Nihat
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can you back up that statement with any technical analysis or is it just a shot in the air , because we know the J-10 but very little about LCA mk 2.
HAL Tejas | Updates, News & Discussions
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can you back up that statement with any technical analysis or is it just a shot in the air , because we know the J-10 but very little about LCA mk 2.
aditya_friend
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well 50% its shot in the air but blck 2 will be having aesa radar and a fn-414 ge . besides its visually more sleathier .
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Malay the whole coding is done in house. LM where consultants but the decision how it will function is taken by us only like LCA FBW is a fixed gain software the decision is taken by us only not LM and yes it has been tested on the same plane which was used to test the software for F 16. But this is all pre 1998.
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domain-b.com : AeroIndia 2009: LCA programme is over the hump - from 2nd generation to 4+
AeroIndia 2009: LCA programme is over the hump - from 2nd generation to 4+ news
06 February 2009
From 1983, when an indigenous fighter development programme was launched with an attempt to develop second generation technologies, to 2008 when the programme has successfully developed 4+ generation technologies the LCA Tejas has come a long way, says ADA director, Dr PS Subramanyam.
What are the major state-of-the-art aircraft technologies used on the LCA?
To begin with, I'd like to take you back to 1983 when the programme began with the attempt to develop second generation technologies. The whole world then was developing fourth generation technologies. There was a gap of almost two generations of technologies. This is what we have overcome with this particular LCA programme.
When we talk about state-of-art technologies in the LCA, we are talking about state-of-the-art technologies related to unstable aerodynamics based aircraft, where the basic airframe is unstable. We have to make it stable by what we call instant fly-by-wire flight control systems, which is also a unique technology - we are only the fourth or fifth country in the world to have developed this digital technology.
Another technology that has been developed for the programme is called digital avionics technology, or a glass cockpit.
Yet another technology where we have really bridged the gap is in the area of composites.
I have mentioned these four state-of-the-art technologies because when we started the programme many foreign consultants on the programme said this country cannot catch up with these technologies at this point and suggested we go back to older technologies. It was then that Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who was the director general of the organisation, who said no. He told us he had confidence in us and that we could go ahead with developing these technologies.
We did that and today we have arrived - these technologies are now in use with the two Technology Demonstrator aircraft - TD1 and TD2.
We have gone over the hump and today we are at the 4+ generation of technologies. In these particular aircraft all electronic and mechanical systems are controlled by computers.
Even today we don't have such functional systems as digital avionics, glass cockpit and other related technologies in the Indian Air Force.
Another state-of-the-art feature in these technologies is that all the microprocessors used in our systems are only 12-16 months old - since we have deployed the open system architecture. With such a concept we can catch up with any evolution in electronics and keep on changing the hardware, as with computers.
So all the microprocessors used in the system are only 12-16 months old . That's the kind of currency we have got.
All sensors used in our aircraft are state-of-the-art - whether it is the navigation systems, the helmet mounted system, or what we call the day-night attack sensor. If you look at the Indian Air force, even they have picked up the system only a year or so ago.
Most of the things we use, even the materials, are state-of-the-art and in terms of technology this aircraft is going to be current even after 10 years.
What are the derivatives of LCA?
Seeing the performance of the Technology Demonstrators the Indian Navy and air force have now gained confidence in the aircraft – a confidence that they can move on to higher derivatives of the aircraft.
First, in March 2003, the Navy came forward with an order for a naval variant of the aircraft and decided to fund it.
Subsequently, the air force, realising that there was inadequacy of thrust in the aircraft, asked for a higher derivative of the aircraft with a new engine in the 90 tonnes class. This will be a Mark 2 version of the aircraft and will boast of new electronic warfare tools, reduced weight and improved performance.
The navy has also asked for a Mark 2 variant which will use a very small distance for take off and landing from an aircraft carrier. It will land with an arrestor hook. So, almost four new derivatives are planned – the air force and naval variants, the air force fighter trainer,the navy fighter trainer and Mk 2 versions of these.
This shows the confidence with which the user is placing orders for these derivatives.
Another very important point is that the users are funding the development of these derivatives. This shows we now have a lot of business, which is taking place with user participation.
What are the future programmes planned?
As I said earlier, when we began the programme we were dealing with second generation technologies. Now we have jumped to fourth generation technologies. If you don't have future programmes planned, and stay where you are, you will only be widening the technology gap with the rest of the world. If you wish to progress further, one way is to keep developing technologies. Keeping this in mind we now have a separate programme for technology development.
But unless technologies are packaged and put on the aircraft they will not mature. So we are working on programmes like the medium combat aircraft. So far we were quite hesitant whether the user will require such technology. But they have communicated that they need a medium combat aircraft, in the medium weight class, in which platform they have asked us to incorporate next generation fighter technologies.
So we have conceptual studies for the next generation fighter aircraft with medium weight - of around 20 tonnes. The technologies which will go into that are futuristic technologies, like stealth. The aircraft should not be visible. It will have radar cross section reduction, infrared reduction. It will have super cruise technology, and also, this kind of an aircraft will have all weapons concealed in the airframe itself - all the conformal weapons.
In the case of avionics we have visualised that unless we take a quantum jump and understand what is happening in the rest of the world we will again be widening the gap.
So we have decided to work on integrated modular architecture of the weapons and avionics system. That architecture will be built into this.
These are some of the technologies on which we are currently working .
What is the relevance of this seminar for your future technology requirement?
The seminar is very relevant. As I have pointed out we are now working on future technologies and programmes -so depending on what we need, and what we understand from our interactions with our users, we have to conceptualize what our future programmes and technologies are going to be like.
Using interaction opportunities with experts from the rest of the world we intend to understand what they are contemplating... here we will find ourselves hobnobbing with all the experts who are coming eg: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Embraer - you name it and all the companies are coming. Based on our interactions and one-on-one discussions with them we will try and figure out what future technologies they are contemplating.
As one of my colleagues said today the rest of the world has realised that India is a force to reckon with. Earlier, they would never have partnered with us but today they want us to be partners. They are ready to share information. Through this sharing of information we will realise if the technologies we are contemplating for development are contemporaneous are not.
What kind of aircraft to make ...what kind of unmanned aircraft we should make, what kind of technologies we have to put into these aircrafts - all this visibility will come only from a seminar of this nature.
We have also made sure that the people who come, the topics we cover are of such a spectrum - that we get to know if the technologies that we intend to develop are the right technologies.
We would also like to understand their approach with such programmes, their programme management techniques which will help us make our plans perfect.
In what way would co-operation with foreign agencies or companies benefit the LCA programme?
Since this our first time we are very conservative when it comes to designing and developing this aircraft. We wish to avoid failure at any cost. Technically, our aircraft weight is1.5 tonnes extra – because of our conservative design the weight is 500 kg extra.
If we had a foreign consultant on this project -someone who has gone through the same processes he doesn't have to do anything for us but tell us simply, where we could possibly curtail the weight of the aircraft. We would be prepared to improve our design. In other words, a large number of design iterations which will be required to reach perfection would be cut short because that consultant has already gone through similar experience.
Another thing is with regard to flight testing - the number of flight tests that we do is more than is required. This is something even the foreign vendors are saying. They know the optimal size of the testing that we need to do. Most of the companies have been in the industry for the last 50-60 years and have made three to four generations of aircraft. These are things they have already done and we have not.
The inputs we take from them is intellectual and not related to hardware or software. We will tell them what we intend to do - their job will be to tell us to achieve meaningful reductions in time and energy.
With such consultancy the number of design iterations we are going to do is likely to reduce - the number of flight tests we are going to do is also going to reduce.
If we reduce flight testing time by, say, six month we will achieve savings of nearly Rs1000 crore. So whatever small amount we will pay them for consultancy is meant basically for them to tell us whether we are on the right track, or not.
There is going to be no hardware or software support.
This is the way ahead for our future programmes where foreign collaboration will take place - we have now come to the four and a half generation level but when we contemplate taking on fifth generation fighter aircraft technologies benefits are expected to be substantial.
This is the purpose of the collaboration, which we are contemplating for the existing LCA programme, as well as for future fifth generation fighter programmes. This is the advice given to us by our higher management - do some kind of consultancy or participation programme so that partners also invest resources and result is optimal in terms of time and cost.
AeroIndia 2009: LCA programme is over the hump - from 2nd generation to 4+ news
06 February 2009
From 1983, when an indigenous fighter development programme was launched with an attempt to develop second generation technologies, to 2008 when the programme has successfully developed 4+ generation technologies the LCA Tejas has come a long way, says ADA director, Dr PS Subramanyam.
What are the major state-of-the-art aircraft technologies used on the LCA?
To begin with, I'd like to take you back to 1983 when the programme began with the attempt to develop second generation technologies. The whole world then was developing fourth generation technologies. There was a gap of almost two generations of technologies. This is what we have overcome with this particular LCA programme.
When we talk about state-of-art technologies in the LCA, we are talking about state-of-the-art technologies related to unstable aerodynamics based aircraft, where the basic airframe is unstable. We have to make it stable by what we call instant fly-by-wire flight control systems, which is also a unique technology - we are only the fourth or fifth country in the world to have developed this digital technology.
Another technology that has been developed for the programme is called digital avionics technology, or a glass cockpit.
Yet another technology where we have really bridged the gap is in the area of composites.
I have mentioned these four state-of-the-art technologies because when we started the programme many foreign consultants on the programme said this country cannot catch up with these technologies at this point and suggested we go back to older technologies. It was then that Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who was the director general of the organisation, who said no. He told us he had confidence in us and that we could go ahead with developing these technologies.
We did that and today we have arrived - these technologies are now in use with the two Technology Demonstrator aircraft - TD1 and TD2.
We have gone over the hump and today we are at the 4+ generation of technologies. In these particular aircraft all electronic and mechanical systems are controlled by computers.
Even today we don't have such functional systems as digital avionics, glass cockpit and other related technologies in the Indian Air Force.
Another state-of-the-art feature in these technologies is that all the microprocessors used in our systems are only 12-16 months old - since we have deployed the open system architecture. With such a concept we can catch up with any evolution in electronics and keep on changing the hardware, as with computers.
So all the microprocessors used in the system are only 12-16 months old . That's the kind of currency we have got.
All sensors used in our aircraft are state-of-the-art - whether it is the navigation systems, the helmet mounted system, or what we call the day-night attack sensor. If you look at the Indian Air force, even they have picked up the system only a year or so ago.
Most of the things we use, even the materials, are state-of-the-art and in terms of technology this aircraft is going to be current even after 10 years.
What are the derivatives of LCA?
Seeing the performance of the Technology Demonstrators the Indian Navy and air force have now gained confidence in the aircraft – a confidence that they can move on to higher derivatives of the aircraft.
First, in March 2003, the Navy came forward with an order for a naval variant of the aircraft and decided to fund it.
Subsequently, the air force, realising that there was inadequacy of thrust in the aircraft, asked for a higher derivative of the aircraft with a new engine in the 90 tonnes class. This will be a Mark 2 version of the aircraft and will boast of new electronic warfare tools, reduced weight and improved performance.
The navy has also asked for a Mark 2 variant which will use a very small distance for take off and landing from an aircraft carrier. It will land with an arrestor hook. So, almost four new derivatives are planned – the air force and naval variants, the air force fighter trainer,the navy fighter trainer and Mk 2 versions of these.
This shows the confidence with which the user is placing orders for these derivatives.
Another very important point is that the users are funding the development of these derivatives. This shows we now have a lot of business, which is taking place with user participation.
What are the future programmes planned?
As I said earlier, when we began the programme we were dealing with second generation technologies. Now we have jumped to fourth generation technologies. If you don't have future programmes planned, and stay where you are, you will only be widening the technology gap with the rest of the world. If you wish to progress further, one way is to keep developing technologies. Keeping this in mind we now have a separate programme for technology development.
But unless technologies are packaged and put on the aircraft they will not mature. So we are working on programmes like the medium combat aircraft. So far we were quite hesitant whether the user will require such technology. But they have communicated that they need a medium combat aircraft, in the medium weight class, in which platform they have asked us to incorporate next generation fighter technologies.
So we have conceptual studies for the next generation fighter aircraft with medium weight - of around 20 tonnes. The technologies which will go into that are futuristic technologies, like stealth. The aircraft should not be visible. It will have radar cross section reduction, infrared reduction. It will have super cruise technology, and also, this kind of an aircraft will have all weapons concealed in the airframe itself - all the conformal weapons.
In the case of avionics we have visualised that unless we take a quantum jump and understand what is happening in the rest of the world we will again be widening the gap.
So we have decided to work on integrated modular architecture of the weapons and avionics system. That architecture will be built into this.
These are some of the technologies on which we are currently working .
What is the relevance of this seminar for your future technology requirement?
The seminar is very relevant. As I have pointed out we are now working on future technologies and programmes -so depending on what we need, and what we understand from our interactions with our users, we have to conceptualize what our future programmes and technologies are going to be like.
Using interaction opportunities with experts from the rest of the world we intend to understand what they are contemplating... here we will find ourselves hobnobbing with all the experts who are coming eg: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Embraer - you name it and all the companies are coming. Based on our interactions and one-on-one discussions with them we will try and figure out what future technologies they are contemplating.
As one of my colleagues said today the rest of the world has realised that India is a force to reckon with. Earlier, they would never have partnered with us but today they want us to be partners. They are ready to share information. Through this sharing of information we will realise if the technologies we are contemplating for development are contemporaneous are not.
What kind of aircraft to make ...what kind of unmanned aircraft we should make, what kind of technologies we have to put into these aircrafts - all this visibility will come only from a seminar of this nature.
We have also made sure that the people who come, the topics we cover are of such a spectrum - that we get to know if the technologies that we intend to develop are the right technologies.
We would also like to understand their approach with such programmes, their programme management techniques which will help us make our plans perfect.
In what way would co-operation with foreign agencies or companies benefit the LCA programme?
Since this our first time we are very conservative when it comes to designing and developing this aircraft. We wish to avoid failure at any cost. Technically, our aircraft weight is1.5 tonnes extra – because of our conservative design the weight is 500 kg extra.
If we had a foreign consultant on this project -someone who has gone through the same processes he doesn't have to do anything for us but tell us simply, where we could possibly curtail the weight of the aircraft. We would be prepared to improve our design. In other words, a large number of design iterations which will be required to reach perfection would be cut short because that consultant has already gone through similar experience.
Another thing is with regard to flight testing - the number of flight tests that we do is more than is required. This is something even the foreign vendors are saying. They know the optimal size of the testing that we need to do. Most of the companies have been in the industry for the last 50-60 years and have made three to four generations of aircraft. These are things they have already done and we have not.
The inputs we take from them is intellectual and not related to hardware or software. We will tell them what we intend to do - their job will be to tell us to achieve meaningful reductions in time and energy.
With such consultancy the number of design iterations we are going to do is likely to reduce - the number of flight tests we are going to do is also going to reduce.
If we reduce flight testing time by, say, six month we will achieve savings of nearly Rs1000 crore. So whatever small amount we will pay them for consultancy is meant basically for them to tell us whether we are on the right track, or not.
There is going to be no hardware or software support.
This is the way ahead for our future programmes where foreign collaboration will take place - we have now come to the four and a half generation level but when we contemplate taking on fifth generation fighter aircraft technologies benefits are expected to be substantial.
This is the purpose of the collaboration, which we are contemplating for the existing LCA programme, as well as for future fifth generation fighter programmes. This is the advice given to us by our higher management - do some kind of consultancy or participation programme so that partners also invest resources and result is optimal in terms of time and cost.
nitesh
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nitesh
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Five Tejas Aircraft (Light Combat Aircraft) led by Air Cmde Rohit Varma, VM, Project Director (Flight Test), National Flight Test Centre – Aeronautical Development Agency carried out a flypast at Bangalore Airport (HAL) today (February 6, 2009) prelude towards the Aero India Inauguration Ceremony to be held on February 11, 2009. The mission, flown by all test pilots of the National Flight Test Centre, combined flight test profiles for the individual Tejas aircraft with a coordinated rehearsal for the Aero India fly-past.
LiveFist: Photo: 5 LCA formation flight
nitesh
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Broadsword: The King is dead.... long live the King!
Sunday, 8 February 2009
The King is dead.... long live the King!
TD1 photograph
To the left is a photograph of the first Tejas (TD-1) being prepared for burial. All essential and salvageable parts are being recovered from the (now somewhat battered) aircraft, before it moves to its final resting place in some museum or headquarters.
But as the earlier LCAs retire, more are on the way! The second photograph (above, right) shows the fuselage jig in a hangar in HAL on which the first components of LSP-7 have started being assembled. Incidentally, LSP-6 is in an advanced stage of assembly.
Sunday, 8 February 2009
The King is dead.... long live the King!
TD1 photograph
To the left is a photograph of the first Tejas (TD-1) being prepared for burial. All essential and salvageable parts are being recovered from the (now somewhat battered) aircraft, before it moves to its final resting place in some museum or headquarters.
But as the earlier LCAs retire, more are on the way! The second photograph (above, right) shows the fuselage jig in a hangar in HAL on which the first components of LSP-7 have started being assembled. Incidentally, LSP-6 is in an advanced stage of assembly.
tyagi
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dude this pic is of mirage . engine air-intake are above the wings
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nitesh
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test phase is gaining momentum
(09-Feb-09)Tejas-LCA
LCA-Tejas has completed 1030 Test Flights successfully. (09-Feb-09).
* LCA has completed 1030 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-300,PV1-183,PV2-111,PV3-123,LSP1-38,LSP2-42).
* 38th flight of Tejas LSP1 occurred on 08th Feb 09.
(09-Feb-09)Tejas-LCA
LCA-Tejas has completed 1030 Test Flights successfully. (09-Feb-09).
* LCA has completed 1030 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-300,PV1-183,PV2-111,PV3-123,LSP1-38,LSP2-42).
* 38th flight of Tejas LSP1 occurred on 08th Feb 09.
indiatech
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HAL, Bangalore
11th Feb 09
Ajai Shukla
At 3 p.m. on 7th Feb 09, it was all systems go at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in Bangalore, the organisation that is developing Indias Light Combat Aircraft. I sat by the runway, watching two Tejas fighters, as the LCA is named, carrying out pre-flight checks before leaving for a crucial mission. After over 1000 hours of test flights over several years, the Tejas was checking out its teeth and claws by dropping bombs on a ground target. For the first time I was looking at a Tejas which had, other than its dummy R-73 missile and fuel pods, bomb pods as well. (see photograph)
Three days earlier, the first bombing run had been made; this test was to validate another method of bomb delivery.
Group Captain R Tyagi, in the lead Tejas, was to fly several hundred kilometres to a live range and deliver the bombs on a ground target. The tarmac outside his air-conditioned cockpit was blistering, as his onboard health-monitoring systems conducted self-checks, a crucial six-minute operation to ensure that his engines, controls and electronics were functioning normally. I could see the flaps and control surfaces lifting and dropping; all of this was a part of the testing process.
Just metres away, naval test pilot Captain Jaideep Maolankar, sat in another Tejas fighter, carrying out the same checks on his aircraft. Jaideep would perform the role of chase aircraft, flying alongside Tyagis aircraft and visually observing every step of the mission. In addition, a high-speed camera was tracking Tyagis bomb pod, clicking hundreds of frames every second.
With a surprising lack of fuss, the two aircraft revved up their engines and taxied out to the runway. I put my hands over my ears as the fighter engines roared into a crescendo and both aircraft took off, first Tyagi and then Maolankar in quick succession, banking to the right and then quickly out of sight.
The pilots were now physically alone in their cockpits, but they had lots of company over the radio. At the end of the runway was the high-security Telemetry Centre of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), tracking every moment of the mission. Each aircraft, from the time it started up, was being monitored in detail, the data transmitting live from the aircraft over a high-speed data link. Eleven critical aircraft systems, such as the fuel system, hydraulics and flight controls, were being watched by eleven engineers, each responsible for one particular system. In addition, a senior flight test engineer, designated the Test Director, oversaw each of the two aircraft; beside each Test Director sat another test pilot, called the Safety Pilot, continuously monitored what the aircraft pilot was seeing through his Head-Up Display (HUD). Anything going wrong and the Test Director would alert the pilot in his aircraft. In a serious emergency, he made the split second decisions that could spell life or death.
Its a bit like Formula One racing, explained Wing Commander Aslam Khan, the Test Director. The driver, or in this case the pilot, is concentrating too hard on his mission to worry about how the aircraft systems are doing, or about what is happening outside. So we watch those parameters and tell the pilot over radio.
As the two Tejas aircraft approached the bombing range, the Telemetry Centre cleared Group Captain Tyagi to release his weapons. Flying just 70 metres away, Captain Maolankar watched carefully as Tyagis bombs were released; it was easy for him to see the white-coloured bombs as they headed down towards the target. Back at the Telemetry Centre, they replayed the live footage from the high-speed camera to check that the bombs had been released cleanly. I could see that they had.
The data --- including that relayed from ground cameras near the target --- would be examined in detail over days, but for now it was a successful test; the aircraft headed back to base. One more phase of the LCA test flight programme was proceeding smoothly.
The NTFC is reputed to be amongst the best test flight centres in the world. So far, not a single accident has marred the LCA programme, a perfect record compared to fighter development programmes in most other countries. In the Gripen programme, two aircraft went down in the first year of testing. In the F-104 programme in the US, 13-14 test pilots were killed in just two years of testing. (The aircraft was dubbed the widow maker.
This centre has been set up entirely indigenously, explains Air Commodore Rohit Varma, who heads the LCA flight testing. Also, unlike other countries where test pilots are retired airmen, our test pilots are all serving pilots, bringing in contemporary experience of our operating environment.
Amongst the ADAs five test pilots (that I had the pleasure of having lunch with a delicious meal!) were officers who had recently commanded a Su-30MKI squadron; a Harrier squadron; a MiG-21 squadron and a fighter base. All top guns, fresh from the field. Clearly user input counts for something!!
11th Feb 09
Ajai Shukla
At 3 p.m. on 7th Feb 09, it was all systems go at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in Bangalore, the organisation that is developing Indias Light Combat Aircraft. I sat by the runway, watching two Tejas fighters, as the LCA is named, carrying out pre-flight checks before leaving for a crucial mission. After over 1000 hours of test flights over several years, the Tejas was checking out its teeth and claws by dropping bombs on a ground target. For the first time I was looking at a Tejas which had, other than its dummy R-73 missile and fuel pods, bomb pods as well. (see photograph)
Three days earlier, the first bombing run had been made; this test was to validate another method of bomb delivery.
Group Captain R Tyagi, in the lead Tejas, was to fly several hundred kilometres to a live range and deliver the bombs on a ground target. The tarmac outside his air-conditioned cockpit was blistering, as his onboard health-monitoring systems conducted self-checks, a crucial six-minute operation to ensure that his engines, controls and electronics were functioning normally. I could see the flaps and control surfaces lifting and dropping; all of this was a part of the testing process.
Just metres away, naval test pilot Captain Jaideep Maolankar, sat in another Tejas fighter, carrying out the same checks on his aircraft. Jaideep would perform the role of chase aircraft, flying alongside Tyagis aircraft and visually observing every step of the mission. In addition, a high-speed camera was tracking Tyagis bomb pod, clicking hundreds of frames every second.
With a surprising lack of fuss, the two aircraft revved up their engines and taxied out to the runway. I put my hands over my ears as the fighter engines roared into a crescendo and both aircraft took off, first Tyagi and then Maolankar in quick succession, banking to the right and then quickly out of sight.
The pilots were now physically alone in their cockpits, but they had lots of company over the radio. At the end of the runway was the high-security Telemetry Centre of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), tracking every moment of the mission. Each aircraft, from the time it started up, was being monitored in detail, the data transmitting live from the aircraft over a high-speed data link. Eleven critical aircraft systems, such as the fuel system, hydraulics and flight controls, were being watched by eleven engineers, each responsible for one particular system. In addition, a senior flight test engineer, designated the Test Director, oversaw each of the two aircraft; beside each Test Director sat another test pilot, called the Safety Pilot, continuously monitored what the aircraft pilot was seeing through his Head-Up Display (HUD). Anything going wrong and the Test Director would alert the pilot in his aircraft. In a serious emergency, he made the split second decisions that could spell life or death.
Its a bit like Formula One racing, explained Wing Commander Aslam Khan, the Test Director. The driver, or in this case the pilot, is concentrating too hard on his mission to worry about how the aircraft systems are doing, or about what is happening outside. So we watch those parameters and tell the pilot over radio.
As the two Tejas aircraft approached the bombing range, the Telemetry Centre cleared Group Captain Tyagi to release his weapons. Flying just 70 metres away, Captain Maolankar watched carefully as Tyagis bombs were released; it was easy for him to see the white-coloured bombs as they headed down towards the target. Back at the Telemetry Centre, they replayed the live footage from the high-speed camera to check that the bombs had been released cleanly. I could see that they had.
The data --- including that relayed from ground cameras near the target --- would be examined in detail over days, but for now it was a successful test; the aircraft headed back to base. One more phase of the LCA test flight programme was proceeding smoothly.
The NTFC is reputed to be amongst the best test flight centres in the world. So far, not a single accident has marred the LCA programme, a perfect record compared to fighter development programmes in most other countries. In the Gripen programme, two aircraft went down in the first year of testing. In the F-104 programme in the US, 13-14 test pilots were killed in just two years of testing. (The aircraft was dubbed the widow maker.
This centre has been set up entirely indigenously, explains Air Commodore Rohit Varma, who heads the LCA flight testing. Also, unlike other countries where test pilots are retired airmen, our test pilots are all serving pilots, bringing in contemporary experience of our operating environment.
Amongst the ADAs five test pilots (that I had the pleasure of having lunch with a delicious meal!) were officers who had recently commanded a Su-30MKI squadron; a Harrier squadron; a MiG-21 squadron and a fighter base. All top guns, fresh from the field. Clearly user input counts for something!!
ejaz007
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Aero India 2009: Eurojet Turbo to Showcase EJ200 Engine; Kaveri Engine Alternative?
Dated 10/2/2009
EUROJET Turbo GmbH, the leading European military engine consortium, will be exhibiting the EJ200 engine at the Aero India Air Show 2009. Visitors to the Eurofighter stand (Hall C, No. 7) will have the opportunity to view the advanced technology of the EJ200 engine, which powers the Eurofighter Typhoon, and take a look inside the engine through an interactive engine monitor.
EUROJET is contracted to produce more than 1,500 EJ200 engines to power a total of 707 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft ordered by six nations. The fleet of over 400 engines in service with Eurofighter Typhoon fleets operated by the Air Forces of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Austria had amassed over 100,000 Engine Flying Hours at the end of 2008.
The EJ200 is also a potential alternative powerplant for the Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). An exhaustive feasibility study was conducted by the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in 2008, in which the suitability of the EJ200 engine for the Indian Light Combat Aircraft was confirmed and EUROJET was selected to be a recipient of the respective Request for Proposal (RFP) for the LCA. EUROJET is now in anticipation of this RFP to offer the EJ200 for the LCA.
EUROJET industries represent over 40 years of successful multi-national collabo*ration in the aerospace defense business.
Aero India 2009: Eurojet Turbo to Showcase EJ200 Engine; Kaveri Engine Alternative? | India Defence
Dated 10/2/2009
EUROJET Turbo GmbH, the leading European military engine consortium, will be exhibiting the EJ200 engine at the Aero India Air Show 2009. Visitors to the Eurofighter stand (Hall C, No. 7) will have the opportunity to view the advanced technology of the EJ200 engine, which powers the Eurofighter Typhoon, and take a look inside the engine through an interactive engine monitor.
EUROJET is contracted to produce more than 1,500 EJ200 engines to power a total of 707 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft ordered by six nations. The fleet of over 400 engines in service with Eurofighter Typhoon fleets operated by the Air Forces of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Austria had amassed over 100,000 Engine Flying Hours at the end of 2008.
The EJ200 is also a potential alternative powerplant for the Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). An exhaustive feasibility study was conducted by the Indian Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in 2008, in which the suitability of the EJ200 engine for the Indian Light Combat Aircraft was confirmed and EUROJET was selected to be a recipient of the respective Request for Proposal (RFP) for the LCA. EUROJET is now in anticipation of this RFP to offer the EJ200 for the LCA.
EUROJET industries represent over 40 years of successful multi-national collabo*ration in the aerospace defense business.
Aero India 2009: Eurojet Turbo to Showcase EJ200 Engine; Kaveri Engine Alternative? | India Defence
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‘Tejas’ removes all doubts
The Light Combat aircraft fly during the inauguration of the Aero India 2009 in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: A quarter of a century after the project was conceived and being dubbed “as more trouble than its worth”, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ on Wednesday proved the theory that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel, right.
The LCA, on the inaugural day of Aero India 2009, put up a flawless flight display and performed “neverseen- before” manoeuvres, which drew applause.
The take-off LCA from the Air Force Station Yelahanka tarmac was like any of 1,000-odd its has done since its maiden flight on January 4, 2001, but what was in store for the next 10 minutes showed the progress of not just the LCA project, but the indegenisation of India’s defence programme.
The LCA showed the capability of the aircraft and put any doubts to rest.
After viewing its performance, an excited Defence Minister A K Antony praised the show put up by the all those involved in the project.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a lot of noise made about the project about and why India is still continuing its experiments. Now I have hope that we can induct it to the IAF as the performance today by the LCA was the most exciting event of the day,” he said.
‘Tejas’ removes all doubts
The Light Combat aircraft fly during the inauguration of the Aero India 2009 in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: A quarter of a century after the project was conceived and being dubbed “as more trouble than its worth”, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ on Wednesday proved the theory that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel, right.
The LCA, on the inaugural day of Aero India 2009, put up a flawless flight display and performed “neverseen- before” manoeuvres, which drew applause.
The take-off LCA from the Air Force Station Yelahanka tarmac was like any of 1,000-odd its has done since its maiden flight on January 4, 2001, but what was in store for the next 10 minutes showed the progress of not just the LCA project, but the indegenisation of India’s defence programme.
The LCA showed the capability of the aircraft and put any doubts to rest.
After viewing its performance, an excited Defence Minister A K Antony praised the show put up by the all those involved in the project.
“In the last 10 years, there has been a lot of noise made about the project about and why India is still continuing its experiments. Now I have hope that we can induct it to the IAF as the performance today by the LCA was the most exciting event of the day,” he said.
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