PHOTOS: LCA Navy First Flight Target End 2010

[Veer]

Monday, February 15, 2010
PHOTOS: LCA Navy First Flight Target End 2010

Bumped into Commodore CD Balaji who heads the LCA Navy programme. Full update on the programme coming up. Meanwhile enjoy these photos he shared with me.

Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

 

[LCA Tejas]

Thanks a lot buddy..... tussi great ho, thaufa kabul karo..... man you rock, thank you thank u ...

 

[Laughing Buddha]

 

[sancho]

Monday, February 15, 2010
PHOTOS: LCA Navy First Flight Target End 2010
Bumped into Commodore CD Balaji who heads the LCA Navy programme. Full update on the programme coming up. Meanwhile enjoy these photos he shared with me.

Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

Hi Veer, it would be interesting to know if there will be differences to the fuselage to the actual LCA, I mean more weapon stations are rumoured in some reports. Also what payload the N-LCA will finally carry and for what role it is intended?

 

[Trichy]

Hi Veer, it would be interesting to know if there will be differences to the fuselage to the actual LCA, I mean more weapon stations are rumoured in some reports. Also what payload the N-LCA will finally carry and for what role it is intended?

Only the front fuselage will be changed slightly dropped down, its main purpose is for carrier born fighter, nothing will change from LCA.

 

[FulcrumD]

The photos are from Ajai Shukla's blog is'nt it?

 

[Choppers]

The photos are from Ajai Shukla's blog is'nt it?

Nope. Shiv Arror's blog "Livefist"LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: PHOTOS: LCA Navy First Flight Target End 2010

 

[FulcrumD]

That's great!Shiv is quite fast these days.

 

[Cityboy]

awesome info..keep updating ...

 

[sancho]

Only the front fuselage will be changed slightly dropped down, its main purpose is for carrier born fighter, nothing will change from LCA.

Yes, just read it in the livefist article, so N-LCA will remain limited to 7 hardpoints only and no re-design for more internal fuel, similar to Gripen NG means, at least one centerline, or 2 wing fuel tanks for any mission.

This is what a Saab official said about a possible Sea Gripen:

According to Peter Nilsson, Gripen’s Vice President of Operational Capabilities, the Sea Gripen is intended for both CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) as well as STOBAR (Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery) operations. “There will obviously be differences in the MTOW (Maximum Take-Off Weight). In a CATOBAR concept, the Sea Gripen will have a MTOW of 16,500 kilograms and a maximum landing weight of 11,500 kilograms. In a STOBAR concept it depends on the physics of the carrier. Roughly, the payload of fuel and weapons in STOBAR operations will be one-third less than the payload in CATOBAR operations. There will be no differences in ‘bring-back’ capability,” he says.

Saab offers naval Gripen to India | StratPost

16,500 KG is also the MTOW of the land based Gripen NG offered for IAF and it has a payload of 6t, minus 1/3 means 4t for Sea Gripen.
If we consider similar to N-LCA, the payload will be reduced to around 2,6t only and that is not the end!
Making a fighter carrier capable means strengthening the airframe, front gear, or adding a hook, that's why the naval Rafale and the Sea Gripen increased their empty weight about 500Kg. But N-LCA will also be a twin seater in the first versions too, which means it could weigh nearly 1t more than IAF LCA and what exactly will be left as useful load then?

 

[coolmesh842]

She is a real beauty...
beautiful than LCA Tejas

Pic 1 : here





Pic 2 : Here

The design looks fabulous!! from livefist

 

[FulcrumD]

She is a real beauty...
beautiful than LCA Tejas

Pic 1 : here





Pic 2 : Here

The design looks fabulous!! from livefist

She does look good but the rear visibility is restricted,can't they come up with a bubble canopy a-la F-15 or F-16?