HAL LCH| Updates and Discussions

[anathema]

nop it has two engines
.

I think you are right ! I might have got it confused with LUH.

Hang on , i will do some googling and lets see what i come up with...

 

[shrivatsa]

these may help you

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/S_mS3GN7ZAI/AAAAAAAAKdU/xgo3pyHb6Sg/s1600/P1010158-759624.JPG

 

[navtrek]

 

[gogbot]

^^^^^

Interesting points of note

*LCH is the lightest helicopter on that list(contrary to the media claims on it being overweight)


*LCH has the Highest service celling 6500m , with a close second being the AH-64 Apache Longbow with a service Ceiling of only 100m less than the LCH , meaning 6400M(AH64 May be the best Heli to complement our LCH


*LCH has the Lowest max speed

*LCH has the Third Highest range at 700KM


*LCH has the Third Highest payload at 3400 Kg, despite being touted as a light combat helicopter , it does supremely well in this category.

Full list of Payload's
AH-64 - 5268 kg

MI-28 - 4210 kg

LCH - 3400 kg

KA-50 - 3000 kg

Euro - 2940 kg

SuperCobra- 2800 kg

AW-129 - 2079 kg

___________________________________________________________

Over all LCH is solid, good aircraft in comparison.

It is the lightest Helicopter on the list , it can carry far more than any other helicopter that can be classified as light or even medium. with the third highest payload.

Has the highest service ceiling of any the helicopters.

When it comes to range , the LCH has the third highest range on the list, it trumps the ranges of both the heavy attack helicopters(AH-64 an Mi-28) which could carry more then the LCH. LCH is turn is only beaten by helicopters that could carry less payload then the LCH. All is all one could say , the LCH has found a proper balance between Payload and range. With range of 700Km , it's more than just good.

Speed is the only factor where the LCH seem's to have conceded everything on.
with a top speed of only 275Km per hour , it is the slowest on the list. This of course has a negative consequence on rapid response or pursuit situations. When compared with the AH-12 SC with a top seed of the 411km , the disparity can be staggering. But other helicopter , especially lighter ones , don't go past the 300KM mark. And other heavier helicopters don't go beyond 390km. So the Top speed of the LCH can at least maintain pace , with most of these heli's . But Speed is not as important a factor as the rest , and this dis-advantage not the most concerning.

 

[jha]

^^^ SC does not carry more imo ..it carries ~2800 kg. of ammunitions
while LCH carries around 3400 kg...(compare that with ~5000 kg. of apache )
.it lacks speed no doubt.. (HAL should work on that )..

 

[Kinetic]

^^^^^

Interesting points of note

*LCH is the Second lightest helicopter on that list , losing out to the AW-129 Mangusta

Its not second but lightest attack chopper. AW-129 has an empty weight of 2530 kg while LCH is 2250 kg.

Over all LCH does alight for being a helicopter of its class.

Not just alight but better.

But disappointingly, It does not fair very well against the Super cobra

!!!!!

LCH can go longer and Higher then The SC. But SC is faster and it can carry more.

Range, altitude and weapons load matter much more than speed. How SC can carry more??? LCH can carry 3450 kg of weapons while SC can carry 2810 kg.

On top of that , LCH only has 400M advantage in service ceiling over the SC

Thats a huge advantage for operating at northern region. 'just' 400 km?!!!! LCH already the highest ceiling attack chopper, thats also a huge technological achievement.

And the LCH only has a 15 KM advantage over the range of the SC.

the SC on the other hand , has an empty weight proportional to the max weight of the LCH

Considering SC's weight is more than double than that of LCH its an advantage for LCH.

And has a max Speed of 136 km more than the LCH Max speed.

That is an advantage SC has but this doesn't make it superior.

All in all it has decent showing compared to the rest.

Currently , our neighbour Pakistan only has Cobra heli's and not SC , so the LCH can still be the top dog in the region for a while at least.

Above all LCH is much more stealthier than SC.

Yes Pakistan doesn't have SC but I think its matter of time that Pakistan will get SC and F-35. China also has a good attack chopper programme. So we should be prepared.

 

[gogbot]

^^^ SC does not carry more imo ..it carries ~2800 kg. of ammunitions
while LCH carries around 3400 kg...(compare that with ~5000 kg. of apache )
.it lacks speed no doubt.. (HAL should work on that )..

Its not second but lightest attack chopper. AW-129 has an empty weight of 2530 kg while LCH is 2250 kg.

How SC can carry more??? LCH can carry 3450 kg of weapons while SC can carry 2810 kg.

Thanks to the both of you or correcting me , i guess i did not read the wieght properly, i have re-written my post with the correct info now.

Range, altitude and weapons load matter much more than speed.

Agreed

Thats a huge advantage for operating at northern region. 'just' 400 km?!!!! LCH already the highest ceiling attack chopper, thats also a huge technological achievement.

its 400 M not 400 Km.
I am implying that the SC can go to almost as many places as the LCH,

That is an advantage SC has but this doesn't make it superior.

I never said that , i only said it was an advantage

Above all LCH is much more stealthier than SC.

I don't really believe that , Just because the LCH looks sleeker , does not mean it is stealthy in many meaningful way. i mean it has giant rotating blades, how can anything be stealthy with something like that.

Sure you can say it is stealthier, but that's like comparing a grain of sand to two grains of sand , and saying i have more.

Yes Pakistan doesn't have SC but I think its matter of time that Pakistan will get SC and F-35.

Sure when the US lets them.

F-35 lines will be busy well into the 2020 , unless they make a large order they wont get them any sooner.

AH-12 SC , may be possible , but that is still at least 5 years away.
By Them we may have AH-64 Apache Longbows , with large number of LCH.

China also has a good attack chopper programme. So we should be prepared.

Well aware , but all we can do is keep working on our own projects.
But since we can add foreign sub-systems to out choppers , we have have an Edge

 

[gowthamraj]

I strongly feel lch iS better than cobra

 

[Kinetic]

its 400 M not 400 Km.
I am implying that the SC can go to almost as many places as the LCH,

Ohhh sorry that was an unintentional mistake!

how SC can go to as many places as the LCH? It can't go beyond 6100 m.

I never said that , i only said it was an advantage

Actually this is the only advantage SC has over LCH. So as you mentioned... "But disappointingly, It does not fair very well against the Super cobra"..... I thought this is the reason... speed...

I don't really believe that , Just because the LCH looks sleeker , does not mean it is stealthy in many meaningful way. i mean it has giant rotating blades, how can anything be stealthy with something like that.

Comparing SC with LCH regrading stealth feature is just comparing Mig-35 with PAK FA. Mig-35 is way larger than PAK FA but is it stealhy? NO. Simply larger blades doesn't mean that LCH compromises its stealth features. They also shaped the blades specially to reduce detectability.

Sure you can say it is stealthier, but that's like comparing a grain of sand to two grains of sand , and saying i have more.

LCH is not just stealthier but way stealthier. Say, if SC is a F-16 B52 than LCH is F-35. SC doesn't come close in this field atleast.

Sure when the US lets them.


F-35 lines will be busy well into the 2020 , unless they make a large order they wont get them any sooner.

Its just matter of time. US will give them SC and F-35. They are playing very nasty game regarding India, China, Pakistan and terrorism.

AH-12 SC , may be possible , but that is still at least 5 years away.
By Them we may have AH-64 Apache Longbows , with large number of LCH.

We have another adversary to face. One cannot just face larger enemy with huge resources and smaller enemy being equipped by other powers at the same time. Thats why I said we should be prepared. 22 Apache Longbow will not make any change in front of large number of SC fielded by Pakistan while LCH might be fighting against Chinese. I am comparing here in the view of so called military balance that US thinks regarding India-Pakistan-China.

Well aware , but all we can do is keep working on our own projects.
But since we can add foreign sub-systems to out choppers , we have have an Edge

Yes we can, but US aided Pakistan and economically strong China will field much larger number of choppers against us. So need huge technological advantage. LCH is the right direction.

 

[jha]

^^ I have no idea how a chopper can be stealth..Anyways it being stealth will nto have that effect because it will not be used for A2A role...the main role will be destroying the tanks imo..however my knowledge in this field is very limited...
Regarding no. of Apache, i believe we should have gone for atleast 50 of these to create some punch..or, maybe the no. will be increased as per our habit...

 

[Kinetic]

^^ I have no idea how a chopper can be stealth..

It can. Just google Comache...

Anyways it being stealth will nto have that effect because it will not be used for A2A role...the main role will be destroying the tanks imo..however my knowledge in this field is very limited...

Than why our LCH armed with A-to-A missiles?!!! Its not just to destroy other choppers. Stealth is a huge advantage for chopper which can evade ground based radars at longer ranges but still attacks the target.

Regarding no. of Apache, i believe we should have gone for atleast 50 of these to create some punch..or, maybe the no. will be increased as per our habit...

Agreed we need more like Apache not just 22. But its way more costly than LCH. So its better to mass produce LCH in larger number.

 

[Dash]

Than why our LCH armed with A-to-A missiles?!!! Its not just to destroy other choppers. Stealth is a huge advantage for chopper which can evade ground based radars at longer ranges but still attacks the target.

Kinetic -
Which is the A2A missile load out on LCH? and as of now they are only thinking of adding A2A.
Even MQ1predators, and Apache were supposed to have Sidewinders as well. But have they been added so far?....

 

[Just Yash]

areee bhai Nam Kab Rakhne wale he?

I dont like to call this beast LCH!!!

 

[KEETARP]

Kinetic -
Which is the A2A missile load out on LCH? and as of now they are only thinking of adding A2A.
Even MQ1predators, and Apache were supposed to have Sidewinders as well. But have they been added so far?....

For the time being
Mistral A2A missile ,
Mistral ATAM is tried and tested against hostile helos and UAV
It was tested on Dhruv WSI version as well .

Image is of dhruv , you can see that "Tiger" design pattern . And the Mistral

http://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/ref/scripts/EN_Mistral-Atam_122.html

http://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/docs_wsw/fichiers_communs/docs/pdf07_mistralatam.pdf

 

[Dash]

For the time being
Mistral A2A missile ,
Mistral ATAM is tried and tested against hostile helos and UAV
It was tested on Dhruv WSI version as well .

Image is of dhruv , you can see that "Tiger" design pattern . And the Mistral

Mistral Atam missile, air missile defense, air to air missile. MBDA

http://www.mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/docs_wsw/fichiers_communs/docs/pdf07_mistralatam.pdf

Thanks Prateek -

Thats what i said, that only tests are happening on European and Amercan Combat helos.

So you are saying LCH has used and tested Mistral? We are not even sure which ATGM it will carry, thinking Helina is a at least 2-3 years away.

Do you know which ATGM Dhruv carries?.