The Hindu : LCA TD-2 test flight in ten days

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2002

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LCA TD-2 test flight in ten days

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE APRIL 2. The second Technology Demonstrator (TD-2) of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will be test flown within 10 days, at a higher speed to reach supersonic level, Kota Harinarayana, LCA programme director, said here on Tuesday.

The Flight Clearance Review Board had given clearance for the flight, originally planned in August-September 2001 to follow completion of the TD-1 flights. It was rescheduled for January, but snags caused more delay. "All safety norms for the flight tests have been adhered to and high speed taxiing tests to achieve a speed of 260 km. an hour are now on,'' he said.

The TD-2 would be fitted with new head-up display and communication systems. A new software would enable the aircraft to fly at supersonic speed by the end of the second block of tests. The TD-1 achieved a flying speed in the range of 500 to 600 km. an hour. That had been enhanced for the TD-2 flight trials.

The LCA TD-3 was expected to be ready by the third quarter of this year. All seven prototypes had been cleared, and according to the present schedule, the IAF will induct the aircraft by 2005-6, Mr. Harinarayana said.

The Union Government had been approached to increase the production capacity to meet the requirements of the Navy, which needed a fighter version, The Bush Administration recently cleared the sale of defence equipment to India, which included advanced avionics and engines used in the LCA. The delay caused by U.S. sanctions also delayed the development of the indigenous Kaveri engine for the LCA.

Responding to a question, Mr. Harinarayana denied he was quitting the LCA project and clarified that he was going abroad for a year for technical studies and would rejoin the project on his return.

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