India’s Indigenous Engine-making Programme Kaveri to be Revived

[Bhai Zakir]

India’s Indigenous Engine-making Programme Kaveri to be Revived



A revised proposal has been made on the government's advice for the remaining part of the Kaveri activity, according to K Tamilmani, Director General (Aero) DRDO, reported The Hindu.

The revival programme has come after a gap of two years. The engine-making programme that cost about ₹2,100 crore was written off when Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), the engine-making laboratory of DRDO failed to develop a suitable engine for India's own Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and was delinked from the programme.

Tamilmani told reporters that DRDO and GTRE have been asked to submit a detailed report on funds required to revive the project, according to The New Indian Express.

The engine has been in development from past 25 years. The programme was conceptualised in 1986 and the first round of tests for prototype of Kaveri was completed by 1998. It was planned to conduct test flight on LCA prototype by 2000.

Several technical snags delayed the development of the entire programme, which led to importing of technical parts from French engine-maker Snecma. When the engine was completed and tested on the LCA, it was found that the engine was overweight and had a lower power capability to provide an appropriate thrust to the indigenously developed fighter aircraft. This led to delinking of the engine from the LCA in 2008 and India placed orders for over 90 GE F414 engines for ₹3,000 crore.

DRDO officials then said that the overweight and underpowered engine will be used in helicopters, ships and naval variant of LCA, which can accommodate heavier engines and do not require a higher thrust.

Parallelly, India held talks with Snecma for a joint venture to develop the core part of the engine to make it suitable for LCA. However, the talks have been constrained by glitches according to the officials.

India has missed the bus twice now, once in 80s when the erstwhile Soviet Union proposed to jointly develop an engine with India and in 2008 when the programme was delinked from LCA programme.

India

 

[madooxno9]

I am kind of sick of such revivals. What we need is to use our friends or so called partners like, France, Germany , USA, Russia , Japan , etc to walk us through this mess. I have no doubt about credibility or capabilities of our scientist and engineer but why we have to wait and waste so much capital and time . When just need to make some calls and give a fresh capital injection to this program and we can have this engine up and running .

I know we have missed such opportunities twice but we can start again , new and fresh.


Once we have absorbed the technology well , we can improve and update.

 

[faithfulguy]

I am kind of sick of such revivals. What we need is to use our friends or so called partners like, France, Germany , USA, Russia , Japan , etc to walk us through this mess. I have no doubt about credibility or capabilities of our scientist and engineer but why we have to wait and waste so much capital and time . When just need to make some calls and give a fresh capital injection to this program and we can have this engine up and running .

I know we have missed such opportunities twice but we can start again , new and fresh.


Once we have absorbed the technology well , we can improve and update.

The problems is that politicians want too much kick back. No doubt India has great engineers. But the political culture wasted all the technical talents.

 

[SQ8]

The fact that the project has been deemed a failure(in terms of achieving its orignal objective) as such by the manufactures themselves, it would seem prudent that more funds not be poured into something that failed to meets its original goal. An example of such an effort to keep trying in running a bad idea can be found in the WEstinghouse J-40 program; It too failed to deliver the required output, was heavier than expected and had seriously bad MTBO which eventually forced the US Navy to scrap the program.

 

[Beast]

India need to lower its spec for kaveri engine. You need to learn to walk first before you run. India metallurgy is still weak and many fundemental basic are still primitive.

I doubt its anything do with politics. More like the basic is not fixed yet.

 

[faithfulguy]

India need to lower its spec for kaveri engine. You need to learn to walk first before you run. India metallurgy is still weak and many fundemental basic are still primitive.

I doubt its anything do with politics. More like the basic is not fixed yet.

Well, why would their politicians want to work on fundamental engineering. There is no money in it. As a result, India will never progress because their politicians don't work hard on stuff they need to work hard on.

 

[gslv mk3]

India need to lower its spec for kaveri engine. You need to learn to walk first before you run. India metallurgy is still weak and many fundemental basic are still primitive.

I doubt its anything do with politics. More like the basic is not fixed yet.

Typical Chinese trolling as expected...

 

[k7x]

The fact that the project has been deemed a failure(in terms of achieving its orignal objective) as such by the manufactures themselves, it would seem prudent that more funds not be poured into something that failed to meets its original goal. An example of such an effort to keep trying in running a bad idea can be found in the WEstinghouse J-40 program; It too failed to deliver the required output, was heavier than expected and had seriously bad MTBO which eventually forced the US Navy to scrap the program.

- what about the first few rockets that america sent to space,
- what about first few rockets that china sent to space...
- what about first few rockets that Russia sent to space..

they failed first few times ... but did they give up. ..

“The habit of giving up when the present task is half finished and try something else is one of the chief causes of failure.”
― Christian D. Larson


But you know what, It is Pakistanis in youtube, forums , and their blogs who are acting as if they really care for india to give up

go to any thread any where , you will see a Pakistani poster posting

1. give up arjun
2. give up LCA
3. give up LCA
4. give up moon mission , Mars mission etc.

this shows how much you really want us not to try... It is coward not to try, it is brave to try and fail..

For the concerned Chinese.. don't worry we are not as smart as you . we will not catch you . so no need to worry about us.

- India will try and it will fail first few times, but one day it will succeed. at that time those who advised as not to try will realise what India has achieved.

 

[fast]

I see India is beating on the dead horse again trying to revive it. Someone's Swiss account is going to be filled up.

 

[Alphacharlie]

India need to lower its spec for kaveri engine. You need to learn to walk first before you run. India metallurgy is still weak and many fundemental basic are still primitive.

I doubt its anything do with politics. More like the basic is not fixed yet.

I like your Note....

If My Metallurgy is Old and weak then How come I am producing Steel for Aircraft Career, Steel for Subs....
Dubalumin composites for LCA and DRHUV......

The issue is We expect Too much from this engine...

In its current state it is acceptable to Navy for Frigates/Corvettes propulsion system.

 

[onionkiller]

may be America help in kaveri engine now.

 

[MULUBJA]

The problems is that politicians want too much kick back. No doubt India has great engineers. But the political culture wasted all the technical talents.

I am Happy to see your unusual comment. Welcome.

 

[MULUBJA]

India need to lower its spec for kaveri engine. You need to learn to walk first before you run. India metallurgy is still weak and many fundemental basic are still primitive.

I doubt its anything do with politics. More like the basic is not fixed yet.

Correct. But still Kaveri 9 is a very good engine.It has same dry thrust as GE 404 but lacks wet thrust by about 8 to 10 KN. What we need to learn is to develop good metallurgy so that we can operate the engine at higher compression ratio. It may take time but we should keep on developing it. After all we have reached to a stage where we are today. It is not always easy to match the best in the world in first go.

Typical Chinese trolling as expected...

It is not trolling. We should be careful in keeping our bias away in technical discussion.

 

[tokyoboy]

India can not even produce a motorcycle engine, serious corruption, chaotic social order, poverty of the population, the strange diet, this is all my impressions of India.

 

[faithfulguy]

I am Happy to see your unusual comment. Welcome.

India has lots of technical talents because it has large population pool. And I don't believe that Indians with its Australoid background does not mean that Indians are inferior. But what is true is that Indian political system is failing not because democracy is fail political system, but because India itself is not a "natural" country, its put together by Britain. Countries put together artificially tend to fall into pieces, such as Yugoslavia.