the AvE-ITB to give comprehensive short courses on the modern
fighter technology. Prof. O. Diran formed a joint task force team consisting of
personells from both, the AvE-ITB lecturers and RD-AU, researchers to carry out this
task.

F-16 Fighting Falcon of TNI-AU

This joint team comprising Prof. O. Diran and Said D. Jenie from the AvE-ITB and
Sridiharto and Ig. Sutedjo from the RD-AU. Headed by Air Marshal Soedjarwo, during
the period of 1987 to 1989 this team presented short courses on the unstable aircraft
philosophy, Fly-by Wire Flight Control System, Integrated Control and Fire Power
System and Modern Air to Air Missiles Technology to some key airforce bases such as
Iswahyudi, Halim Perdana Kusumah, Abdulrachman Saleh, and Hasanudin. The
courses were further given to the AF Education and Training Command in Surabaya,
the AF High Staff-Command School (SESKO-AU) in Lembang, Bandung, and the Air
Force Aero Space Medical Institute (LAKESPRA) in Jakarta. The joint team was
further asked by then, the Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Marshal Siboen to prepare the
Seminar on the Second Long Term Development Planning of the Indonesian Air
Force, in 1997. Through this Seminar the new TNI-AU Doctrine related to second long
term national development was finally established.
The building
The Silver Anniversary of The Sub-department of Aviation Engineering in 1987, was
commemorated by the inauguration of a new building with its furnitures, computer
systems, and library collections donated by IPTN. This two story building, which was
located at the western part of the Labtek II complex at ITB campus, was large enough to
house one classroom, a mezanine for administrative offices, a medium size library and
a computers room. The ground floor of this building which was used to house
aerodynamics and structural laboratories and also electronics and mechanical workshop.
During the period of 1986 to 1992, more newly graduates of the AvE-ITB joint the staff
member. Unlike their predecessors, these new staff member entered directly into the
disciplinary group. There were Hisar Manongam Pasaribu ,Wahyu Kuntjoro and Rais
Zain joined the Aircraft Design & Air Transportation system group; Leonardo Gunawan
15

and Bima Prananta joined the Aeroelastomechanics group; Zainal Abidin, Go Tiauw
Hiong and Setyamartana Parman joined the Flight Mechanics group; Bambang Kismono
Hadi, Giri Suada and Edi Suwondo joined the Light Weight Structures group, and
Bambang Irawan joined the Aero-gasdynamics group. This number of new staff member
kept increasing in the years that follows.
Computational Laboratories and Design Studio
In the mid of 1993, several computational laboratories were set up by some energetic
young staff members. These laboratories were, the Computational Aerodynamics
Laboratories developed by B. Basuno, The Computational Aeroelasticity
Laboratories developed by I. Wayan Tjatra and the Computational Structures
Laboratory developed by Wahyu Kuntjoro.

The ITB Experimental Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

With the above computational facilities available, several advanced elective courses were
immediately offered such as computational aerodynamics, computational structures
and computational aeroelastomechanics.
Another facility for aircraft design, that is Aircraft Design Studio was developed by
H.M. Pasaribu. This center were equiped with all the necessary drafting machines and
CadCam facilities.
H. M. Pasaribu developed a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), for the students
to practice their design skills and correlates their flight performance predictions with real
test results. This UAV was then further developed by Djoko Sardjadi and his design
team, to be commercialized to potential markets such as, to military, police and,
agricultures departments, and others.

16

Aviation Engineering Study Program

Finally at the end of 1992, after ten years since the accelerated development began, the
Sub-department of Aviation Engineering emerged as one of the most complete
educational infrastructures at ITB. This sub-department, with its five Disciplinary
Groups, possessed almost thirty staff members with two professors, and five PhDs; five
laboratory technicians, two experimental laboratories, one flying laboratory, three
computational laboratories, one design center, one modern library and a building for
offices, workshops and a class room.
At this advanced stage, in 1993, under the decree of the Rector of ITB, Prof. Wiranto
Arismunandar the status of the Aviation Engineering sub-study program in that year
was up-rated into a full Study Program independent from the Mechanical Engineering
study program.
Being responsible for a Study Program, the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering are
allowed to modify its curriculum and issue a diploma with different format than that
of the Mechanical Engineering, although the administrative affairs are still managed
within the Mechanical Engineering Department.
4. The fourth ten years 1992-2002 : The Expansion
Organisation
In 1993 the Chairman and the Secretary of the Aviation Engineering Study Program were
elected and were sworn. The first Chairman of the Aviation Engineering Study Program
is Said D. Jenie and the Secretary is Hisar M. Pasaribu. A year latter a Secretary for the
student affair, Cosmas P. Pagwiwoko was also sworn.
For the first time after receiving academic status as Study Program, The Sub-department
of Aviation Engineering set up its organization. The organization of the Aviation
Engineering Study Program consist of two parts, the structural part and the functional
part.
The Structural part consists of the Chairman and the Secretary of the study program,
Manager for Finance, who manages the financial affair, Manager for Cooperation,
who manages the international as well as domestic university and industrial cooperations,
Manager for Facilities, who manages the constructions of the buildings and other
infrastructures and Manager for the Library .
The Functional part consist of, five Heads of the Disciplinary groups, seven Heads of
Laboratory and Head of the Design Center.
Sub Study Program of Aerospace System Engineering
In the early ninetieth, IPTN entering its third phase of the aerospace technology by
developing the high subsonic twin turboprop medium range aircraft, the N250-100. This
newly indigenous design possesses some advanced technology inventories, such as, three
axes Fly by Wire Flight Control Systems, Full Authority Digital Engine Control systems,
Engine Indications and Crews Allerting Systems, Six bladed advanced propellers, Nose
wheel steering by wire, and advanced wing design. By that time, the N250 was the most
advanced aircraft design of its class. To accomplish this program IPTN need lots of
aeronautics engineers specialist in many areas of aircraft systems. The engineers that
so far supplied by ITB, were only on the field of basic aeronautics necessary to design
airframe configuration such as aerodynamics, structures, flight mechanics, aeroelasticity
17

and aircraft design. IPTN felt that recruiting systems engineers directly from electrical
or mechanical engineering graduates were not efficient as they had to be trained to get
acquinted with the intricate interconnection between systems dynamics and aeronautics.
What IPTN needs was to obtain engineers on aircraft systems with enough
background on aeronautics.
In response to this need, in mid of 1993,The Aviation Engineering Study Program
expanded its curriculum by introducing some courses related to aircraft systems.
Combining the models from the Avionic Engineering joint program of TU Delft,
Aeronautronics Program of MIT (Massachussetts Institute of Technology) and Aircraft
Mechanical System education program of TU Hamburg, Said D. Jenie proposed a
package of aircraft system engineering courses. These courses were, System Dynamics,
to provide students with background on dynamics characteristic of many different
physical domain, Aircraft Basic Systems, Engines & Propulsion related systems,
Aeronautronics, which consists of electronics systems, avionics and instrumentations,
Inertial system engineering, to provide basic knowledge of inertial sensors technology
widely used on the aircraft, Flight Navigation & Guidance systems, Aircraft
Mechanism, Human Factors in Aviation and Aviation Safety. The students interested
in this aeronautical system courses should take some basics courses as Electronics,
Electrical, Electromagnetic and Software Engineering courses from the Departments
of Electrical Engineering, Informatics Engineering or Engineering Physics. This package
of aircraft systems courses formed a new branch on the Aviation Engineering study
program, and was officially termed Aerospace System Engineering sub-study
program. From then on, the Aviation Engineering students may freely choose one of the
two available branches, the Aerospace Engineering or the Aerospace System
Engineering program. The branching starts from the third academic years.
Some new graduates joined the sub-department for this aerospace engineering sub study
program. They were Nusa Wardhana, who graduated from Electrical Engineering, Irvan
Madani and Rianto Adi Sasongko
System Simulators
To facilitate aerospace system engineering students with aircraft system demonstrator,
IPTN offered assistance to AvE-ITB to refurbish the MiG-21 aircraft which was donated
by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) to ITB almost three decades ago. This MiG-21
aircraft which, had only 10 flight hours, was brought to ITB in 1973 as a result of a
tireless effort put by H. Djojodihardjo in l973. However due to lack of funding, no
useful application can be made out of this aircraft .
IPTN refurbished this MiG-21 aircraft in 1994, under the direction of Said D. Jenie, to
make all but the propulsions and weapon systems back alive again as in the originals.
This aircraft became the Iron-Bird for aircraft basic system demonstrator for the
students. In the future this MiG-21 Iron Bird will be developed into three basic systems
laboratories, Aircraft basic systems laboratories, Aircraft fixed based simulator and
Ground Vibration Test Article.
In 1995, Cosmas P. Pagwiwoko and his assistants Rianto Adi Sasongko and Sinar
Yuliana developed an Aeroelastics Wind Tunnel and Structural Dynamics and
Control Laboratory. These laboratories were the first one to built wholly by AvE-ITB.
18

The MiG-21 "Iron bird" aircraft system simulator

A Unified system dynamics approach were employed on the test set-up and data
analysis methods, using Simulink soft ware program. Some advanced research topics
were under-taken on these laboratories such as distributed control strategy for a flexible
structures such a wing of an aircraft, long bridges and tall building. He also developed an
experimental active accelerometers using system dynamics approach as a research topics
for the students of Aerospace System Engineering.

Aero elastics and System dynamics Laboratory

The N250-100, the contributions

In August 10, 1995 the first IPTN indigenous aircraft N250 Prototype 1 "Gatot Koco"
made its maiden flight, a year latter December 19, 1996 the second prototype N250-100
19

P2 "Krincing Wesi" joined the development Flight Test Program. The success of these
two N250 prototypes development can not be separated from the active roles of AvE-ITB
staff members who gave significant contributions on the design and test development of
this N250 program.

The N250-100 Prototype 2 "Krincing Wesi"

Sulaeman Kamil lead the N250 structural design team in the earlier stage of the
development. He convinced and approved that the T tail configuration ,proposed by the
stability and control group, were within the design capability of his structural group. His
structural design team, including his colleagues Ichsan S. Putra and Wahyu Kuntjoro
helped to propose the static test of the junction between vertical and horizontal tails of
this configuration. Harijono Djojodihardjo, who lead the dynamics and aeroelastics
analysis during the detail design phase, proposed a subscale elastic model on the
unsteady-flow wind tunnel test. With his colleagues such as, I. Wayan Tjatra and
Cosmas P.Pagwiwoko, who provide the test proposal with numerical computational
data, the unsteady wind tunnel test on the subscale elastic model were carried out at the
LAGG wind-tunnel in 1996. It was proofed that the results were very invaluable in
correlating the N250 flutter characteristics predictions and flight test results. Said D.
Jenie who lead the preliminary stability and control analysis group, proposed a stretch of
the fuselage and T tail configuration to improve the longitudinal stability margin due to
the prop-wash induced deficiency during cruising flight. More over, to design a
compatible artificial-feel system on the fly by wire flight control systems, Said D. Jenie
who also lead the N250 Test Integration Group, proposed a handling quality flight test of
the N250 long before the airplane been produced. This very special test were carried out
The results of these tests were then used to freeze the gain values of the artificial feel
systems and also of the auto-pilot and stability augmentation systems such as the dutch
roll damper, the turn coodinator and the speed and altitude hold systems. It was proofed
that these gain values improved the flight handling characteristics of the N250-100.
To support the development of the N250-100, under the leadership of Said D. Jenie
IPTN build and developed an Integrated Aircraft Test Facility (IATF). This facility
consisted of, Iron Bird, Engineering-Flight Simulator (EFS), Ergonomics Laboratory,
20

Avionics System Simulators, Electrical Power Generation System Simulator, Fuel

System Simulation Laboratory, Electro Magnetic Anechoic Chamber.
These facilities were developed during the period of 1992 up to 1994, with the help of
Department of Electrical and Sub-department of Aviation Engineering of ITB.
B.J.Habibie, as President of IPTN, offered to the AvE-ITB students and staff members
to use this facilities for academic training, thesis subject and research facilities. Since
1996 the AvE-ITB students majoring in Aerospace Systems Engineering Sub-study
Program, utilized these facilities for various research and thesis topics. The operational
cost in using these facilities were subsidized by IPTN.
Sub Study Program of Light Weight Structures and Aircraft Materials
The ninetieth, was characterized by the blooming of domestic private airliners. Most of
these newly born airliners operates used or relatively old jet aircraft such as, Boeing 737
or Fokker F-28. The most needed effort to maintain the existence of these airlines were
the ability to operate the aircrafts within a reasonable period of time. Certainly, this
requires a mastering of maintenance, repair and operation technology of an aircraft.
In response to this need of airliners, Ichsan S. Putra, introduced the special course on
Maintenance and Repair Engineering, corrosion of aircraft structures for aircraft
components and a Non Destructive Inspections. These courses were offered to the
students interested in Aerospace Engineering majoring in Aircraft Structures and
Materials. He also initiated cooperations , in the form of short courses and practical
trainings for many Technical department of some airlines.
The Inter University Research Center (PPAU)
In 1994, Ichsan S. Putra developed a laboratory for light weight structures and aircraft
materials within the ITB's Inter-University Research Center (Pusat Penelitian Antar
Universitas - PPAU). This laboratory is an extention of the existing one developed
earlier. A special Fatigue Testing Machine were purchased to conduct research on
aircraft structures. This laboratory since then, was used to conducts research on light
weight fracture and fatigue mechanics, structural repair and testing.

Laboratory for light weight structures and material at the PPAU

21

At the end of 1995 parts of the former CN235 Fatigue Test Article were donated by IPTN
to ITB. This test articles were used for further research on fractures and fatigue
mechanics as well as maintenance engineering, by Ichsan S. Putra and his assistants.
Sub-study Program of Air Transportation systems and Operations
At the same year the disciplinary group of Aircraft Design & Air Transportation Systems
was also responding to the blooming of domestic airliners. Hisar M. Pasaribu and
Mahardi Sadono, developed several applied courses such as, Aircraft Airworthiness,
Airport Operations, Airport Equipment and Air-transport Route Analysis.
These courses were also being offered to the technical and operation department of many
domestic airliners.
into space Sub Study Program of Astronautics
Indonesia entered a space age in 1975, when the first Communication Satellite Palapa
A-1, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This satellite was part of the Domestic
Communication Satellite System that were selected by the Government of Indonesia as a
necessary technology for telecommunication systems for a vast archipelago type country
like ours.
Prof. Iskandar Alisyahbana from the Department of Electrical Engineering ITB,
promoted and tiredlessly convinced the government of the importance of the domestic
satellite communication system as the best system for our maritime continent type
country.
In the early years of the Domestic Satellite application there was no relation at all
between the satellite-telecommunication business and the Sub-department of Aviation
Engineering ITB. This situation changed when PT Telkom (The Government owned
Telecommunication company) lost its satellite, the PALAPA B-2, during orbital
insertion maneuver from the space Shuttle Discovery in 1985. At that time the Head of
PT Telkom, summoned prof. O.Diran in his headquarter, to be consulted weather or not
PT Telkom should accept the offer from NASA, to rescue the stranded PALAPA B-2
from the unintentionally orbit by the astronaut from the space shuttle. Out from this very
special situations prof. O.Diran suggested that the already two elective courses on
astronautics should be further expanded to include satellite design, operation and
engineering, so that many more of our graduates can be prepared to cope with this kind of
'Lost in Space' problems. In 1987, the Government deregulated the satellite
telecommunication business. As a consequent of this, many private satellite business
emerged such as Pasific Satellite Nusantara, Satelindo, Indo Vision and others. In 1992
IPTN established a new Division of Astronautics with its main goal is to design and
develop our own future Communication satellite PALAPA-D series. IPTN sent many of
its aerospace engineers to the Hughes Space System in United States to get some training
on Satellite Technology.

22

Launching from STS-40

(b) Recovery by STS-51A

The Domestic Communication Satellite PALAPA B-2

This situation motivated the AvE-ITB study program to expand its curriculum into a
more systematic space engineering or Astronautics academic program. Said D. Jenie
expanded the astronautics courses by introducing more astronautics courses such as,
Space Environment, Space Systems Engineering, Spacecraft Dynamics and Control,
Orbit Determinations and Re-entry flight mechanics. In 1998 these Astronautics
package becomes a sub-study program of the Aviation Engineering Study Program.
Several young staff member who just completed their doctoral degree from Europe, The
United States, and Japan joint to become lecturers at this sub study program such as, Go
Tiauw Hiong, Satya Martana Parman, Toto Indrianto, and Ridanto Ekoputro.
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
At the end of 1995, The Aviation Engineering Study Program reached its most complete
infrastructures. It has 43 staff members out of which two professors, fifteen hold
doctoral degrees and the rest hold master degrees. These staff member were very
experience engineer in their respective field as they all participated directly in IPTN
aircraft product development, for more than ten years.
Moreover, there were many engineers from IPTN, gave regular or part time lectures at
AvE-ITB, particularly on a special systems engineering courses. These outside lecturers
were, Imam Birowo, Wage Supardjaya, Haris Perdana, Elka Sunarkito, Dodo Suharso,
Ilham A. Habibie, Iwan Hidayat, Hindawan Hario Wibowo, and many others.
In 1996, The Aviation Engineering Study Program received new offices which were
formerly the offices of the Department of Electrical Engineering. These offices, which
were located at the third and fourth floor of the LABTEK-II building, were renovated by
23

the Sub-department of Aviation Engineering under the funding from IPTN. These two
story offices were used to house the offices of the Chairman, the Vice-chairman, the
Secretariate staff, the Library, Two meeting rooms , one computing room, one class-room
and some staff members offices. The old building was used solely to house laboratories,
workshops, design center and a class room.
Hence at the end of 1996, this study program consists of five disciplinary groups, which
matrices with five sub-study programs. More over ,this study program possess eleven
laboratories, experimental as well as computational, two general workshops, one
design center, one library and two buildings for offices, meeting rooms and
administrative staff.
In June 27, 1997, thirty five years since its establishment, under the decree of the Rector
of ITB, Prof. Liliek Hendradjaja the sub-departmental status of the Aviation
Engineering Study Program was up rated into departmental level, hence having the
same level as the department of Mechanical Engineering.
It was really a very long duration flight into the departmental level by ITBs standard.
None other departments at ITB was created through this very long process like the
Department Aeronautics and Astronautics.
As a department, the name of the study program was changed from Aviation
Engineering into Aeronautics and Astronautics, but the Indonesian name was retain to
preserve historical records. The Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AA-ITB)
become the seventh department within the Faculty of Industrial Technology or the twenty
sixth department of ITB.

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics ITB

24

Being a department, The Aeronautics & Astronautics Study Program are allowed
manage its own administrative affairs and also is allowed to offer graduate programs (the
master as well as doctoral degrees program), and also to become supervisors for other
aeronautics higher education institutions.
With this complete infrastructures, The AA-ITB become the most advanced aerospace
higher education in South East Asia. It also become one of the strongest department at
ITB.
Council of the Department
Following the academic rules of ITB, The first Council of The Department of
Aeronautics & Astronautics was formed shortly after the inauguration of the Chairman
and the Secretary of the department. The first chairman of the AA-ITB was Said D.
Jenie and the first secretary of the department was H.M. Pasaribu, for academic and
administration affairs and C.P.Pagwiwoko, for students affair. The sixteen member of
the council consist of two professors of the department namely professors O.Diran and
Harijono Djojodihardjo, two professors from the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, professors Sularso and Djoko Suharto, a professor from the Department
of Electrical Engineering, R.J. Widodo, a professor from the Department of
Astronomy, Bambang Hidayat, six senior lecturer of the department, Sulaeman Kamil,
Rochim Suratman, I.Wayan Tjatra, Djoko Sardjadi, Ichsan S. Putra, Hari Muhammad,
three ex-officio members, The Chairman and the two Secretaries of the department and
the honorary member B.J. Habibie. This council was the first at ITB with the member
consists of persons which was not originally from its own department.
Aerospace Student Association.
As a Department, the Aeronautics and Astronautics study program may posses its own
student association. In 1997 the Aerospace Student Association was formally established
with the normal name, Keluarga Mahasiswa Teknik Penerbangan ITB ( Aviation
Engineering Student Association) and was officially named Otto Lilienthal .The
students preferred to choose the father of aeronautics from Germany rather than choosing
their fellow countrys pioneers on aeronautics like Adi Sutjipto or Nurtanio
Pringgoadisuryo.

Logo of TheStudent Association

Otto Lilienthal in his flying machine (1895)

25

Historically, this was not the first aerospace student association. In 1970, Sri Bintang
Pamungkas, then, a student of Aviation Engineering Sub-study program of ITB, created
the Aviation Engineering Student Unity as part of the Mechanical Engineering Student
Unity (HMM). However, as the rule of ITB allows only one student association for every
Department, the student unity he created was not responded by his contemporaries.
The President of the Otto Lilienthal Aerospace Student Association was elected in 1997.
The first President of this association was Eko Arief Wicaksono and the secretary was
Agapitus D.H. Ossyk.
Supervisionary duty
The Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics ITB supervises many curriculum
development of many university level aeronautical educations such as, The Indonesian
Air Force Academy (Akademi TNI-Angkatan Udara AAU) in Jogyakarta which had
begun in 1986, a decade before the department AA was established, The Indonesian
Higher Education on Aviation (Sekolah Tinggi Penerbangan Indonesia STPI) in
Curug since 1997, Department of Aeronautical Engineering of the Nurtanio
University (Teknik Aeronotika, Universitas Nurtanio) in Bandung since 1993 and Study
Program on Aeronautics of the Bandung Poly Technique in Bandung since 1995.

Flight research of ITB/AAU on the IPTN Soko G-2 "Galeb" test aircraft

Especially with the AAU, the cooperation with the AA-ITB covering not only on the
curriculum development but also an integrated curriculum and training for lecturers in
all disciplinary group of both institutions so that a graduated cadet of the AAU can
directly continue his education at AA-ITB to get their engineering degree. Around 20
cadet has been graduated as an aerospace engineer, out of this scheme of cooperation,
since 1995. `The cooperation between AA-ITB and AAU was set up in a manner similar
to the TTA-79 scheme. O. Diran, Djoko Sardjadi, and Hari Muhammad were largely
accredited to the success of this cooperative program.

26

Graduate programs
The ISARD project finished in early 1990, and subquently continued by a new project
APERT (Aerospace Program on Education, Research and Technology). This new
cooperative project started in 1990 until 1996. Due to the bancrupty of Fokker, this
industry pull out from the cooperation. The main activities of APERT were (1)
Opportunity five staff member of AA-ITB to pursue Ph.D degree level at AE-TUD, (2)
Joint Aerospace Research between two countries Aerospace Institutions, and (3)
Preparation courses for joint Master degree program of AvE-ITB and AE-TUD.
In 1996, the Thomson University in partnership with ITB offered a special S2 level
program, the Real Time Software Engineering (RTSE) to IPTN's personnel majoring in
aircraft flight software systems. This joint program were caried out under the agreement
between the Rector of ITB and President of Thomson University. The Department of
Informatics ITB acted as leading partner to the Thomson University in this joint
program. As the application is in the aerospace field, the Department of Informatics
subcontracted the basic aeronautical courses and research topics to the AA-ITB. This
RTSE was the first time the AA-ITB actualy involved in the Master degree program.
Some of the staff members of the AA-ITB such as Hari Muhammad, I Wayan Tjatra,
and Leonardo Gunawan actively involved in the Aerospace related real time
engineering courses, including giving the students some S2 research topics.
In 1997, the AA-ITB, formally open the graduates education for Aeronautics &
Astronautics. This was a research based master degree program, offered in four
semesters. Graduates from Aeronautics & Astronautics, Mechanical, Electrical and
Physical Engineering and also from Mathematics and Physics may enroll into this
graduate program. The graduate student entering this program are mostly came from
IPTN, LAGG, LAPAN and some private university lectures. B. Kismono Hadi was the
first secretary to the chairman for Aerospace graduate student program.
Super Sonic Wind Tunnel
As part of the APERT project, in 1998, the NLR of the Netherlands offered a used
medium size Supersonic Wind-tunnel, the AA-ITB, to be utilized for academic
research. In anticipation of the development of a new jet transport program of IPTN, the
twinjet N2130, the AA-ITB accepted this interesting offer. The cost for dismantling and
shipping of this wind tunnel will be bear by the NLR, ITB should bear the cost of
installation at ITB premises. The N2130 project manager Ilham A. Habibie, who was at
that time giving regular lectures on high speed aerodynamics, promised to support the
installation cost under the cooperation project between ITB and IPTN. Djoko Sardjadi
and his counterpart at NLR, B.M. Spee arranged this Super Sonic Wind tunnel project.
However, some problems immediately arise over where at ITB this tunnel should be
erected and also who should provide the high electrical power required to operate it.
After some negotiations, including a possibility to erect this tunnel at Puspiptek in
Serpong, both the AA-ITB and the NLR realized that at that moment there was
impossible to install this super sonic wind tunnel at ITB.
Had this Super Sonic Wind-tunnel been installed, ITB will have the capability to carry
out many high speed aerodynamics research such as, ballistics missiles, high speed bullet
design, supersonic airfoil design, supersonic flow characteristics and many others.
27

Masterplan for a Faculty of Aerospace Engineering ITB

In 1996, in anticipation of IPTN expansion, BJ Habibie proposed his idea to expand the
Sub-department of Aviation Engineering ITB into a Faculty level. He proposed, that this
faculty should consist of several departments. Six critical Aerospace technology such as,
Aeronautics, Astronautics, Aerospace Materials Science, Aerospace Systems
Engineering, Aerospace Production Technology and Aerospace Propulsion
Engineering were planned to be established as departments within the Faculty of
Aerospace Engineering. BJ Habibie asked AvE-ITB, to draft a sound step by step
proposal to establish this faculty in five year development plan. Said D. Jenie and the
team consisting of C.P.Pagwiwoko, H.M.Pasaribu, Hari Muhammad, Ichsan S.Putra,
Djoko Sardjadi and B.Kismono Hadi, drafted the proposal in early 1997. The
proposal was called Proposal for the development of the Center of Higher Education in
Aerospace Technology at ITB. This proposal was presented three times in front of The
Minister of Research and Technology, The Minister of Education & Cultures, the
Director- General of Higher Education, the Rector of ITB and the Dean of the Faculty of
Industrial Technology of ITB and their high ranking staffs. Many of the audience were
very skeptical about the proposal on the ground that the proposed faculty was too big to
be built in a very short time frame and more over, the sustainability of the faculty was
questioned as depending its market solely on a single industry, in this case IPTN, was
considered to be unreliable.
In the mid of 1997, in his meeting with the President of TU Delft, Nico de Vogt and the
Rector of TU Delft, K.F.Wakker, BJ Habibie asked The AE-TUD, to complete the
proposal jointly with the AA-ITB,to include the required steps and financial requirement
in establishing the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at ITB. A joint AE-TUD and AAITB team was formed consisting of Bernard A. Reith, Gert J. v Helden, Max Baarspul
and Joris A. Melkert from AE-TUD and Djoko Sardjadi, Ichsan S. Putra, Hari
Muhammad and Rowin H. Mangkusubroto from AA-ITB. In 1998 after a year of
extensive feasibility study, a new comprehensive plan was finally ready. The proposal
was called Master Plan for the Foundation of a Strong Faculty of Aerospace
Engineering at Institut Teknologi Bandung. This proposal was presented by the joint
team headed by the chairmen of both the AE-TUD, prof T.d. Jong and the AA-ITB, Said
D. Jenie, infront of the Vice Rector of ITB for academic affairs. They reluctantly
accepted the proposal, nevertheless they asked this proposal to be included in the
strategic master plan of ITB. The remaining question about the proposal were, where at
the already crowded area, the Facultys building and its labs should be erected and who
should provide the necessary financial support ? Using ITB's annual budget, this was
certainly impossible.
Multidimensional crisis and the impact on Aerospace community
At the end of 1997 Indonesia plunged into a very deep financial crisis. This crisis very
quickly snow balling into economics and the political crisis nation wide. The resulting
turmoil brought the down fall of the Soehartos government six month later. BJ Habibie
became the President of the Republic, but the ever growing multi dimensional crisis gave
him no chance at all to carry out his plan to establish a faculty of Aerospace Engineering
at ITB.
Under the agreement with IMF to recover the economy, Indonesia should banned all the
unnecessary development programs, including high technology development. This was
then followed by cancellation of all subsidies from the government to all of her aerospace
28

Institutions such as, IPTN, BPPT and others. This situation certainly produced domino
effects on the IPTN's new aircraft development project N250-100 and also to the
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics ITB, as no more funding from IPTN can be
expected.
The national crisis hit almost every business activities in the country. Particularly in the
airlines business, lack of aircraft spareparts due to the soaring of dollars, forced almost all
private airlines to close down or reduce their activities. Not only the airliners, the Air
Force were also suffered from this crisis and forced to ground their aircraft due to the
same problems.
Sabatical Leave Abroad
During this crisis period some of the staff members of the AA-ITB, went abroad to work
on some foreign aerospace institutions such as, giving aerospace lectures in some of the
University of Technology in Malaysia or become research fellow at the NLR, the
Netherlands or at MIT in the United States. The Department of AA-ITB considered these
activities as a brain preservation, instead of brain drainning. Having some of the staff
members abroad a continuing relationship between AA-ITB and some foreign counter
parts can be maintained, hence, avoiding an unexpected isolation during this crisis. The
AA-ITB hopes that some day when the aerospace activities in this country rise-up again,
they will come back and joined the Department.
The survival and the sustainability
The crisis situations forced the AA-ITB to reorient its strategy to maintain its existent and
to be a self reliance department. This strategy was, (1) Reorient the curriculum to a more
general subjects, (2) Student intake reduction to suit with the available market, (3)
Develop Aerospace Technology Services, (4) Establish strategic partners particularly for
expensive laboratories operations and (5) Getting an international accreditation as soon as
possible. (6) Maintain cooperative relationship with aerospace community such as
industry, research institution government body or private.
This strategy was carried step by step beginning in 2000 by AA-ITB's new administration
lead by Ichsan S. Putra, Hari Muhammad, Bambang Kismonohadi, and Leonardo
Gunawan on the academic side, and Hisar M. Pasaribu and Djoko Sardjadi on the
marketing side.
(1)

(2)

In 2000 the curriculum of the AA-ITB was slightly revised it into more general
subjects. In this revised curriculum, all the students take almost the same courses
from the first up to the sixth semester. The branching into sub-study program that
was formerly began in the third semester were shifted to the seventh semester. This
new strategy was chosen in order to provide the aerospace-graduates with broader
general knowledge in aeronautics and astronautics so to make them easier finding
jobs on the aerospace fields, which were also becomes less specific in this country
during the crisis period.
The student intake for the engineer program (under-graduates- S1) in the academics
year of 2001, was reduced from previously seventy to fifty students, as the available
market was also significantly reduced. During the crisis most of aerospace business
were go bancrupt or adopt zero growth policy. This department believe that as soon
as the crisis over, the aerospace human resource market will significantly rise-up
again.
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(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

With the termination of IPTNs financial support, the AA-ITB has to be able to
finance operational cost on its own, independent of government resources. In the
beginning of the new millennium, the AA-ITB begun to offer some technology
services such as, short courses, practical industrial and academic trainings and other
technology services to general high-tech institutions domestically as well as
regionally, to keep the financial balance of the department stable. Some training
courses for the airliners maintenance center or air-traffic operators were offered in a
regular basis since last year by the disciplinary groups of light weight structures and
Aircraft design & Air Transportation Systems.
An other commercial services was established by the special commercial groups of
Djoko Sardjadi, which offer several aerospace design product such as Operational
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for many applications and Wind Tunnel for academics
purposes. Some of the Wind Tunnels had been delivered to foreign institution such
to the Malaysian University.
The Aeronautics and Astronautics department is very expensive in term of
operational and maintenance cost of its laboratories. To ease the operational
cost of the flying laboratory Gelatik, a joint commercial operation with the
Aeroclub of the Indonesian Aerospace (IAe formerly IPTN) was set up in 2001.
This joint operation allows the Aeroclub of IAe to commercialize the aircraft to get
some profit , so that it can finance its own operational cost, while maintaining the
student regular flight exercise proceeding smoothly as plan.
The other joint activities were to offer the laboratory equipment for receiving
industrial aerospace related order such as doing components static and fatigue test,
material inspection and non-destructive test and others.
In order to be able to receive foreign students and also to compete with the ever
growing aerospace educations in the regions, The AA-ITB is in the process of
getting an International Accreditation from the Accreditation Board in
Engineering Technology (ABET) an independent organization based on the
United States of America. Several preparation was started a year ago, including
preparation to offer courses in english, joint distant learning course with AE-TUD,
joint master degree program and others.
Cooperative relationships with other aerospace establishment were maintained in a
win-win bases. The cooperation were set-up in the form of joint Research and
Development program on aernautical engineering with the BPPT and also joint
Development, Engineering and Testing with the Indonesian aerospace for their
follow-on program.

It has almost fourty years, since the establishment of Aviation Engineering sub study
program in 1962, that the development of higher education in aeronautics and
astronautics finally reach its formal status as a department within the Faculty of Industrial
Technology at ITB. Looking back into the past, it is seen that the up and the down of the
development rates were strongly depent on the government agenda on aerospace
activities. In the first twenty years of aerospace educations development, when the
government had no formal agenda on aerospace, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU)
took the lead and became the promotor of the aerospace education development. In the
second twenty years, with the clear government agenda on aerospace activities, the
development of the aerospace higher education received its momentum to accelerate and
to expand very rapidly. With the Reformation era, in which many execution of aerospace
activities are suposedly to be transfered into private sectors, the fate of aerospace
engineering will be exposed to the market in a more competitive basis. In the future the
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AA-ITB will grow up according to the market need not only domesticaly but also on the
global and regional or markets.

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