HAL Tejas | Updates, News & Discussions

[shchinese]

Lets see who will have the last laugh

we have been laughing for decades

arjun/LCA

 

[Munir]

Lets see who will have the last laugh

Let us hope you are able to finish something before it is antique and be put in the heritage Museum that your nation so desperatel wants...

I am not laughing. I am damn serious and unfortunately I do have lots of credits in predicting. If you want to keep posting stupid oneliners without facts then you are history anytime soon.

 

[nitesh]

Current News

LCA-Tejas has completed 958 Test Flights successfully. (30-Nov-08).

* LCA has completed 958 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-292,PV1-181,PV2-105,PV3-104,LSP1-28,LSP2-15).
* 292nd flight of Tejas TD2 occurred on 29th Nov 08.
* 28th flight of Tejas LSP1 occurred on 29th Nov 08.
(30-Nov-08)Tejas-LCA

LCA-Tejas has completed 960 Test Flights successfully. (01-Dec-08).

* LCA has completed 960 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-292,PV1-182,PV2-105,PV3-104,LSP1-29,LSP2-15).
* 182nd flight of Tejas PV1 occurred on 30th Nov 08.
* 29th flight of Tejas LSP1 occurred on 30th Nov 08.

(01-Dec-08)Tejas-LCA

LCA-Tejas has completed 961 Test Flights successfully. (02-Dec-08).

* LCA has completed 961 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-292,PV1-182,PV2-105,PV3-104,LSP1-29,LSP2-16).
* 16th flight of Tejas LSP2 occurred on 01st Dec 08.

 

[donrahul]

how many hours of test flight? Any ideas?

 

[nitesh]

how many hours of test flight? Any ideas?

Nope there is no specific info available on this but you can take a typical test flight time of 25-30 min. But some sorties were of more then 1.5-2 hour. So we can say some thing like 600 hour. (That's my view)

 

[nitesh]

The Hindu : National : IAF insists on changes to Tejas

IAF insists on changes to Tejas

Ravi Sharma

It does not meet minimum air staff requirements

IAF will consider acquiring 125 more Tejas’ when Mk2 variant is developed

Mk2 will take a few years because a new powerful engine has to be chosen

BANGALORE: The Indian Air Force has categorically ruled out placing further orders for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, with its current configuration.

In 2005, the IAF placed an order with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 16 fighters and four trainers. The then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a decision on an additional 20 aircraft was under consideration. But that plan has come a cropper since the overweight, under-powered Tejas does not meet the IAF’s minimum air staff requirements (ASR).

The IAF decision though is not the end of the road for the Rs. 6,000-crore LCA programme. It will consider acquiring 125 more Tejas when an improved — Mark 2 (Mk2) — variant is developed. As indicated by an IAF committee in 2004, any further order will be subject to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the designer and developer of the LCA programme, showing “firm visibility that the aircraft will meet the ASR.”

Recently, the IAF even made a few suggestions on improvements in Tejas Mk2, including a more powerful engine, optimisation of the aerodynamic qualities and weight of the aircraft and “dropping and replacing” certain parts to take care of obsolescence.

Tejas Mk2 will take a few years to fructify, the biggest challenge being choosing a new powerful engine. In December, the ADA is expected to issue a request for proposal to General Electric for its GE F414 and to the European consortium Eurojet for EJ200, in a bid to procure 99 engines (with an option to buy another 49).

Once the engine is chosen, fuselage modifications will have to be carried out, flight tests started and evaluation undertaken. All trainer aircraft even after Tejas Mk2 rolls out will continue to have the present GE F404 engines.

Cold weather trials

On the LCA programme, the ADA is getting ready for ‘cold weather trials.’ They were to have been conducted in 2007 but were not because of questions about the aircraft’s reliability.

Two or three aircraft are scheduled to leave for Leh on December 8. Cold weather trials include landing the Tejas at Leh, one of the most challenging airfields in the world, and ‘cold soak’ when temperatures are around minus 15 degrees C to see if the systems on board function normally.

Slow pace

The IAF is also worried about the slow pace and quality of work at HAL. More so, because it will not be able to deliver by 2013, as scheduled, the 20 aircraft for which orders have been placed. Defence Minister A.K. Antony recently said the Tejas would enter squadron service by 2011, which date, according to officials, is highly optimistic as hardly 10 or 12 test sorties are now being undertaken. The IAF expects the final operational clearance for the Tejas only after 2012.

 

[Nihat]

I really don't expect much from the LCA right now - It's an R and D start and I'll keep it at that for the current time frame.

All I would want is that within the next 2 years i.e Dec 2010 , that promised one squadron of 20 fighters which will be fully armed and combat ready will be put in place in the south , at least it will provide a base line for the DRDO to work with.

Use the F 404 engine and Elta 2052 MMR and for gods sake get it up in the air and in active combat service , if only one squadron.

In the mean while - Push had for the MRCA , if NDA comes to power I'm certain that they will be more pro active in matters of defense.

 

[nitesh]

I see this as a good news my comprehension tells something like this:

"The IAF is ordering more of the newer versions and reduced the number of older versions that they originally planned to order".

 

[Munir]

Mufassa Mufassa Mufassa


BANGALORE: The Indian Air Force has categorically ruled out placing further orders for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, with its current configuration.

In 2005, the IAF placed an order with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 16 fighters and four trainers. The then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a decision on an additional 20 aircraft was under consideration. But that plan has come a cropper since the overweight, under-powered Tejas does not meet the IAF’s minimum air staff requirements (ASR).

The IAF decision though is not the end of the road for the Rs. 6,000-crore LCA programme. It will consider acquiring 125 more Tejas when an improved — Mark 2 (Mk2) — variant is developed. As indicated by an IAF committee in 2004, any further order will be subject to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the designer and developer of the LCA programme, showing “firm visibility that the aircraft will meet the ASR.”

Recently, the IAF even made a few suggestions on improvements in Tejas Mk2, including a more powerful engine, optimisation of the aerodynamic qualities and weight of the aircraft and “dropping and replacing” certain parts to take care of obsolescence.

Tejas Mk2 will take a few years to fructify, the biggest challenge being choosing a new powerful engine. In December, the ADA is expected to issue a request for proposal to General Electric for its GE F414 and to the European consortium Eurojet for EJ200, in a bid to procure 99 engines (with an option to buy another 49).

Once the engine is chosen, fuselage modifications will have to be carried out, flight tests started and evaluation undertaken. All trainer aircraft even after Tejas Mk2 rolls out will continue to have the present GE F404 engines.

Cold weather trials


On the LCA programme, the ADA is getting ready for ‘cold weather trials.’ They were to have been conducted in 2007 but were not because of questions about the aircraft’s reliability.

Two or three aircraft are scheduled to leave for Leh on December 8. Cold weather trials include landing the Tejas at Leh, one of the most challenging airfields in the world, and ‘cold soak’ when temperatures are around minus 15 degrees C to see if the systems on board function normally.

Slow pace


The IAF is also worried about the slow pace and quality of work at HAL. More so, because it will not be able to deliver by 2013, as scheduled, the 20 aircraft for which orders have been placed. Defence Minister A.K. Antony recently said the Tejas would enter squadron service by 2011, which date, according to officials, is highly optimistic as hardly 10 or 12 test sorties are now being undertaken. The IAF expects the final operational clearance for the Tejas only after 2012.

 

[Nihat]

already posted above , Munir Sir

 

[nitesh]

Guys first of all people need to understand how the LCA program started, posting excerpts of interview from post no. 603

One keeps hearing conflicting stories on the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). What is the update on the project?

To understand the LCA, it is necessary to go to the beginning. People say that the project started in 1983. The truth is that the Air Staff Requirements (ASR) itself was not available in 1983. All that had happened was that the country had conceptually decided on a need for the LCA and a sanction of Rs 560 crore was made. It took about five to six years to arrive at a definition of what the LCA should be. The ASR was given in 1985 and by 1988 we understood what the air force was looking for. After this, we started the project definition studies and the summary of these studies stated that seven prototypes should be made as is normally done all over the world. But in 1990-91, the government felt that so much of a risk could not be taken and the requirement of seven prototypes was split into two phases: two technology demonstrators (TD) followed by five prototypes. In the TD stage we were told that no sensor or weaponisation was required; only certain technologies were to be demonstrated. In April 1993, an amount of Rs 2,188 crore was allocated only for the TD, implying that before this, funds were not available to launch the full scale programme. The technologies needed to be demonstrated were composite-based wing structure, digital fly-by-wire flight control system, all digital avionics and computer-based control of electro-mechanical systems.

In January 2001, the TD1 was flown and the government saw the promise in the programme. In November 2001, the government gave the go-ahead to start work on the proto-vehicles (PV), which are basically meant for sensors and weapons’ integration. Till this time, the government did not fund us to make a fighting machine or PVs for which funds to the tune of Rs 3301 crore were released then. The sanction fund of Rs 3,301 crore is not only for the proto-vehicles but for the limited serial production (LSP) of eight aircraft, including the infrastructure needed for them to establish a production line of eight aircraft per annum. This was the turning point for the programme. In June 2002, we flew the TD2 and in November 2003, we flew PV1.

There was a transformation at this stage as we realised that an entire generation of electronics had changed by 2001. Fortunately, by 1998-99, we decided to make the entire avionics of the aircraft with an open system of architecture. Hence, the PV2 that flew in December 2005 was with an open system of architecture. The advantage is that it allows us to tackle obsolescence of electronic hardware. In this process, we were able to make nearly 80 per cent of avionics indigenously. Today, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is very happy with us on this issue because we have the most current concept of avionics in the aircraft. In December 2006 we flew PV3, and in April 2007 the LSP1 version. The LSP2 was flown recently in June 2008. Today, we have seven aircraft in flying condition: TD1, TD2, PV1, PV2, PV3, LSP1 and LSP2. Our first trainer aircraft is round the corner, probably in another two months. We are now very close to programme completion. We are looking for Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in December 2010 and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by 2012. In March 2006, the IAF placed the order for 20 aircraft in IOC configuration.

Today, in terms of the aircraft, we look at two major aspects. The first is the flight envelope expansion, implying the altitude and speed of the aircraft as well as acceleration and manoeuvres. In this respect, we have already validated all the parameters except the angle of attack. We are presently, at 20 when the required is 22. The second aspect is sensors and weapons integration. We have integrated the day and night attack sensor system, what is called the Litening Pod and the helmet-mounted display system (HMDS) for slewing the radar and litening pod towards the target. What is now pending is radar integration and release of weapons. We did the sea trials in June 2007 at Arakonam. In November 2007, we fired a close combat missile (CCM) from the aircraft in Goa and recently (May 28-June 4) we completed the hot weather trials in Nagpur.

any way the journalist has given a very nice twist here

In 2005, the IAF placed an order with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 16 fighters and four trainers. The then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a decision on an additional 20 aircraft was under consideration. But that plan has come a cropper since the overweight, under-powered Tejas does not meet the IAF’s minimum air staff requirements (ASR).

As from the above excerpts it is already know that the current engine does not fulfill the ASR. Nothing new said. The plan for ordering more 20 is under process this is also known if you read the complete interview in post 603. The plan for new engine is also under process and mentioned in the interview. And this guys just says that the plan is not there without even quoting any body? From when he became an authority but nevertheless it's an encouraging development that now the number will stand for 125+ 20 or may be 40.

 

[nitesh]

Cold weather trials it seems

ADA WebSite - Home
LCA-Tejas has completed 968 Test Flights successfully. (09-Dec-08).

* LCA has completed 968 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-292,PV1-182,PV2-105,PV3-107,LSP1-29,LSP2-20).
* 107th Ferri flight,Nagpur of Tejas PV3 occurred on 08th Dec 08.
* 20th Ferri flight, Nagpur of Tejas LSP2 occurred on 08th Dec 08.

 

[shchinese]

Cold weather trials it seems

ADA WebSite - Home
LCA-Tejas has completed 968 Test Flights successfully. (09-Dec-08).

* LCA has completed 968 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-292,PV1-182,PV2-105,PV3-107,LSP1-29,LSP2-20).
* 107th Ferri flight,Nagpur of Tejas PV3 occurred on 08th Dec 08.
* 20th Ferri flight, Nagpur of Tejas LSP2 occurred on 08th Dec 08.

so? maybe you need another 25 years to finish the R&D of LCA?

 

[nitesh]

^^

What? I didn't got your point

 

[shchinese]

^^

What? I didn't got your point

please stop posting such brainwashing stats/articles.

LCA is already dead!