For an aircraft whose design studies were completed in 1975, Indian Tejas have surely taken their sweet time to become operational ( I hear it is expected to be operation by 2014 ). Anyway, from the looks of it, the aircraft seems to be pretty nimble and agile. Let's hope it meets upto its expectations. Congratulations to Indian friends on this remarkable achievement.
Are you sure about 1975, when mig 21bis production in India started in 1977 and lasted till 74... Maybe you are confusing it with "article 33" which was offered to india in 83, and then when rejected was later bought by china....LCA design was finalized in 1992
---------- Post added at 07:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 AM ----------
Sorry if Wikipedia is wrong about the studies. This is what they are saying ( Can you provide a link to back up your claim ?):
HAL Tejas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6 prototypes
16 LSP aircraft[citation needed]
Program cost
$1.2 billion[1]
Unit cost
US$31 million[2]
US$31.09 million (Naval version)[3]
The HAL Tejas (Hindi pronunciation: [t̪eːdʒəs] ( listen)) is a lightweight multirole fighter developed by India. It is a tailless,[4] compound delta-wing design powered by a single engine. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters. Later the LCA was officially named "Tejas",[5] meaning "Radiance" by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[6]
The Tejas has the delta wing configuration, with no tailplanes or foreplanes, and features a single vertical fin. It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, advanced digital cockpit, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, advanced composite material structures and a flat rated engine. The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers, while the Indian Navy may order up to 40 single-seaters to replace its Sea Harrier FRS.51 and Harrier T.60.[7]
The Tejas achieved a speed of over 1,350 kilometres per hour (840 mph) during its sea level flight trials, thus becoming the second supersonic fighter developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited after the HAL Marut.[8] The Tejas was cleared in January 2011 for use by Indian Air Force pilots. It will not reach final operational clearance until 2014.[9]
HAL Tejas at Aero India 2007.
In 1969, the Indian government accepted the recommendation by its Aeronautics Committee that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) should design and develop an advanced technology fighter aircraft around a proven engine. Based on a 'Tactical Air Support Aircraft' ASR markedly similar to that for the Marut,[10] HAL completed design studies in 1975, but the project fell through due to inability to procure the selected "proven engine" from a foreign manufacturer and the IAF's requirement for an air superiority fighter with secondary air support and interdiction capability remained unfulfilled.
In 1983 IAF realized the need of an indigenous combat aircraft for two primary purposes. The principal and most obvious goal was the development of a replacement aircraft for India's ageing MiG-21 fighters. The MiG-21 has been the mainstay of the Indian Air Force since the 1970s. The "Long Term Re-Equipment Plan 1981" noted that the MiG-21s would be approaching the end of their service lives by the mid-1990s, and that by 1995 the IAF would lack 40% of the aircraft needed to fill its projected force structure requirements.[11]
The LCA programme's other main objective was to serve as the vehicle for an across-the-board advancement of India's domestic aerospace industry.[12] The value of the aerospace "self-reliance" initiative is not simply the production of an aircraft, but also the building of a local industry capable of creating state-of-the-art products with commercial spin-offs for a global market. The LCA program was intended in part to further expand and advance India's indigenous aerospace capabilities.[13]
To better accomplish these goals, the government chose to take a different management approach, and in 1984 established the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA programme.Although the Tejas is most often described as a product of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), responsibility for the development of the Tejas actually belongs to ADA, a national consortium of over 100 defence laboratories, industrial organisations, and academic institutions with HAL being the principal contractor.[14]
selective reading eeh??
---------- Post added at 07:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:22 AM ----------
Sorry if Wikipedia is wrong about the studies. This is what they are saying ( Can you provide a link to back up your claim ?):
]
1960s
1969
Indian government accepted the recommendation by its Aeronautics Committee that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) should design and develop an advanced technology fighter aircraft around a proven engine
[edit]1970s
1975
HAL completed design studies in 1975, but the project fell through due to inability to procure the selected "proven engine" from a foreign manufacturer and unfulfilled IAF requirements
[edit]1980s
1983
DRDO obtained permission to initiate a programme to design and develop a Light Combat Aircraft
1984
Government of India set up Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in 1984 as the nodal agency for managing and developing the LCA.
1985
IAF submits Air Staff Requirements (ASR) for LCA in October 1985. This was initiated by the then Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif.
1986
Government allocates 575 crores for the LCA programme.
Programme to develop an indigenous powerplant (engine) was launched at GTRE.
1987
Project definition commenced in October 1987 with French Dassault Aviation as consultants.
1988
Project definition completed in September 1988.
1989
Government review committee expresses confidence in LCA programme. It was decided that the programme will be carried out in two phases.
[edit]1990s
1990
Design of LCA was finalised as a small delta winged relaxed static stability aircraft.
Phase 1 of the development was commenced to create the proof of concept system. Financial problems within India prevented full scale operations from starting.
1993
Full funding started from April 1993 full-scale development work for phase 1 started in June.
1995
First technology demonstrator, TD-1, rolled out on 17 November 1995 and was followed by TD-2 in 1998. However, technical problems in flight control systems and structural deficiencies plagued the prototypes and they remained grounded.
1997
Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for LCA design work started at HAL’s Hyderabad division and the LRDE.
[edit]2000s
2001
Development assistance sought from Snecma on the Kaveri engine.[1]
4 January - LCA’s maiden flight successfully completed by Technology Demonstrator TD-1, on 2001. Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee renames LCA as Tejas.
2002
6 June - TD-2 makes a successful maiden flight.
MMR system was reported to be not working as per the criteria laid down in requirements.
2003
25 November - PV-1 makes a successful maiden flight.
2005
1 December - PV-2 makes a successful maiden flight.
2006
13 May - The PV-2 went supersonic for the first time
14 May - The PV-2 went supersonic again, but this time in a weaponised state (i.e., carrying weapons such as missiles and an internal gun).
1 December - The PV-3 flew for the first time for 27 minutes at an altitude of 2.5 km and at a speed of Mach 0.8. The PV-3 was equipped with a more advanced pilot interface, refined avionics and higher control law capabilities compared with the previous versions.
2007
Tejas PV-1 firing an R-73 missile during weapons trials in Goa
25 April - The first Limited Series Production LCA (LSP-1) made its first flight and it reached a speed of Mach 1.1.
PV-2 and PV-3 underwent sea-level trails at INS Rajali Naval Air Station, Arakkonam to study the effects of flying at sea-level, as all earlier trials have been conducted at Bangalore which is 3,000 feet (910 m) above sea-level.[2][3] The reliability of the LCA systems under the hot and humid conditions, as well as low level flight characteristics was tested.[4][5] It is due to this intense flight testing schedule that the LCA was not able to fly at the Paris air show-2007, as was originally planned.[6]
7 September - Tejas Prototype Vehicle (PV-1) made a successful maiden flight with two 800 litre drop tanks.[7][8]
25 October - Tejas PV-1 fired a Vympel R-73 missile for first time. The trials were conducted off the Goa coast at INS Hansa Naval Air Station.[9]
11 December - LITENING targeting pod was successfully tested on Tejas PV-2.[10]
2008
HAL Tejas high-altitude trials at Leh successfully completed by December 2008.
7 February - Tejas Prototype Vehicle (PV-1) made a successful flight powered by fuel from two 800 litre drop tanks. It made a one hour and 24 minute long sortie. On internal fuel LCA can perform a 40-minute sortie.[11]
April - First Flight with HMDS[12]
LCA Tejas prototypes PV-2 & PV-3 underwent hot weather flight trials at Air Force Station, Nagpur from 28 May 2008 to 4 June 2008. The trials were declared successful.
16 June - Tejas second Limited Series Production LCA (LSP-2) made its first flight and it reached a speed of Mach 1.1.
7 November - LCA Prototype Vehicle-3 made first successful night flight.[13]
13 December - PV-3 and LSP-2 completed the high altitude at the Leh air base.[14]
2009
22 January - Tejas completed 1000 flights.[15]
February - the live bombs test were successfully carried out.[16]
October - PV-3 and LSP-2 completed visual target elimination and air-to-ground weapons delivery trials.[17]
26 November - Two seater (Trainer) version of Tejas(PV-5) made its maiden flight on 26 Nov 09.[18]
7 December - Tejas passed flight flutter test diving from an altitude of four kilometers to almost sea level at 900 feet (270 m). Tejas recorded a speed over 1350 km/h. These tests were conducted at INS Hansa, Goa.[19]
15 December - Indian government sanctioned Rs 8,000 crores to begin production of the fighter jet for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.[20]
[edit]2010s
2010
23 April - LCA Tejas LSP-3 Makes Maiden Flight. LSP-3 is almost the final configuration including the new air-data computers, Hybrid Multi Mode Radar, new communication and navigation equipment and radar warning receiver. With this the LCA programme has completed 1350 test flights logging about 800 flying hours.[21]
2 June - LCA Tejas LSP-4 Makes Maiden Flight. The flight marks the first time for a Tejas aircraft flying in the configuration that will be finally delivered to the Indian Air Force.[22] In addition to the Hybrid MMR, the aircraft also flew with a functioning Countermeasure Dispensing System [23]
19 November - LCA Tejas LSP-5 Makes Maiden Flight. Goes supersonic in first flight. [24]
2011
10 January - Certification for the Release to Services with assured safety and specified performance for IOC.[25]
26 January - LCA Tejas Participates in the 26 January Republic Day Celebrations by being paraded at New Delhi.
Timeline of HAL Tejas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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