Sitara crash, the real story

[Windjammer]

Sometimes back while debating with some Indian members, i tried to convince them that the dramatic crash of the HAL HJT -36 Sitara at Aero India was due to pilot error as he forgot to secure the canopy but the other party was adamant that the crash happened due to a wheel burst. While browsing through some old aviation magazines, i came across the original article covering the accident. As the aircraft is bearing down the runway for take-off, you can see the canopy has swung open and since the canopy securing mechanism was attached to nose wheel locking system, the front wheel ended up pointing sideways.

 

[Chak Bamu]

Good catch Windy.

Should there not be a sort of a limit-switch or something that would not allow operation unless canopy is closed? There ought to be some sort of software to control functions and allow flight only when criteria are met.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

It's a dead prog anyways ..

 

[GORKHALI]

There is some structural issue with Sitara,may be its sorted out, if we believe into recent news report(as they are trying spin and stall characteristics) but I must admit that Late Sqn Baldev Singh was equally unqualified to be a Test Pilot.

It's a dead prog anyways ..

It will come up this year or next, and the release of the RFI doesn't mean the HJT-36 Sitara project is dead. Neither does it mean that the Sitara won't be the IJT that the IAF ultimately ends up procuring! Below the recent pic clicked.

This picture looks photo-shopped to add the guys in the front but rest as you can see 5 LSP and 1 PT.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

There is some structural issue with Sitara,may be its sorted out, if we believe into recent news report(as they are trying spin and stall characteristics) but I must admit that Late Sqn Baldev Singh was equally unqualified to be a Test Pilot.


It will come up this year or next, and the release of the RFI doesn't mean the HJT-36 Sitara project is dead. Neither does it mean that the Sitara won't be the IJT that the IAF ultimately ends up procuring! Below the recent pic clicked.

This picture looks photo-shopped to add the guys in the front but rest as you can see 5

LSP and 1 PT.

Rakesh Krishnan Simha
February 24, 2014
Faced with a Mexican standoff over the home built intermediate jet trainer (IJT) the Indian Air Force (IAF) is prepared to shoot its way out of the crisis. Tired of waiting for the IJT – under development since 1999 – the IAF now wants to import Swiss jets as a contingency measure.

The IJT is aimed at providing high-speed training for IAF pilots entering the second stage of training. Rookies begin flight training in a basic trainer aircraft (BTA) and then on an IJT before moving on to an advanced jet trainer (AJT) to finally learn the art of combat flying.

With the induction of the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 and the British Hawk, IAF’s basic and advanced trainer requirements are taken care of. The problem is in the middle – the IJT, which is being manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Jet trainers haven’t remained unscathed from the bungles and time overruns that have become a defining characteristic of India’s defence imports. For instance, the Hawk AJT – which India finalised after a 20-year drawn out drama – encountered turbulence shortly after it was selected by the IAF. Upset over Britain’s inability – or perhaps unwillingness – to supply spares to HAL, which is assembling the Hawk in India, the IAF shelved plans to place follow-on orders and instead floated a new tender in 2009.


Indo-Russian military aviation projects on schedule: HAL executive

While the AJT at least made the long journey to India, the IJT is experiencing turbulence at takeoff. Powered by Snecma engines from France, the first two prototypes of HAL’s HJT-36 Sitara (meaning star in Hindi) flew in March 2003 and March 2004. However, the IAF felt the aircraft was underpowered.

India then turned to Russia. In 2005 HAL and NPO Saturn inked an agreement for the delivery of the more powerful AL-55I engine in India. The agreement included assistance in setting up the AL-55I production facilities at HAL’s aeroengineering centre in Koraput, western India. The contract stipulated production of at least 250 engines, with an option to produce more if needed.

Green light from Moscow

Powered by the new Russian engine, the first prototype PT-1 of the HJT-36 made its maiden flight on May 9, 2009. With HAL's chief test pilot Squadron Leader Baldev Singh at the controls, the IJT made a 35-minute flight from Bangalore, reaching an altitude of 20,000 ft and a speed of 300 kph with the undercarriage down.Singh told Vayu magazine he was pleased with the new engine, and there was a “distinct difference in acceleration”.

Ilya Fedorov, managing director, NPO Saturn, agreed the AL-55I had put in a strong performance. “The HJT-36 aircraft developed by HAL is performing flights normally,” he told TASS in April 2012. “The customer is satisfied with the key engine parameters. There were no incidents or crashes caused by engine fault. Two contracts have been performed; research and development activities have been completed.”

A difference in opinion

Not everyone agrees. According to a report in the New Indian Express, “Engineers and designers at HAL’s Aircraft Research & Design Centre have the daunting task of identifying and correcting the inherent asymmetry of the aircraft. HAL hopes to get the Initial Operational Clearance for the IJT by the end of December 2013, though insiders said the deadline might get pushed to next year.”

Flameout: Why the IAF won't accept HAL’s jet trainer | Russia & India Report





Indian Air Force's RFI for IJT is a joke : HAL


And yes tht pic is a ps n not just the men in it ..

 

[GORKHALI]

Rakesh Krishnan Simha
February 24, 2014
Faced with a Mexican standoff over the home built intermediate jet trainer (IJT) the Indian Air Force (IAF) is prepared to shoot its way out of the crisis. Tired of waiting for the IJT – under development since 1999 – the IAF now wants to import Swiss jets as a contingency measure.

The IJT is aimed at providing high-speed training for IAF pilots entering the second stage of training. Rookies begin flight training in a basic trainer aircraft (BTA) and then on an IJT before moving on to an advanced jet trainer (AJT) to finally learn the art of combat flying.

With the induction of the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 and the British Hawk, IAF’s basic and advanced trainer requirements are taken care of. The problem is in the middle – the IJT, which is being manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Jet trainers haven’t remained unscathed from the bungles and time overruns that have become a defining characteristic of India’s defence imports. For instance, the Hawk AJT – which India finalised after a 20-year drawn out drama – encountered turbulence shortly after it was selected by the IAF. Upset over Britain’s inability – or perhaps unwillingness – to supply spares to HAL, which is assembling the Hawk in India, the IAF shelved plans to place follow-on orders and instead floated a new tender in 2009.


Indo-Russian military aviation projects on schedule: HAL executive

While the AJT at least made the long journey to India, the IJT is experiencing turbulence at takeoff. Powered by Snecma engines from France, the first two prototypes of HAL’s HJT-36 Sitara (meaning star in Hindi) flew in March 2003 and March 2004. However, the IAF felt the aircraft was underpowered.

India then turned to Russia. In 2005 HAL and NPO Saturn inked an agreement for the delivery of the more powerful AL-55I engine in India. The agreement included assistance in setting up the AL-55I production facilities at HAL’s aeroengineering centre in Koraput, western India. The contract stipulated production of at least 250 engines, with an option to produce more if needed.

Green light from Moscow

Powered by the new Russian engine, the first prototype PT-1 of the HJT-36 made its maiden flight on May 9, 2009. With HAL's chief test pilot Squadron Leader Baldev Singh at the controls, the IJT made a 35-minute flight from Bangalore, reaching an altitude of 20,000 ft and a speed of 300 kph with the undercarriage down.Singh told Vayu magazine he was pleased with the new engine, and there was a “distinct difference in acceleration”.

Ilya Fedorov, managing director, NPO Saturn, agreed the AL-55I had put in a strong performance. “The HJT-36 aircraft developed by HAL is performing flights normally,” he told TASS in April 2012. “The customer is satisfied with the key engine parameters. There were no incidents or crashes caused by engine fault. Two contracts have been performed; research and development activities have been completed.”

A difference in opinion

Not everyone agrees. According to a report in the New Indian Express, “Engineers and designers at HAL’s Aircraft Research & Design Centre have the daunting task of identifying and correcting the inherent asymmetry of the aircraft. HAL hopes to get the Initial Operational Clearance for the IJT by the end of December 2013, though insiders said the deadline might get pushed to next year.”

Flameout: Why the IAF won't accept HAL’s jet trainer | Russia & India Report





Indian Air Force's RFI for IJT is a joke : HAL


And yes tht pic is a ps n not just the men in it ..

Just the Men in it as its from Brochure,but but

HJT-36 Target FOC By Dec 2014, Says MoD
The HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer hasn't obtained initial operational clearance (IOC) yet, but a statement was submitted in Parliament today providing some fresh timelines. Here it is in full:

[The] Development of IJT is in the advanced stages of certification with more than 800 test flights completed so far. The activities are progressing well with completion of Sea level trials, night flying trials, high altitude trials as well as weapon and drop tank trials. The activities left for obtaining Final Operational Clearance (FOC) are the refinement of stall characteristics and spin testing which will be commenced as soon as stall characteristics are refined.

The project was sanctioned in 1999 and the first and second prototypes flew in March 2003 and in March 2004 respectively. The prototypes were initially flight tested with the LARZAC Engines from SNECMA. To meet technical parameters, a high powered engine AL-55I from Russian was selected based on a global tender. Due to developmental issues in Russia, flight-worthy Engines were supplied to HAL in January, 2009 against the contractual schedule of January, 2007. Flights with these Engines commenced in May, 2009 after resolution of Engine-Aircraft interface issues with the Russians.

The Progress of project was affected due to loss of prototype during flight testing which necessitated major changes like total redesign of flight control system and associated increased number of design iteration for recovery and resolution. All efforts are being made to achieve FOC by December 2014. Production of aircraft will commence immediately [thereafter].
Livefist: HJT-36 Target FOC By Dec 2014, Says MoD

And the best article of all,

The IAF recently released a Request for Information for an Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) that would be used primarily for Stage-2 training of its pilots with a secondary counter insurgency role.

The selected vendor will be required to discharge 30% offset obligations as per the provisions of DPP-2013.

First thing first! The release of the RFI doesn't mean the HJT-36 Sitara project is dead. Neither does it mean that the Sitara won't be the IJT that the IAF ultimately ends up procuring!

The RFI is likely aimed at ensuring that the IAF has a fallback if the Sitara fails to obtain IOC by June 2014 and FOC in reasonable time thereafter.

Even if HAL surprises the IAF and the country by obtaining IOC in June, and FOC in December, its HJT-36 Sitara may not measure up to the QRs stipulated in the IAF RFI, specially those pertaining to Stall and Spin characteristics.

An HAL rep told IDP Sentinel at DefExpo 2014 on February 7, 2014 that HJT-36 is likely to commence stall tests within a month. HAL has identified the point on the wing where the boundary layer flow is turning turbulent and breaking up leading to a pre-stall wing drop; HAL plans to use boundary layer energizing strakes to remedy the problem.

What is clear to me as a pilot is that there is little chance of HAL remedying the issue by IOC. In a recent statement in parliament, Minister of State for Defense Shri Jitendra Singh hinted that stall and spin characteristic refinement could wait till FOC. That would be a big mistake, because there is really no guarantee that the problem would be remedied - ever! Besides, there is too much optimism in the belief that it could happen by December 2014. If it was that simple, it would have been remedied already. After all, it's nearly three years since PT1 crashed in April 2011 following loss of control.

HJT-36 appears in compliance of all QR's stated in the RFI. Indeed, the QRs are likely to be an exact copy of the QRs given to HAL for developing the HJT-36.

I will go to the extent of saying, the IAF'S Spin QRs are contestable as being overstated.

Anyway, it's for the reader to judge. Here is a summary of the IJT RFI QRs

Luckily for HAL, there are few single engine jet trainers around. Two contenders could be Italy's Aermacchi MB-339 and Spain's CASA C-101.

General Characteristic

The IAF is looking for a light, twin seat (tandem or side-by-side?), single engine jet trainer with conventional controls in which the instructor seat can be used for simulating emergencies.

Stall and Spin

The aircraft must give an unmistakable natural stall warning, irrespective of the configuration. It must be resistant to spin but should allow intentional spinning with safe recovery upto six turns to either side. The aircraft behavior in the spin should be predictable and consistent.

Handling Characteristics

The IJT should be capable of performing loops, barrel rolls, rolls, combination maneuvers and negative 'g' flight without adverse effects on the engine and aircraft structure. It should be capable of sustained inverted flight for at least 30 seconds at sea level at maximum takeoff power.

Flying Envelope

When flying in Normal Training Configuration (NTC), the aircraft must be capable of maneuvering at up to to +7.0 g to -2.5 g. (NTC would correspond to clean configuration or with empty drop tanks) With external stores (other than empty drop tank) the aircraft should be cleared for operations at accelerations upto +5g and -1.5g

Max speed in NTC must not be less than 750 kph CAS and the aircraft should not display any marked compressibility effects upto 0.75 M. A service ceiling of 9-km is required.

In clean configuration in level flight stall speed must not exceed 175 kph without flaps or slats. NTC glide ratio should be better than 1:12

Climb and Turn Performance

In NTC, the takeoff distance to clear a 15-m obstacle from a dry, hard surfaced runway at sea level and with nil wind must not exceed 900-m; ROC must be at least 20 m/s.

The aircraft should be able to perform sustained turns up to 3.5 ‘g’ at sea level in NTC and 2.25 ‘g’ at max AUW.

Range and Endurance

NTC ferry range should be at least 1500-km and endurance, 2-hr at 3-km altitude.

Armament

The aircraft should be capable of carrying at least 1000 kg of external load, have a minimum of five hard points, each stressed to carry at least 300-kg stores. It should be, free from buffet, dutch roll, snaking and wing rock during air to ground weapon training.

The aircraft should be capable of employing the following armament :-

(a) Gun. A light weight gun/ gun-pod with adequate ammunition for at least 5 sec of firing time.
(b) Rocket Pods. Reusable rocket pods.
(c) Bombs. Should be able to carry at least 4x250 kg retarded or ballistic bombs. The stations should be capable of employing Carrier Bomb Light Stores (CBLS) type of dispensers for carriage of practice bombs (25 lbs and 3 Kg).
Thum! Kaun Aata Hai?: Breaking! IAF Moves Ahead with IJT Procurement from Abroad