The LCA is already flying with dummy missiles
Air Marshal Nak Brown will head the IAFs team
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Bangalore: The three players most tied up with the Tejas, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme the user (the Indian Air Force), the designer Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and the manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will come together on Saturday for their monthly review meeting. But this months Bangalore meeting will be anything but routine.
On the flying front, the LCAs PV-1 (prototype vehicle) is expected to undertake its first low speed taxi run after the integration of drop tanks. The low speed taxi run where the aircraft is pushed to almost its take-off speed but does not actually take off, is the prelude to the actual first flight with drop tanks.
The drop tanks are expendable and jettisonable external fuel tanks carried by the aircraft giving it longer endurance and range, enabling pilots to fly longer. An important milestone for the LCA programme, the first flight with drop tanks could happen next week. A successful run with drop tanks will enable ADA to move into the LCAs weaponisation programme, where the R 73 air-to-air missile and bombs will be integrated onto the aircraft. The LCA is already flying with dummy missiles.
But it will be issues on the ground that will take centre stage. With questions over the LCAs combat performance especially climb, acceleration and how fast it could turn at certain altitudes having cropped up during the recent sea trails at Arakonnam, a detailed assessment of what can be managed within the time frame will have to be undertaken. Sources said the IAF would have to be asked to lower certain aspects of their air staff requirements for the LCA, which at the moment were unrealistic.
According to the Defence Research and Development Organisations Chief Controller Research and Development (Aeronautics and Material Science) D. Banerjee, there is no doubt that the aircraft and engine have to improve, but any improvements will have to suit the time frame.
The IAF will have to be asked how many aircraft they take with the current performance.
Dr. Banerjee under whom ADA functions, told The Hindu that improvements can be made to the aero dynamism of the aircraft by technical cleaning to remove drag, and also improving the LCAs propulsion system.
