Bharat Rakshak

SaiK, it is not the "retraction", but "extraction" of the landing gear after fully retracted that might be a problem. There are several cases, including one where Ravi Shastri's Audi was featured when a plane has the landing gear stuck wholly or partially and hence is difficult to land. If you have only one flying bird, it is better to wait until one is confident that the landing gear will not get stuck and the break wheels will be working after a flight regime (or several such).

There are several factors why a landing gear might get stuck. Dust/grime after take off affecting some sensitive parts for eg.

Some issues that might arise
- hydraulic + mechanical issues: there are many moving parts
- gear/door operation with aerodynamic loads imposed on gear and doors
- change in aerodynamics (and hence impact on flight control laws) especially during extension/retraction transitions
- pilot workload: there are a lot of parameters that a test pilot has to monitor on first flight and worrying about possible gear emergencies adds additional workload

okay, I see the change in aerodynamics and corresponding control law functioning aspects is the special case that would not have been cleared out on iron bird testing. [control laws have changed for naval LCA is what I read]

yes, that is a good decision to keep landing aspects safe!

that SBTF is at INS Hansa in Dabolim, Goa. the first flight of NP-1 is to take place from Bangalore. No SBTF take off right now. First they'll validate its basic flying qualities then only take it to INS Hansa for take-off trials using the SBTF.

The change in aerodynamics has nothing to do with the landing gear. The Iron Bird would've been used to test that it works.

However, the kinematics of the landing gear retraction and its opening are now different as a result of the different attachment points and different design and hence they don't want to add any more risk to the first flight, such as the possible risk of it retracting and then not coming back out due to any unforeseen issue in flight.

I remember Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar mentioning in the "The Tejas Story: The Light Combat Aircraft Project" that landing gears are one thing that do not follow the rules of gravity(pun intended i guess) so they are never retracted on the first flight.

Bluru vaasiyon how is weather down there? half an hour more to go ?

bluru weather http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Ba ... a+INXX0012

Is never retracted will be factually wrong ... is often avoided would be more right.

Deccan Herald website reporting that the naval variant took off at 9.55AM.

--Cross post

Good. Now that we have an AESA radar in space with SAR implemented, and the DRDO Awacs flying (I think it is L Band) and in today's Al-Hundi right at the first page there was an advert from Astra Microwave congratulating ISRO ,with an Oh.. Many of our components are on the RISAT .. I guess that they have supplied some of the microwave components.

All in all good. Now to get over the hump and develop a X band fighter sized tactical AESA radar with all the bells and whistles, as an enhancement of the MMR on the LCA !1

Wow! Last when I saw it in Dec 2011, it was nothing more than a levelled strip of land adjacent to the main runway, they have built it pretty fast.

Cheers...

Guys any news.... Any spies in and around HAL (where is Tarmak when you need him ). Cant wait for the news...

mia varunullah can you post link? i dont see it on deccan herald.

Did the bird touch down?
Where are our birdwatchers from banglore?

at around 10:30 today on airport road, i heard a jet pass by, but couldn't trace it in the sky. could be the LCA.

Bunked office to catch the sight of NLCA if it flies over my house but no action so far..

Deccan Herald had it on the top of the page, on the ticker, but it has been removed now. I checked at 10:10 AM.

http://www.deccanherald.com/

Claiming it took off at 0955 Hrs. So was it an over enthu reporter.

It should have landed at 1015hrs too, but no sight of it over CBD.

heard a jet taking off around 9.56AM from the conf room (near marathahalli side), cannot confirm if its LCA, but sure its not Mig-21

Livefist confirms..
LCA Navy Takes off
Just the headline and no image or story..

^^^^^
Livefist is updated with more content but no image yet..
Looks like the bird will be back in another couple of minutes.

Flight test update

LCA-Tejas has completed 1837 Test Flights successfully. (26-April-2012).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-222,PV3-339,LSP1-74,LSP2-206,PV5-36,LSP3-49,LSP4-49,LSP5-80,LSP7-2)

from

LCA-Tejas has completed 1835 Test Flights successfully. (21-April-2012).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-221,PV3-339,LSP1-74,LSP2-206,PV5-36,LSP3-48,LSP4-49,LSP5-80,LSP7-2)

All Fingers Crossed......Bala Any visuals.. Time to stand on the balcony and not blink for the next 20-30 minutes. Immediate report of Landing requested

Rajanb sir you are on the landing path right? please get to the window with camera

Waiting for first landing pics, Dear all

Just saw it come in for landing (~ 12.29PM). Chase a/c was a Hawk.

Approach heading please??

YAHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........Lungi Dance......

It was heading west...

From Kundlahalli gate????

tarmak007

Yup..

The Bird has successfully Landed http://livefist.blogspot.in/ twitter update

Didn't even hear or see it. Haven't seen one in ages. Looks like they avoid CBD side.

It must have taken off eastwards and landed east to west. Whitefield/Sarjapur areas. I am west of the airport. I used to see plenty of them last year.

Now the Pakis will fly a Bundar with an arrestor hook?

NO Official news of the bird having taken off and landed successfully. No TV channel websites or major newspapers are showing this as yet

We need pictures and video!!

What about Cardboard Levcons.... and Fattened UnderCarriage ....??
In all seriousness... how many other countries do make a Naval plane. I can count 4 others Khan,Russ, Chota Khan (UK), French.... and now India. Am I missing any one else....??

^ China makes naval flanker copy now

Those four were naval powers.

Add China and India to that list.

Delete UK in the near future. Am not sure where Russia stands at the moment - they have the tech, but do they have a projected need?

2012 is becoming a memorable year for India...

And here's the relevant report Naval version of LCA Tejas takes off successfully