LCA Tejas and derivatives news and discussion (reincarnated)

By: halloweene - 26th March 2019 at 09:56 Permalink

For India (not the IAF), getting more independance in desiging and building weapons is a paramount due to being the first importer of weapons worldwide.

By: Austin - 26th March 2019 at 14:25 Permalink

By: Austin - 26th March 2019 at 14:26 Permalink

By: BlackArcher - 26th March 2019 at 16:43 Permalink

LCA Tejas Mk1 at LIMA-2019. The build quality is very good, far improved from the LSP series of jets.

By: BlackArcher - 1st April 2019 at 21:54 Permalink - Edited 1st April 2019 at 21:54

From LIMA 2019. Barely larger than a Yak-130 next to it.

Credit Ainonline

By: BlackArcher - 2nd April 2019 at 17:20 Permalink

Tejas Mk1 of the No.45 Squadron of the IAF at LIMA-2019

CO of No.45 Squadron, Grp Cpt Samarth "Danny" Dhankar. He was the first IAF pilot (non test pilot) to fly the Tejas Mk1 when it entered service with the IAF

By: BlackArcher - 2nd April 2019 at 17:23 Permalink

from LIMA 2019

By: Victor - 6th April 2019 at 18:06 Permalink

There are some good feedback from the first operational users of the Tejas.

ANALYSIS: How LIMA deployment marked new high for India's Tejas

So far, 45 Sqn has received 12 IOC-specification aircraft, with another four to be delivered soon. Next year it will realise its full strength of 20 jets, when it receives four two-seat examples in the FOC configuration.

The main difference between the two standards is software. FOC-model aircraft will be cleared to 8g, while current IOC examples are limited to 6g.

By: BlackArcher - 6th April 2019 at 23:55 Permalink - Edited 6th April 2019 at 23:57

Greg Waldron reports from LIMA 2019.

The IAF is indeed very happy with the LCA Tejas and that becomes apparent in this interview. By the way, those 2 jets were not limited to 6 gs. They were pulling 360 degree turns in 21 seconds at 17.14 deg/s sustained turn rate. Unlikely if a 6 g software restriction was still in place.

Analysis- How LIMA deployment marked new high for India's Tejas

Group Captain Samrath Dhankhar of the Indian air force has earned a place in aviation history, as the commanding officer of its 45 Sqn (“The Flying Daggers”): the first to operate the Hindustan Aeronautics Tejas Mk1 fighter.

In another historical footnote, he and a fellow pilot brought two examples of the combat aircraft to the Langkawi InternationalMaritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia. This was the first deployment of the indigenous-developed type to Southeast Asia, and also the first time that an air force pilot had flown the type at a foreign air show.

Ostensibly the visit was made in support of Kuala Lumpur’s nascent requirement for a light combat aircraft. Yet it also underlined India’s increased confidence to show off the locally-made fighter to the world.

““We’re here to promote, but not to compete,” Dhankhar told FlightGlobal during the show. “The competition will be for the OEM to handle.”

The two jets’ journey to Langkawi from an air base near the city of Coimbatore took them northwards along the subcontinent’s east coast to another base near Kolkata. Although the optimum altitude for this transit was 33,000ft, the two-ship formation flew at 27,500ft, because separation rules at this altitude are more relaxed.

After that stop, the pair flew to Yangon in Myanmar and then onwards to Langkawi. A support aircraft flew ahead of the formation to provide logistical support and to greet the fighters on their arrival. At the show, the team found itself operating from a small tent next to the flightline. This was a big change from February’s Aero India event near Bengaluru, where the same team operated from the sprawling Yelahanka air base.

Prior to operating the Tejas, Dhankhar spent most of his career in the cockpit of the Mikoyan MiG-21 "Bison"; a heavily upgraded version of the Cold War stalwart and still a major asset in the Indian air force. He has also spent some time in the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, although he has not flown it operationally.

“The Tejas is far better in terms of manoeuvrability, as well as the systems on board,” he says. “In every sense it is better. It is clearly demarcated as a different generation.”

Showing off this manoeuvrability was the aim of Dhankhar’s display routine, which he also performed during the Aero India show. This is designed to highlight the jet’s fly-by-wire capability through key manoeuvres such as the main radius turn and negative-g turn – the latter being rarely performed.

The Tejas Mk1 is powered by a single GE Aviation F404-IN20 engine with an afterburner. The examples operated by 45 Sqn are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) configuration. Follow-on jets will be in the final operational clearance (FOC) standard.

So far, 45 Sqn has received 12 IOC-specification aircraft, with another four to be delivered soon. Next year it will realise its full strength of 20 jets, when it receives four two-seat examples in the FOC configuration.

The main difference between the two standards is software. FOC-model aircraft will be cleared to 8g, while current IOC examples are limited to 6g. In addition, FOC aircraft will be equipped for air-to-air refuelling. Once deliveries of FOC aircraft begin, existing IOC jets will be upgraded to the enhanced configuration.

Dhankhar is clearly pleased with the Tejas. He praises its agility and says the type's g onset rates are “very comfortable”. He also believes that the type's control laws have been well implemented.

“It responds to your inputs in the entire envelope very well,” he says. “It's not as if you need to be at certain speeds to get the maximum out of it. At any speed it gives you whatever you demand.”

He also appreciates the safety factors built into the jet, in that it is impossible to depart from the approved flight envelope limits. This makes the aircraft “very, very safe,” he says. “This is a very positive thing, but at the same time this can be marginally negative because at times, if I would like to exceed the aircraft’s limits, I can't do that,” he adds.

On the aircraft’s human-machine interface, he feels that everything is exactly where a pilot will expect to find it, with an intuitive layout that eases cockpit familiarisation. Apart from the master arm switch, virtually everything necessary to operate the aircraft is located on the throttle or control column, in line with modern hands on throttle and stick design methodology.

Although Dhankhar’s aerial display, performed with white smoke trailing from wing-mounted pods, was as powerful as any modern fighter performance, he stresses that air shows are not his main line of work.

“My primary job is to exploit the aircraft operationally. Displays as such are a side role for me. If it is required I'll do it, but otherwise the OEM does it on its own… I'm not a display specialist, but I'm capable of doing it,” he says.”

As an example of this operational focus, Dhankhar notes that he has had the opportunity to fire or drop every weapon the Tejas has been cleared to carry: both air-to-air and ground-attack munitions. He feels the accuracy is excellent, and that the HMI makes it very easy to employ all weapons across the envelope. He believes that the Tejas’s helmet-mounted cueing system, which allows the pilot to target weapons without pointing the aircraft's nose at the target, offers far greater freedom than the MiG-21, and is “much more advanced as compared with the Su-30”.

Given the advanced state of technologies such as beyond visual-range (BVR) missiles and helmet-mounted cueing, intuitively this would mean that a fighter’s manoeuvrability would become less of a priority. Dhankhar, however, says that a jet’s ability to perform aggressive manoeuvres remains a crucial consideration, because sooner or later a “merge” will occur and a pilot will find themselves in close quarters with enemy aircraft.

“There are situations where you need theg,” he says. “Most of the time you can rely on sensors and BVR weapons, and you do not need to engage in close combat. But you should not be a sitting duck in case somebody closes in for some reason. Merges do take place despite whatever type of sensors you have. There are times when the criticality of the mission is high, and you need to take certain risks. In those missions you tend to go further, and the merges take place. If you are capable in terms of pulling moreg, you may turn these situations to your advantage. That is what I feel as a fighter pilot.”

...

“Because of the jet’s architecture it’s very easy to upgrade,” says Dhankhar. “Having flown this aircraft, I can say it has a great future.”

Next time someone wants an operational IAF pilot's perspective on the LCA Tejas, here it is. We have been saying for some time now that the IAF is very pleased with the LCA Tejas and it has proven to be a very capable weapons platform. It is reported by all test pilots as being very easy to fly and the FCS has been consistently rated "excellent" by all pilots that have flown it. Now we have it from the second CO of a LCA Tejas squadron as well.

By: djcross - 14th April 2019 at 20:49 Permalink - Edited 14th April 2019 at 20:50

This one shows the LCA Engine startup. It's interesting to see how different the startup procedures are compared to an SU-30 MKI.

Looks like any other electric jet startup. The one activity which appeared to be missing was a wheel brake check immediately after starting to taxi. Maybe it occurred, but I didn't see it.

By: BlackArcher - 17th April 2019 at 22:20 Permalink

FWIW, it seems that the Tejas has cleared the RFI stage in Malaysia and now awaits the issue of the RFP. Although, given the state of their defence outlay, it may be a much more long drawn affair with a contract not necessarily coming anytime soon.

Tejas wows Malaysians but JF-17 and FA-50 still in the race

What Group Captain Samrath Dhankar, the demo pilot of India's indigenously-developed Tejas Mk 1, thought would be a touch and go on the fighter’s unique strengths, with the Malaysian PM, turned out to be longish and stimulating one. Dr Mahathir was specially drawn to the neatness of the cockpit and the intuitive layout. The discussion lasted for 10 mins, with Dhankar even adding a personal flavor by telling the PM he had been to Malaysia before on an exchange program.

...

So, where does India’s locally-made fighter which got widely applauded for its agility and maneuverability at the LIMA show held last week of March, stand vis-à-vis Pakistan’s JF-17 and Korea’s FA-50 Golden Eagle?

Dhankar’s confidence comes from the fighter’s superior technology and its ability to be customized as per Malaysia’s requirements. Talking to Times of India at Langkawi’s LIMA flightline, Dhankar said, “The RMAF (Royal Malaysian Air Force) officials appeared really happy as the aircraft far exceeded their expectation. Clearly, we are not selling a product here but a capability in itself."
[

Dhankar said, ‘The jet’s fly-by-wire capability, air-to-air refueling, the avionics that have been wonderfully-integrated and the open architecture computer systems, where both Russian and Western weaponry can be assimilated, are all unique and demarcates Tejas as a different generation fighter.”

Defence Attache in the Indian High Commission, Malaysia, Aniruddh Chauhan, who has been instrumental in bringing Tejas to LIMA 2019, added, “Both India and Malaysia share this common military strategy of using both Russian as well as NATO weapons systems and Tejas has been built to make it adaptable to both.”

Malaysia has planned a two-stage procurement and in this two-stage process RMAF wants to fill up the entire gap from the lead in fighter trainer up to the medium range combat aircraft (MRCA). India is past the RFI stage, which is Request for Information, followed by RFP (Request for Proposal) which will be carried out only after Pakistan and South Korea also clear the RFI.

It is interesting to note that HAL, considering Malaysian interest in Tejas, gave out a little more elaborate information than required, for RFI stage, but lower than RFP round.

..

By: BlackArcher - 22nd April 2019 at 22:12 Permalink

LCA Tejas Mk1A

Twitter link

By: BlackArcher - 23rd April 2019 at 18:18 Permalink

Excellent article on the Tejas Mk2 aka Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) and the thoughts and design considerations that drove choices that have been made for the MWF.

Tracking the Tejas- The Tejas Mk2 becomes the Medium Weight Fighter

Quoting only a couple of paras

In order to overcome the internal space constraints of the Tejas Mk1, MWF has been lengthened to 14.65 m, a sweet spot for a modern single engine multirole fighter. This allows the fighter enough internal volume for carrying the necessary systems, while having enough fuel for the range, endurance and performance requirements. This increase in length is achieved using two plugs, one in the nose, and another behind the cockpit. As both of these plugs are ahead of the wing, the CG shifts forward with respect to the CoL, thereby reducing the static stability margin, or in general terms, the maneuverability of an aircraft. As mentioned above, canards help to compensate for this by shifting the CoL forward proportionally to maintain the same static margin.

...

The shape of the canard was chosen after carefully studying a variety of geometries. Based on published computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies, the leading edge (LE) sweep is expected to be equal to 50 degees. At this angle, the LE sweep provides an optimal increase in the lift coefficient with a smooth and desirable linear variation in the pitching coefficient at high AoA regimes. These CFD studies were then confirmed using extensive wind tunnel testing. A 1:10 scale wind tunnel model with canards was displayed at Aero India 2019, one of many configurations considered during the design phase. The canards typically have an adverse impact on the directional stability of an aircraft. The designers of MWF have taken measures to improve the directional stability by increasing the height of the tail fin and other measures. The increased height of tail fin is also necessitated by the elongated fuselage.

By: BlackArcher - 24th April 2019 at 19:51 Permalink - Edited 24th April 2019 at 19:52

And now NP-1 LCA Navy trainer prototype flies with the arrestor hook integrated

What a beauty! #LCA- Navy’s trainer variant NP-1 flew for the first time 2day in Bengaluru in near complete “Standard of Preparation” with arrestor hook and a pilot controlled “Leading Edge Vortex Controller LEVCON”. Heads to SBTF Goa for further trials @arunp2810 @indiannavy

link

By: BlackArcher - 6th May 2019 at 22:34 Permalink - Edited 6th May 2019 at 22:35

Just a beautiful pic. Open in a new window to see larger size

Credit: Angad Singh

Twitter link

Weekend pics: 45 Sqn CO Samrath “Danny” Dhankar heads out for the #Tejas display at Aero India 2019.

By: BlackArcher - 8th May 2019 at 22:28 Permalink - Edited 8th May 2019 at 22:28

Naval LCA prototype moves for final phase of shore based trials

The twin-seat trainer naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-N) is moving to a test facility in Goa for the final phase of its trials even as uncertainty hangs on the future of the project for an indigenous aircraft carrier-based fighter jet.

In 2017, the Navy cited its unhappiness with the LCA-N programme citing that both Mark 1 and Mark 2 variants were underpowered, to opt for an import of carrier-based fighters.

The navy is likely to seek requests for proposals (RFP) from western manufacturers of carrier-based jets like the F/A-18 and the Rafale-M later this year. The Navy will spend over Rs 50,000 crore to import the aircraft over the next five years.

ADA, meanwhile, has continued LCA-N development. Naval Prototype-1 (NP-1) as the trainer variant is called, flew two sorties in Bengaluru on April 24 with two new featuresan arrestor hook and pilot controlled LEVCONs.

Leading Edge Vortex Controllers(LEVCONs) are flaps that open up on the side of the aircraft like air brakes, allowing the aircraft to reduce landing speeds. Last year, the single-seat fighter variant, NP-2 underwent landing taxi trials at the Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) to prove its arrestor hook system.

...

The Navy's decision to import fighter aircraft saw the conversion of the LCA-N into a navy supported technology demonstrator. The ADA project team has used the two prototype aircraft as technology demonstrators to master the two most complex technologies- landing and taking off from a deck less than 200 metres long.

The project team says that while they have mastered take-off, they are yet to perfect landing the LCA using its arrestor hook which explains the new round of tests in Goa.

Officials at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the DRDO-organisation that runs the project say if they meet all project, the technology demonstrator project can be closed by the year-end.

By: Teer - 8th May 2019 at 22:55 Permalink - Edited 8th May 2019 at 22:56

I see some are still living in a "Fantasy World"???

Sorry, the N-LCA is dead and the Indian Navy has "no intention" of buying it. While, the LCA MKII (i.e. MWF) is nothing but a pipe dream. Mark my words it will "never" see series production....

:rolleyes:

LOL, don't know why the LCA has you so butthurt.

The IAF has asked for the LCA Mk2. It will happen irrespective how much you rant.

Go troll elsewhere.