LCA test flight successful

By Rasheed Kappan

BANGALORE, JAN. 4. Creating aviation history, India's indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Technology Demonstrator 1 (TD 1) undertook its landmark first flight on Thursday.

Cushioned by a smooth takeoff and touchdown, the 18- minute flawless, maiden flight put the LCA project firmly in the Flight Test mode. The ``red letter day'' of Indian aeronautical industry, as the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, put it, had finally arrived.

Piloted by Wg. Cdr. Rajiv Kothiyal of the National Flight Test Centre, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the aircraft lifted off the Bangalore airport runway at 10.18 a.m. Watched by the Defence Minister and eager scientists and escorted by Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis in one of the two chasing Mirage-2000 aircraft, the LCA climbed to a height of 3,000 m before a neat touchdown. It clocked a speed of 450 kmph.

The country's second indigenous jet fighter after the HF-24 Marut of the Fifties had ``success'' written all over. ``The flight met all the test parameters set for the process,'' ADA officials said. Ecstatic, the LCA Programme Director and Designer, Dr. Kota Harinarayana, certified its success.

LCA, the advanced technology, single-seat, single-engine, supersonic, lightweight, all-weather, multi-role, air superiority fighter designed for air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea combat roles had crossed its first major hurdle. ``The end of the beginning,'' Air Chief Marshal Tipnis said.

Conceived in 1983, the Rs. 2,500-crore LCA programme completed its Project Definition Phase in 1989, and the Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase I was sanctioned in 1993. The basic design was finalised in 1990; two prototypes were originally meant to fly the next year and manufacture was scheduled to start by 1995. Plagued ever since by the U.S. sanctions and delays, the project has now got a fillip with the successful maiden flight.

The aircraft design is configured to match stringent demands of modern combat scenario, including speed, acceleration, manoeuvrability and agility. Also incorporated are features such as short takeoff and landing, excellent flight performance, safety, reliability and maintainability.

The LCA's development effort is spearheaded by the ADA and assisted by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and a host of defence research and development organisations, besides various public and private sector establishments.

`A day of triumph'

Dubbing it a ``day of triumph'' for the country's scientists, engineers, technicians and all those associated with the project, Mr. Fernandes said the team's determination and perseverance finally silenced the ``demoralising'' critics. The country has now joined a select group of eight nations which have the capability to develop their own supersonic fighter aircraft.

``It is a proud moment, a historic milestone in Indian military aviation,'' said Air Chief Marshal Tipnis, adding a word of caution drawing attention to the road ahead. ``Many more aeronautical heights need to be achieved. The efforts of all those working for the project need to be redoubled to ensure that the aircraft became a frontier fighter aircraft of the IAF.''

PTI reports:

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, expressed happiness over the successful test flight and congratulated scientists and engineers and ``everyone'' associated with the project, Mr. Fernandes told presspersons.

The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, also congratulated the scientists.

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