IAF trials for basic trainer aircraft to begin this month

[Skull and Bones]

what happened to this? I mean how much R&D required to make a basic trainer ?

 

[SpArK]

Alenia Aermacchi M-311​

 

[SpArK]

what happened to this? I mean how much R&D required to make a basic trainer ?

Its on the model stage only.. There is reference to it in the news article..

 

[Skull and Bones]

Alenia Aermacchi M-311​

Is that a basic trainer? then i don't find any harm going for this beast

 

[GUNS-N- ROSES]

hm, i think HAL's plan to develop basic trainer has still not taken off.

 

[Archie]

Alenia Aermacchi M-311​

A thing of Beauty

Really fallen in love with the paint scheme
Looks much better than BAE Hawks or HJT Sitara

 

[GodlessBastard]

You know some money is going to be pocketed when you hold a competition for basic trainers.

I mean, how hard is it to just choose one of the six and get it over with. Basic trainers aren't fighters; there's so need to meticuluosly analyse and test each one. A trainer is good as long as it serves its purpose (to teach young pilots) and I'm sure each of these six contenders can do that fine.

And the HTT-40 better get off the ground soon...

 

[angeldemon_007]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-defence/95529-india-completes-basic-trainer-trials.html

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Embraer EMB 312 ‘Super Tucano

This is the bird that i would pitch for. It is already in service with the RAF as the Shorts Tucano and has proved itself as a sound trainer. THe Tucano has similarity of controls with the Hawk AJT, so will be an easier progression for the pilots. Plus the fact that HAL is already building Hawks will help to set up the production line faster.
The added bonus for the IAF is its COIN role.

 

[Whiplash]

It took them six months to complete basic trainer trials? Wow. We must be the slowest country in the world

 

[sancho]

You know some money is going to be pocketed when you hold a competition for basic trainers.

I mean, how hard is it to just choose one of the six and get it over with. Basic trainers aren't fighters; there's so need to meticuluosly analyse and test each one. A trainer is good as long as it serves its purpose (to teach young pilots) and I'm sure each of these six contenders can do that fine.

And the HTT-40 better get off the ground soon...

My bet is, the one depends on the other!

This competition is a stop gap till HTT 40 will arrive, that's why it's logical to combine them and get as much commonality out of the deal as possible.
I guess it will be similar to other competitions, they all might be good enough to serve the purpose of a basic trainer, but the one that offers the most advantages (commonality, ToT, offsets) should win.

By the way, there is a lot of false media reporting around this competition and there should be no doubt about, that the Alenia Aermacchi M-311 is not in the competition, by the simple fact that we search for a prob trainer, not another jet trainer!

Like the following pic from the Aermacchi site shows, the stage 1 turboprob trainer is the SF 260:

SF-260 | Aermacchi



By the fact that there is no hint on the aermacchi site about a competition in India and that I couldn't find any hint on Brazilian sites that Embraer is participating, I think this is the most reliable list of contenders:

- Texan T6
- Kai KT-1
- Pilatus PC-7
- Grob 120
- PZL-130

This was confirmed by recent news, that only 5 contenders was fielded in the trials and according to unnamed sources, the first 3 has the best chances.

 

[sancho]

For those who are interested on the Grob 120:

Indian Aerospace: Grob eyeing opportunities

2011-01-25
SP's Aviation.net
By R. Chandrakanth


The conviction he has about India’s capabilities is as good as a die-hard Indian. He has visited India 18 times and each trip has something to surprise him. Andre Hiebeler, the German, is a big fan of India. And as the Chief Sales Officer and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Grob Aircraft, Andre Hiebeler is one who doesn’t mince his words on what ails the Indian aviation industry and what needs to be done to “energize” it.

Highly critical of India’s Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), Andre Hiebeler remarks “it is a disaster… not for us, but for you.”

Talking to SP’s Aviation on the sidelines of a conference on “Energizing Indian Aerospace Industry”, Hiebeler says “India should focus on effective transfer of technology, not just nuts and bolts.” India is the only country which can afford to develop a defence and aerospace industry for its own backyard but it calls for policies which are aggressive, liberal and future-oriented. “Embraer is a perfect example of how it has catapulted Brazil on the aviation map.”

“Change the DPP in such a way that it becomes a breeding ground for the small and medium enterprises.” The SMEs have a distinct advantage – they can innovate technologies at a faster pace and at low cost as against large corporations which will have high costs, compounded by slow development. “There is need to kick-off small companies in the aviation sector in India as they form the backbone of supply chain for the large conglomerates.”

Andre believes in exports driving the national economy. “The more you export, the more capabilities you will have. Open the defence market to private and international companies, allow the companies to grow and they will start exporting.” In this direction, he says “a lot of emphasis has to be placed on harmonization of international standards here. Look at Poland, they bought F16s and immediately harmonized regulations as per the US Federation of Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Aerospace is a fundamental technology and driving force for national and global economies, hence the urgency to be on par with international requirements.

On the potential of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sector, Andre states that it constitutes about 16 per cent of overall aerospace industry revenues. “MRO capabilities and services can be developed through public-private partnership. Outsourcing of defence aviation MRO to the private industry is a trend as it eliminates life cycle cost overrun; increasing platform availability; reducing military staff; and eliminating procurement process for parts and support.

India, he adds, has the capabilities and potential to turn into MRO hub whether it is for line maintenance or heavy maintenance or component overhauls. “You have the example of the automotive industry of how it has grown.”

Grob, the German light aircraft manufacturer, is focusing on marketing in India, offering its G120TP to the Indian Air Force which is looking at replacements for HPT-32 Deepak of Hindustan Aeronautics. The IAF is planning to purchase 75 aircraft and Grob is in contention as analysts state that the Grob-120TP is two generations ahead of the Deepak. Grob’s aircraft is said to be the world’s lightest trainer with ejection seats for both pilots and has digital glass cockpit, built by Elta from Israel, that allows pilots to fly mission-specific sorties almost similar to those in advanced trainers. Unconfirmed sources mention that the price could be in the range of US $3 to 4 million per aircraft.

Grob is known for its full aerobatic trainers. Designed specifically to meet demanding military standards, the aircraft are suited to both basic and advanced military training; the perfect foundation for more advanced training in either turboprops or jets. The initial complementary G 120 developed for high-performance training and aerobatics is undergoing a new avionics upgrade to facilitate the current industry trend.

Indian Aerospace: Grob eyeing opportunities - GROB Aircraft

 

[sancho]

And here is the full Flight International article about the Grob 120:

http://www.grob-aircraft.eu/tl_files/pdf/NEW BROCHURES/flight_global.pdf