LCA News and Discussions

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 27 Apr 2011 20:30

Good news

Lets hope that guided munition tests are peformed soon.

sum · Post by **sum** » 27 Apr 2011 21:12

Which is the turboprop plane which keeps circling HAL and surrounding areas from 7-8 or 9 every night( at-least last 2 nights) ? Looks like a An-32 but not too sure in the darkness...

sum · Post by **sum** » 27 Apr 2011 21:13

Chaiwallah selling tea near HAL main gate was mentioning LSP-6 is almost kitted out and ready to hit the air anytime now..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Apr 2011 21:46

sum its a AN32. it always seem to do touch and go landings and takeoffs. maybe AN32 trainees come over from Yelehanka afb to do it at HAL avoid the BIAL airlanes more easily.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 27 Apr 2011 22:04

sum wrote:Chaiwallah selling tea near HAL main gate was mentioning LSP-6 is almost kitted out and ready to hit the air anytime now..

Can the chaiwallah also tell you why it takes so long for each plane to be ready?

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 27 Apr 2011 22:07

^^^ I believe Ajay Shukla covered it in one of his articles. Basically, each plane in the LSP series is different in terms of avionics and other stuff in it. So, till the production model is frozen, we will have this issue of each plane differing from other LSPs.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 27 Apr 2011 23:42

All LSPs after 5 shouldnt have this problem. There were some problems i think in 5 leading to it spending more time in the hangar after its initial days. Now i think they have ironed it out. How nice if 6,7,8 all make their first flight on the same day.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 28 Apr 2011 04:47

They need to freeze the design for a production run and not change it too often. Hopefully after LSP8 there will be not many changes in Mk1.

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 28 Apr 2011 04:57

LSP 5 was production (IOC) standard (or atleast it was supposed to be so). There should not have been any major hardware changes from LSP 5-8 to SP 1-40. Assuming that this delay in LSP 6-8 was due to unresolved issues with LSP5, one can expect that LSP6-8 are almost ready baring some components and they all could have their first flight even on same day or in a same week. But if there were glaring issues with LSP5 then one wonders if IOC was just a eyewash and IAF chief might have been conveying the reality.

P.S. we seriously need a Hari Nair equivalent in this thread....

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Apr 2011 08:03

Marten wrote: If you read one part of the AM's statement, how could you miss the others where he talked about what was pending? There were a few items that were meant as enhancements and a few that were yet to be tested extensively. Instead of looking for negatives, please try and assume a more positive stance and join us in hoping the LSPs 6-8 fly soon (with more, better, features/gizmos).

The interesting part about this conversation is that India has been very open about all the detailed testing that is required. Generally Western sources too are open - and info can be found - but the LCA is typically more in the glare of a spotlight for us SDREs - so we tend to miss other stuff. What we also miss is the fact that absolutely no details are released or available about the Bundaar, J-10 or any of its brothers. We have a tendency to assume that absence of details=al iz vel, and publication of details=incompetence/inability

sum · Post by **sum** » 28 Apr 2011 08:31

There were some problems i think in 5 leading to it spending more time in the hangar after its initial days. Now i think they have ironed it out. How nice if 6,7,8 all make their first flight on the same day.

Sadly, LSP-7 and LSP-8 are still quite far off if certain tea sellers are to be believed since only work on LSP6 is currently ongoing..

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 28 Apr 2011 09:20

sum ji,

I don't understand your chaiwalla ... wasn't LSP 6 for experimentation? wasn't the 7 and 8 being produced to be handed over to IAF months back?

How can LSP 6 be close to induction and LSP7 and 8 be months away now? What am I missing?

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 28 Apr 2011 09:26

LSP7 before Feb 2011 from Broadsword

So after the whole fuselage and wings are done atleast 2.5 months have passed and it is still far away

I dont know where SP-1 is if this is the state of LSP-7

sum · Post by **sum** » 28 Apr 2011 09:27

^^ Well, am just posting whatever nugget i could hear in a very limited time of interaction. Will check on clearer picture if another visit to tea stall happens.

Sid · Post by **Sid** » 28 Apr 2011 09:33

indranilroy wrote:sum ji,

I don't understand your chaiwalla ... wasn't LSP 6 for experimentation? wasn't the 7 and 8 being produced to be handed over to IAF months back?

How can LSP 6 be close to induction and LSP7 and 8 be months away now? What am I missing?

maybe too much chai causes numbers to slip here and there. but with current delivery rate of one airframe in 6 to 8 months they do seem pretty far away.

But the best part is LSP6 will fly soon. ye dil mange more

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 28 Apr 2011 09:38

And NP1 ? I wish someone does a Hazare to know the first flight dates of remaining LSPs and NP1

Sorry couldnt stop whining

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 28 Apr 2011 10:45

sum wrote:
There were some problems i think in 5 leading to it spending more time in the hangar after its initial days. Now i think they have ironed it out. How nice if 6,7,8 all make their first flight on the same day.
Sadly, LSP-7 and LSP-8 are still quite far off if certain tea sellers are to be believed since only work on LSP6 is currently ongoing..

Yes they are pretty far off - info from AI 2011.

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 28 Apr 2011 10:47

Marten wrote: If you read one part of the AM's statement, how could you miss the others where he talked about what was pending? There were a few items that were meant as enhancements and a few that were yet to be tested extensively. Instead of looking for negatives, please try and assume a more positive stance and join us in hoping the LSPs 6-8 fly soon (with more, better, features/gizmos).

Agreed.

But weren't LSP6-8 supposed to help perform some of those tests.

I believe that positive stance should not come in the way of curiosity. And if, as stated by some chaiwalas, LSP 7-8 are months away then what would be the delay in SP or how delayed will the FOC be (considering that IAF has fewer planes to test).

indranilroy wrote:sum ji,

I don't understand your chaiwalla ... wasn't LSP 6 for experimentation? wasn't the 7 and 8 being produced to be handed over to IAF months back?

How can LSP 6 be close to induction and LSP7 and 8 be months away now? What am I missing?

My confusion exactly.

VishalJ · Post by **VishalJ** » 28 Apr 2011 21:41

High & Very Fast KH2005 banks hard left > http://www.airliners.net/photo/1909940/L/

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 28 Apr 2011 21:54

Vishal Jolapara wrote:High & Very Fast KH2005 banks hard left > http://www.airliners.net/photo/1909940/L/

Fantastic photo if it was fast and high. The detail is amazing. Totally frozen - what an image.

Apart from the very prominent peeled paint - the LCA underfuselage has some very odd looking triangular depressions and some rectangular thingies with circular depressions. I wonder what on earth all that is. They look like slots for jacks to me.

At least some of that "peeled paint" on the wing looks like tape or ripped off tape to me - will highlight specific parts in an an enlarged pic later. The peeled paint under the fuselage shows yellow primer.

MurthyB · Post by **MurthyB** » 29 Apr 2011 00:15

shiv wrote: At least some of that "peeled paint" on the wing looks like tape or ripped off tape to me - will highlight specific parts in an an enlarged pic later. The peeled paint under the fuselage shows yellow primer.

HAL clearly wants to send a message that paintjob competency is the porki's alone. They are being quite generous by ceding that area of expertise to them completely.

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 29 Apr 2011 13:29

Vishal,

something for you : http://www.eurofighter.com/eurofighter- ... ition.html

Gaur · Post by **Gaur** » 29 Apr 2011 13:33

Neela wrote:Vishal,

something for you : http://www.eurofighter.com/eurofighter- ... ition.html

Neela,
Vishal is hardly a "Amateur" photographer.

PS: This link may help if Vishal is looking for an apprentice!

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 29 Apr 2011 15:26

Gaur wrote:
Neela wrote:Vishal,

something for you : http://www.eurofighter.com/eurofighter- ... ition.html
Neela,
Vishal is hardly a "Amateur" photographer.

PS: This link may help if Vishal is looking for an apprentice!

My apologies! No disrespect intented

Bharadwaj · Post by **Bharadwaj** » 29 Apr 2011 20:07

Another piece on the night flights

"Tejas passes first night operations test"
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... -test.html

akimalik · Post by **akimalik** » 29 Apr 2011 20:10

Just saw KH2009 on NDTV Aaj-Tak !
Is LSP6 out?

Also, they are going to talk a little about the LCH as well.
DRDO must have done something right to get such praise

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 29 Apr 2011 20:35

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2011/04/te ... night.html

Good to see LSP5 being flogged now. That means probably all issues have been resolved. Eagerly waiting for LSP 6-8.

OT but

NDTV Aaj-Tak

Kakarat · Post by **Kakarat** » 29 Apr 2011 20:45

akimalik wrote:Just saw KH2009 on NDTV Aaj-Tak !
Is LSP6 out?

Also, they are going to talk a little about the LCH as well.
DRDO must have done something right to get such praise

KH2009 is PV-5 Tejas Trainer

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 29 Apr 2011 21:06

I received this on mail. Thanks to that great soul.

The Tejas has just started night flying in dark phase. We are currently focussing on flight test related issues.
Great for the Tejas to have a fan following!!
Best Wishes

I wanted to tell him even Rajni doesnt have fans across the world but the tejas does.

akimalik · Post by **akimalik** » 29 Apr 2011 21:07

Marten wrote:...
That's PV5. What was it about?

For once they were singing peans about what Tejas brings to us.
There was a comparison with the Bandar (favourable one)...
compared the engines, range, weapon systems yadda yadda ... all in the +ve.
Although sometimes they mixed images of the Tejas with the F/A-18 !

I missed out the LCH tidbits (this is Indi-yeah and the electricity is not so reliable)

but 3 cheers to all ... hic hic hurray

Sean Rowe · Post by **Sean Rowe** » 29 Apr 2011 21:27

Can any one through more light on IJT crash

VishalJ · Post by **VishalJ** » 30 Apr 2011 06:21

Shiv & Neela Thank You

Neela, thanks for bringing-up that link, i do appreciate it & boy do i have some fine EF2K photos for them.
They'd perhaps be looking for the unconventional, hatke image which can catch their eye, worth a try

Gaur wrote:Neela,
Vishal is hardly a "Amateur" photographer.

PS: This link may help if Vishal is looking for an apprentice!

Actually as per their Terms & Conditions i am one:

http://www.eurofighter.com/eurofighter- ... ition.html

Terms and Conditions

The winner must be an amateur photographer which by definition means: “A person who engages in photography as a pastime rather than as a profession”.

My edit/upload roadmap was to get all the desi stuff up first, LCH, LCA, IJT, Su30, MRCA fighters & the rest.
I've just gotten LCH & most of LCA up for now, but have put the list on hold & just started editing Katrina if thats the name you guys have settled on for her (Rafale)

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 30 Apr 2011 07:29

^^^

The Admiral is a real nice guy, I have actually had dinner with him. But he does owe a bunch of mithai. IF he has any IP on THAT name I would be a little careful. Like I said he is a real nice guy.

Just saying.

Avid · Post by **Avid** » 30 Apr 2011 08:21

shiv wrote:
Vishal Jolapara wrote:High & Very Fast KH2005 banks hard left > http://www.airliners.net/photo/1909940/L/
Fantastic photo if it was fast and high. The detail is amazing. Totally frozen - what an image.

Apart from the very prominent peeled paint - the LCA underfuselage has some very odd looking triangular depressions and some rectangular thingies with circular depressions. I wonder what on earth all that is. They look like slots for jacks to me.

At least some of that "peeled paint" on the wing looks like tape or ripped off tape to me - will highlight specific parts in an an enlarged pic later. The peeled paint under the fuselage shows yellow primer.

Shiv, the tape under wings, I have seen and used similar looking things as strain guage on surfaces

Avid · Post by **Avid** » 30 Apr 2011 08:24

NRao wrote:^^^

The Admiral is a real nice guy, I have actually had dinner with him. But he does owe a bunch of mithai. IF he has any IP on THAT name I would be a little careful. Like I said he is a real nice guy.

Just saying.

Sir are you in champaign illinois?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 30 Apr 2011 21:01

NDTV India has a program in Hindi on the LCA Tejas.

Well made.

The program is on the air NOW

SidSom · Post by **SidSom** » 01 May 2011 08:02

Attended a talk by the Head of CEMILAC. He mentioned that LSP 6 was ready and the most interesting thing was that the naval LCA should fly in May

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 01 May 2011 08:40

From what I hear the LSP 6 is going to have a crucial role - in gradually increasing the AoA to see how the YellSeeYay behaves. It will need to be fitted with an anti-spin chute for that. It's role won't be like any of the others we have seen so far - IMO save for the first few LCA flights

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 01 May 2011 09:43

Thanks SidSomji, btw anything on when LSP7/8 will be given to the forces?

Shivji and other gurus, whenever we buy new fighters do we put them through spin tests to see if it behaves as advertised ? If we do we should by this time have a large database of how different types of aircrafts(m2k delta) behave for different types of spins

SidSom · Post by **SidSom** » 01 May 2011 16:00

Unfortunately could not ask him any questions, he was quickly wisked away to other meetings

He did mention that the wings of the LCA (at least the composites) would be produced by a private company..