LCA successfully undergoes hot weather flight trials

Mumbai: Light combat aircraft `Tejas' has successfully undergone hot weather test flights at Nagpur, proving its ruggedness.

The LCA underwent seven test flights over four hours at the Air Force Station in Nagpur, using two prototypes - PV2 and PV3. (See: Interview: Kota Harinarayana, programme director, medium combat aircraft (former programme director & chief designer, LCA-Tejas))

The trials were planned at Nagpur because of high ambient temperature – over 40 degree Celsius - conditions.

The tests flights were conducted 200 metres above ground and at speeds of up to 1,000 km per hour after heat soaking the aircraft on tarmac for two to four hours where the plane's skin temperature reached values in excess of 70 degree Celsius, sources said.

The test flights were monitored using a mobile telemetry station of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), according to an official statement.

The Indian Air Force now plans to deploy the aircraft over deserts of Rajasthan later this year. Tejas is capable of delivering precision-guided bombs. 

The government, meanwhile, has embarked on a major indigenisation programme of the military aviation sector, with investments to the tune of  Rs22,000 crore and the bulk of the amount is to be spent on design and development of fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.

The programme envisages increasing the workforce in the sector to 2,600. One-third of the new additions will be design engineers.