HAL Light Utility Helicopter first flight in August

[DIRECT ACTION]

HAL’s Light Utility Helicopter is all set to undertake its first flight from the HAL Airport in Bengaluru in August this year. A mock-up displayed at last month’s Aero India show in Bengaluru has attracted interest from several countries, with delegations at the show requesting to be kept updated on progress of the platform to support future requirements in those countries.

HAL’s LUH project director K. Mahabaleshwara Bhat was a busy man at the show, hosting several interested military delegations inside the cabin of the olive green liveried LUH mock-up in the central forecourt of the show’s display area. The LUH is being developed keeping in mind several key lessons learned on the Dhruv programme. The LUH, being developed with skids undercarriage will also be spun off in a wheels version.

It is also being developed with foldable rotors (the entire operation takes 10 minutes to complete) — a key lesson learnt on the Dhruv programme, to make it acceptable to the Indian Navy for shipborne roles. Future builds of the Dhruv, incidentally, will sport the foldable rotor system perfected on the LUH and offered afresh to the Indian Navy. The Dhruv currently only functions from shore. The LUH is being developed to meet a requirement of 187 helicopters (the remaining 197 will be through the new Make in India RSH programme).

HAL Light Utility Helicopter first flight in August | idrw.org

 

[halfilhal]

O bhai. Don't bother posting news about what HAL/DRDO may do. Only post about what they did. Don't be surprised if your children are pasting the same news years after.

 

[SrNair]

Good development

 

[45'22']

Good for Navy

 

[Abingdonboy]

HAL’s Light Utility Helicopter is all set to undertake its first flight from the HAL Airport in Bengaluru in August this year. A mock-up displayed at last month’s Aero India show in Bengaluru has attracted interest from several countries, with delegations at the show requesting to be kept updated on progress of the platform to support future requirements in those countries.

HAL’s LUH project director K. Mahabaleshwara Bhat was a busy man at the show, hosting several interested military delegations inside the cabin of the olive green liveried LUH mock-up in the central forecourt of the show’s display area. The LUH is being developed keeping in mind several key lessons learned on the Dhruv programme. The LUH, being developed with skids undercarriage will also be spun off in a wheels version.

It is also being developed with foldable rotors (the entire operation takes 10 minutes to complete) — a key lesson learnt on the Dhruv programme, to make it acceptable to the Indian Navy for shipborne roles. Future builds of the Dhruv, incidentally, will sport the foldable rotor system perfected on the LUH and offered afresh to the Indian Navy. The Dhruv currently only functions from shore. The LUH is being developed to meet a requirement of 187 helicopters (the remaining 197 will be through the new Make in India RSH programme).

HAL Light Utility Helicopter first flight in August | idrw.org

Good for Navy

The IN has no interest in it and has no involvement in this program, they have a seperate foreign requirement for N-LUHs that they are pursuing primarily because they need a twin engined N-LUH.

 

[45'22']

The IN has no interest in it and has no involvement in this program, they have a seperate foreign requirement for N-LUHs that they are pursuing primarily because they need a twin engined N-LUH.

They are developing it with foldable rotors????


And what's the difference between Dhruv/Rudra and LUH

 

[Ronin]

What is it expected to cost

 

[Abingdonboy]

They are developing it with foldable rotors????

HAL being HAL I guess. Although, perhaps this capabilty will make thsi helo attractive for foriegn navies but the IN has catergorically stated they need a N-LUH with two engines and they have not signed up to be a partner in the HAL LUH so that tells you all you need to know. Also if the new folding blades have been devloped on this LUH then there is a benefit for the ALH, even though the ALH's blades could always fold the issue was they couldn't fold automatically so not to sure what to make of this news.

And what's the difference between Dhruv/Rudra and LUH

The LUH is a light weight, single engine helicopter meant to replace the IA's and IAF's Cheetak/N and Cheetah/l. The ALH is a larger, twin engined medium weight helicopter and the Rudra is an armed version of the ALH.

 

[itachiii]

What is it expected to cost

bhai, aap pakka gujju hai na ??P

 

[Echo_419]

The IN has no interest in it and has no involvement in this program, they have a seperate foreign requirement for N-LUHs that they are pursuing primarily because they need a twin engined N-LUH.

Maybe the cost guard can buy a few of these fir shore based SAR OPs

 

[Abingdonboy]

Maybe the cost guard can buy a few of these fir shore based SAR OPs

More than likely considering they are also an operator of the Cheetak. The ICG's airwing across the board needs to be modernised though, they are inducting boats/ships like no one's buisness whilst their aviation arm is stagnating. I've been hearing about this long range SAR procurment (between EC-725 and S-70B AFAIK) for over 5 years now and there is still no light on the horizon.