LCA News and Discussions, 22-Oct-2013

Niranjan · Post by **Niranjan** » 01 Oct 2014 01:26

The IAF should do with the MK-II what the IN is doing with the naval MK-I. : wink :

member_28788 · Post by **member_28788** » 01 Oct 2014 06:51

indranilroy wrote: I am very skeptical of that 300 number.

Skeptical. So you think it will be more or less than 300?

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 01 Oct 2014 07:10

More info on Tarmak
http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2014/10/t ... aiden.html

The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) wait to induct a home-grown fighter jet into its squadron inched a step closer when the first Tejas series production (SP-1) aircraft kissed the skies on Tuesday. Military sources confirmed to Express that during the 25-minute flight, Tejas SP-1 touched a maximum speed of 0.6 Mach, copying textbook maneuvers befitting a maiden outing. The sole take-away from this flight was the fact that there was no telemetry support to the pilot.
Built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and designed by Aeronautical Development Agency, the Tejas SP-1 was flown by seasoned Test Pilot Air Commodore (Retd) K A Muthanna, with a Hawk trainer as the chase aircraft. “We did the HSTT (High Speed Taxi Trial) on Monday and the test results were flawless. During today’s flight, the pilot had no link-up with the telemetry team during the entire duration of the flight. This is a first for the programme, similar to what happens while in a squadron scenario,” an official associated with project said.
The build of the Tejas SP-1 seems to have given the team huge confidence to go for the maiden flight. “We had no corrections to make before and after the flight. This is different from what we were used to on earlier occasions. The production version aircraft is definitely superior on all fronts. We will resume the flight on SP-1 after a week,” the official said.
While the programme has to travel some more distance before the much-awaited induction into the IAF, two Tejas aircraft from the flight test programme are currently in Jaisalmer undertaking 'bombing mission.' “New weapons (250 kg and 450 kg bombs) are being integrated into the aircraft. The AoA (Angle of Attack) is also coming closer to 26 degrees, which helps the pilot to undertake care-free manoeuvring. In the next there months we are also lining up the aircraft to fire some new missiles as well,” the official said.

Hopefully, some pics and vids surface soon...

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » 01 Oct 2014 07:32

Looks like they're close to the BVR missile tests too, judging by Tarmak's report. The only outstanding issues seem to be the gun firing and the Cobham kit, ie the quartz radome and refueller probe. Keep your fingers crossed!

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 01 Oct 2014 08:02

Anantha Krishnan M @writetake · 31m 31 minutes ago
#BreakingNews #TejasUpdate #DiwaliDhamakka Tejas likely to fire #DebryBVRAAM and #PythonAAM missiles soon.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » 01 Oct 2014 08:06

sivab wrote:
Anantha Krishnan M @writetake · 31m 31 minutes ago
#BreakingNews #TejasUpdate #DiwaliDhamakka Tejas likely to fire #DebryBVRAAM and #PythonAAM missiles soon.

There you go!

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 01 Oct 2014 08:08

Anantha Krishnan M @writetake · 45m 45 minutes ago
#BreakingNews #TejasUpdate In the next 3 months Tejas will fire Israeli missiles expanding its flight envelope.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 01 Oct 2014 08:20

is that 5 headed snake?

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 01 Oct 2014 08:21

Gurneesh wrote:
Hopefully, some pics and vids surface soon...

I would love to see videos - but in my experience, despite thousands of test shots in various air forces the best videos of AAMs I have seen are Indian MiG 21 hitting Paki Atlantique, Russian MiG 29 hitting some drone or UAV and an R 73 from a Vayu Shakti demo hitting a flare - simply because the whole course of missile was WVR. Or else we end up seeing the launch and disappearance of missile, or the hit by which time the missile is flying faster than a bullet and we only see an explosion.

Sorry OT - but could people post other good AAM videos they have seen in the military multimedia thread?

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 01 Oct 2014 08:22

Kartik wrote:A Cobham exec had stated that the Tejas has a fairly tightly packed airframe and the requirement for a retractable probe is tricky. It won’t be a simple bolt-on probe like that on the Mirage-2000, Rafale or the Thunder Bandar, which impose a small drag penalty.

Are you sure of that? It was my understanding that the Mk1 was being fitted with a bplt-on probe while the Mk2 would get a retractable probe.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 01 Oct 2014 08:29

YashG wrote:
indranilroy wrote: I am very skeptical of that 300 number.
Skeptical. So you think it will be more or less than 300?

More

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 01 Oct 2014 08:34

srai wrote:Here is a snippet of Eurofighter's AMRAAM testing:
News | Mar 17, 2005

(Hallbergmoos – 15 March 2005) Eurofighter GmbH announced today the success achieved in recent Advanced Medium Range Air-Air Missile (AMRAAM) guided firing trials – a further milestone in proving the maturity of the Weapon System.

And that is the irritating thing about all the nonsense trotted out about delayed FOC being a hurdle to large scale production. The Eurofighter entered service in 2001 but AMRAAM integration carried on till 2007. The Rafale couldn't self designate ground targets till 2010. That's ten years after it entered service.

As long as the platform is ready, it doesn't matter whether Derby integration takes place in December or June. New nosecones can be retrofitted to production units. The only hurdle is the gun integration which has an impact on the airframe, though the gun's effectiveness on the modern battlefield is a matter of debate.

Bottom-line is, there's absolutely no excuse for going slow on Tejas production at this point.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 08:59

Viv S wrote:
Kartik wrote:A Cobham exec had stated that the Tejas has a fairly tightly packed airframe and the requirement for a retractable probe is tricky. It won’t be a simple bolt-on probe like that on the Mirage-2000, Rafale or the Thunder Bandar, which impose a small drag penalty.
Are you sure of that? It was my understanding that the Mk1 was being fitted with a bplt-on probe while the Mk2 would get a retractable probe.

a bolt-on probe shouldn't have taken too long to design or fit. the plumbing for the probe would've been HAL's responsibility and Cobham would have had to work on the probe alone, but looking at the delay, I'm assuming that it means a retractable probe is being fitted to the Mk1 as well. And that would require significantly more design effort. Anyway, we'll just have to wait to get confirmation.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 09:17

But with all the good news about the Tejas program, where are pics and vids of the SP1 ?! Would love to see pics from the on-going trials at Jaisalmer too. Hope ADA obliges..

srai · Post by **srai** » 01 Oct 2014 09:41

Viv S wrote:
srai wrote:Here is a snippet of Eurofighter's AMRAAM testing...
And that is the irritating thing about all the nonsense trotted out about delayed FOC being a hurdle to large scale production. The Eurofighter entered service in 2001 but AMRAAM integration carried on till 2007. The Rafale couldn't self designate ground targets till 2010. That's ten years after it entered service.

As long as the platform is ready, it doesn't matter whether Derby integration takes place in December or June. New nosecones can be retrofitted to production units. The only hurdle is the gun integration which has an impact on the airframe, though the gun's effectiveness on the modern battlefield is a matter of debate.

Bottom-line is, there's absolutely no excuse for going slow on Tejas production at this point.

Yep! That is the main difference between how the Europeans/Americans/Russians/Chinese induct a new aircraft type versus how the IAF does it. The IAF wants pretty much a fully weaponised LCA Mk.1 and all its systems fully developed before accepting for induction. That too only for 40 aircrafts order!

One of the main differences is that other nations, especially the European ones, do many more frequent upgrades whereas the IAF waits a long time to do one major MLU and less of the smaller upgrades. I guess they are so used to imports and the costs/delays of haggling with foreign OEM to make tweaks and integrate new weapons that they are taking the same approach with homegrown fighter by asking for everything upfront. The R&D culture in the IAF is not there yet; maybe now with the LCA experience (and upcoming in-service experience with local iterative product support) they will take an approach more in line with other countries when it comes to the AMCA.

member_28788 · Post by **member_28788** » 01 Oct 2014 09:55

Guys here is a small management framework (I had read something similar many years ago in McKinsey Quarterly) that I have adapted to defence purposes about what kind of component Supply chain structuring could be used. The framework answers the question what you should build, what should be outsourced & what could be done as a strategic alliance & what with a foreign supplier. Also interestingly the best part of the analysis is - what should be the percentage of indigenization of any weapon/weapon platform? 100% is very counter productive & press/media would sometime make it the holy grail of indigenization. So then what is a good %age? I think it depends on the equipment. I will show at the end how.

The analysis would use these two parameters- critical (how important is the part to the overall development of the project) & value (what is the cost of the system- $$s)- we could decide what parts of supply chain be outsourced & to whom. What parts to be built & in what capacity. As the diagram shows we can divide the components into four types then.

For components like radar, engines which are both high-critical & high value(1), we could build inhouse in govt labs/DPSUs

For components like Radome which are relatively lower value but very critical(4) to our development, we could do joint ventures with Indian firms.

For components that are common to military & civilian aircrafts, available in open market-low critical but the cost is high(2). Outsource them completely to Indian pvt companies or to foreign JVs. High value will particularly attract foreign companies & it will also keep a good amount within country, lower spend on dollar imports & expands domestic MIC.

For components like tyres, seats, non-specialised fixtures which are both low value & low critical(3), we can outsource anywhere we want.

Now what I described above is debatable- the component classification within the four quadrants & some would certainly differ on mine. but thats not the point i'm making. Rather this process is what could be useful. If every component of any weapon/platform can be broken into four quadrants- we can exactly know the optimal level of indigenization of any system & that will never be 100% or even 90%. It would be (1)+(2)+(4) or (1)+(4). Infact there would be levels of even indigenization- would you call (3) or (4) or both indigenous?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 01 Oct 2014 10:20

Good news that the first of Series -1 prod. aircratfthad its first flight yesterday.

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 01 Oct 2014 11:18

I am surprised, neither ADA not HAL released any photo or video or even a press release about LCA SP1's maiden flight. Any Bangloreans who were in the right place and the right time!!! please post pics...

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 01 Oct 2014 11:21

First LCA –Tejas Series Production aircraft performs maiden flight

I will add 2 pics in sometime.

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 01 Oct 2014 11:47

chackojoseph wrote:First LCA –Tejas Series Production aircraft performs maiden flight

I will add 2 pics in sometime.

Thanks Chacko Chetta, Hi-Def picture which are of desktop-wall paper quality will be highly appreciated.

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 01 Oct 2014 11:48

Shrinivasan wrote:I will add 2 pics in sometime.

Thanks Chacko Chetta, Hi-Def picture which are of desktop-wall paper quality will be highly appreciated.[/quote]

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 01 Oct 2014 12:10

From Twitter Saurav Jha @SJha1618

LCA update #1: Cobham IFR and quartz radome expected to be delivered by November. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #2: Gun firing demonstrated from ground to user for all necessary parameters. Airborne testing in Jamnagar. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #3: Angle of Attack up to 26 degrees demonstrated. More testing is underway. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #4: Derby carriage trials Mid-October. Test firing by end-October. Dr TamilMani says piece of cake. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update#5: IFR is not an issue once the assembly is actually delivered. Some more air to ground weapons are also being integrated.
LCA update #6: SP-1 is a completely debugged version of LSP-8 and is performing very well according to Dr Tamil Mani.

One thing is sure, things are moving pretty fast now.

partha · Post by **partha** » 01 Oct 2014 12:39

Whenever the Kaveri engine or its variant is ready, it should be possible to replace F404/414 engine in all the inducted LCAs in use by then with little or no modifications, right?

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 01 Oct 2014 12:55

srai wrote: Yep! That is the main difference between how the Europeans/Americans/Russians/Chinese induct a new aircraft type versus how the IAF does it. The IAF wants pretty much a fully weaponised LCA Mk.1 and all its systems fully developed before accepting for induction. That too only for 40 aircrafts order! One of the main differences is that other nations, especially the European ones, do many more frequent upgrades whereas the IAF waits a long time to do one major MLU and less of the smaller upgrades. I guess they are so used to imports and the costs/delays of haggling with foreign OEM to make tweaks and integrate new weapons that they are taking the same approach with homegrown fighter by asking for everything upfront. The R&D culture in the IAF is not there yet; maybe now with the LCA experience (and upcoming in-service experience with local iterative product support) they will take an approach more in line with other countries when it comes to the AMCA.

Comparing apple and oranges, are we?

Which European country faces live threat on it's borders? Or do we have Uncle Sam to lend us all the available support required to make half baked products survive and operate in a conflict?

If LCA is expected to be a front-line fighter squadron, the aircraft will have to be combat ready to go to war if required. Why is that so difficult to understand? And that gun on the fighter is an important requirement - one of the reasons Marut died the death it did because HAL was never able to rectify the guns on that fighter. And which prevented it's use even as ground attack aircraft.

Further, what you call should be taken up as iterative development is the baseline requirement for a fighter entering active service in 2014-15 in our environment. If there is an argument in favor of LCA in present state w/o BVR facility (all other things being OK), it is that older Mig-21 in IAF service which it can replace themselves don't have such facility.

Otherwise, having a fighter for a sake of having one might make some people happy but it does not allow IAF to fight a war.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 13:04

kmkraoind wrote:From Twitter Saurav Jha @SJha1618
LCA update #1: Cobham IFR and quartz radome expected to be delivered by November. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #2: Gun firing demonstrated from ground to user for all necessary parameters. Airborne testing in Jamnagar. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #3: Angle of Attack up to 26 degrees demonstrated. More testing is underway. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #4: Derby carriage trials Mid-October. Test firing by end-October. Dr TamilMani says piece of cake. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update#5: IFR is not an issue once the assembly is actually delivered. Some more air to ground weapons are also being integrated.
LCA update #6: SP-1 is a completely debugged version of LSP-8 and is performing very well according to Dr Tamil Mani.
One thing is sure, things are moving pretty fast now.

Great! AoA of 26 degrees achieved which is what was the target for FOC and one of those irritating points that Tejas detractors used to harp about..and remember what Air Cmde Harish Nayani mentioned about how a Tejas Mk1 with even 20 deg AoA is better than the Bison? Imagine what it could do with a 26 deg AoA limit..One thing's for sure- the coming AI-'15 Tejas Mk1 display will be the best ever.

Derby trials beginning in another 15 days is another piece of news to be very glad about..what about Python V? Really hoping to get some excellent pics and vids of these trials..

Also great to hear that ground trials of the gun firing have been carried out already..and now on to the airborne testing from Jamnagar..
Is there anyway in which to contact Saurav to get more details on the other weapons being integrated? Dumb 250 and 450 kg bombs or any specific PGMs? Whether the probe is retractable or fixed?

By the time the Mk1 enters service, the IAF will have a fully functional, multi-role combat jet..not an airplane that will take another half or full decade to get to full multi-role capability. The wait may have been worth it after all.

vina · Post by **vina** » 01 Oct 2014 13:17

rohitvats wrote: Comparing apple and oranges, are we?

...
If LCA is expected to be a front-line fighter squadron, the aircraft will have to be combat ready to go to war if required. Why is that so difficult to understand? And that gun on the fighter is an important requirement - one of the reasons Marut died the death it did because HAL was never able to rectify the guns on that fighter. And which prevented it's use even as ground attack aircraft.
..
Otherwise, having a fighter for a sake of having one might make some people happy but it does not allow IAF to fight a war.

Ok. So why did you get the following aircraft inducted ?

1) Mirage 2000 . It came with just integral cannons. The Matra 550 and Super 530 were integrated later, not to mention the LGB pod and stuff. Could it take on the Pakistani F-16s as of 1984?

2) Mig 29 - Lemon of engine, massive hanger queens, huge maintenance problems, most weapons not integrated back in 1985/86

3) SU-30K - The initial batch of 18 were not fully capable, didn't have the integration of weapons that the MKI has , lacked A2G capability, sat out the Kargil war.

So why given your logic were these platforms bought and used with just initial capabilities?

vina · Post by **vina** » 01 Oct 2014 13:21

Kartik wrote:
Imagine what it could do with a 26 deg AoA limit..
.

Zimble onree. Pull the full 9G it is designed for!

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 01 Oct 2014 13:23

HAL has belied my expectations and flown SP-1 before end of September, that's good going. Hope they deliver SP-1 and SP-2 to IAF before FOC is obtained so IAF can start forming No. 45 squadron.

pushkar.bhat · Post by **pushkar.bhat** » 01 Oct 2014 13:28

HAL & ADA Kudos on meeting the Sep 2014 Deadline for SP-01. Now make it a habit to be on time always. Way to go team. Yeess time for 45 Sqn to start forming up and some lungi dance

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 01 Oct 2014 13:32

Viv S wrote:
Kartik wrote:A Cobham exec had stated that the Tejas has a fairly tightly packed airframe and the requirement for a retractable probe is tricky. It won’t be a simple bolt-on probe like that on the Mirage-2000, Rafale or the Thunder Bandar, which impose a small drag penalty.
Are you sure of that? It was my understanding that the Mk1 was being fitted with a bplt-on probe while the Mk2 would get a retractable probe.

According to earlier reports Mk1 has non-retractable probe while Mk2 has *semi-retractable* probe. No space for a full retractable probe.

dinesh_kimar · Post by **dinesh_kimar** » 01 Oct 2014 14:31

deleted

JayS · Post by **JayS** » 01 Oct 2014 14:32

Awesome news. Kudos to team LCA. Its a good sign that the SP-1 is up and flying.
And flood of good news after a draught. Jingo khush hua..!!

dnivas · Post by **dnivas** » 01 Oct 2014 14:57

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/ ... 457434.ece

BANGALORE: The Indian Air Force got a step closer to inducting a home-grown fighter jet into its squadron when the first Tejas series production (SP-1) aircraft kissed the skies on Tuesday.

Military sources confirmed to Express that during the 25-minute flight, Tejas SP-1 touched a maximum speed of 0.6 Mach, copying textbook manoeuvres befitting a maiden outing. The sole take-away from this flight was the fact that there was no telemetry support to the pilot. Built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and designed by Aeronautical Development Agency, the Tejas SP-1 was flown by seasoned Test Pilot Air Commodore (Retd) K A Muthanna, with a Hawk trainer as the chase aircraft. “We did the High Speed Taxi Trial on Monday and the test results were flawless.

The build of the Tejas SP-1 seems to have given the team huge confidence to go for the maiden flight. “We had no corrections to make before and after the flight. This is different from what we were used to on earlier occasions

member_20292 · Post by **member_20292** » 01 Oct 2014 15:07

Kartik wrote:
kmkraoind wrote:From Twitter Saurav Jha @SJha1618
LCA update #1: Cobham IFR and quartz radome expected to be delivered by November. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #2: Gun firing demonstrated from ground to user for all necessary parameters. Airborne testing in Jamnagar. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #3: Angle of Attack up to 26 degrees demonstrated. More testing is underway. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update #4: Derby carriage trials Mid-October. Test firing by end-October. Dr TamilMani says piece of cake. #FOCMarch2015
LCA update#5: IFR is not an issue once the assembly is actually delivered. Some more air to ground weapons are also being integrated.
LCA update #6: SP-1 is a completely debugged version of LSP-8 and is performing very well according to Dr Tamil Mani.

One thing is sure, things are moving pretty fast now.
Great! AoA of 26 degrees achieved which is what was the target for FOC and one of those irritating points that Tejas detractors used to harp about..and remember what Air Cmde Harish Nayani mentioned about how a Tejas Mk1 with even 20 deg AoA is better than the Bison? Imagine what it could do with a 26 deg AoA limit..One thing's for sure- the coming AI-'15 Tejas Mk1 display will be the best ever.

Derby trials beginning in another 15 days is another piece of news to be very glad about..what about Python V? Really hoping to get some excellent pics and vids of these trials..

Also great to hear that ground trials of the gun firing have been carried out already..and now on to the airborne testing from Jamnagar..
Is there anyway in which to contact Saurav to get more details on the other weapons being integrated? Dumb 250 and 450 kg bombs or any specific PGMs? Whether the probe is retractable or fixed?

By the time the Mk1 enters service, the IAF will have a fully functional, multi-role combat jet..not an airplane that will take another half or full decade to get to full multi-role capability. The wait may have been worth it after all.

word.

And if the MMRCA negotiations go at the pace they have been going, there will soon not be any need for it.

The LCA will be the MMRCA.

This is what the MMRCA was originally, a Mirage 2000 class fighter, which is what the LCA has become today.

Dassault will (hopefully) be kept in the background as a technical consultant in the on-going development of the LCA. They can help with things if they want to and if they do not misguide us.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 15:50

vina wrote:
Kartik wrote:
Imagine what it could do with a 26 deg AoA limit..
.
Zimble onree. Pull the full 9G it is designed for!

i meant fly circles around a Bison..which isn't 9G capable anyway.

but isn't the Mk1 limited to 8Gs?

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 15:59

posting a couple of months old article that I hadn't read earlier..gives a few more details on the Tejas Mk2

All eyes on Tejas Mk2

...

The action taken report on the Mk.2 so far doesn't inspire great confidence. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has so far completed a preliminary design review of the GE414-INS6 turbofan engine, but moved no further. Systems designs of fuel system, hydraulic system, electrical system, environment control systems were completed in the 2012-13 period and Limited System Design reviews had been carried out at the time, but not moved forward in a substantive manner. Fabrication of 1:15 scales force & moments models and 1:7.645 scale air intake models were completed, while wind tunnel tests at Calspan, U.S. ADA has also managed to complete the preliminary design review of the Integrated Flight Control System and critical design review of the GTSU-127 Jet Fuel Starter. A redesign of the vertical stabiliser (fin) of the LCA Mk.2 has been carried out to based on changes required to accommodate conformal antennas that will form part of the platform's improved electronic warfare suite. Studies of an alternate gun for LCA MK.2 were also carried out, with detailed studies still on to zero in on a final weapon, likely to be the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23. After eight options for in-flight retractable refuelling probes proposed by Cobham, U.K., weren't found feasible, a ninth option has been chosen, with detailed studies in progress to finalise the configuration.

Coming to the LCA Navy Mk.2, things are slightly more complicated. The second and third prototypes NP3 & NP4 will be Mk.2 variants of the LCA Navy, while NP5, a second trainer is under build as a risk mitigation exercise. As is well known, the main contributors to improvement in LCA Navy Mk.2 are higher thrust engine (the F414), increased wing span, lighter landing gear and structure, and improved systems layout towards better safety and maintainability. A design consultancy with Airbus Defence & Space (Earlier EADS/Cassidian) has been initialised following its assistance in the LCA Navy Mk.1. In the interim, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies on several configurations of LCA Navy Mk.2 have been carried out. Performance estimation with new GE-414-INS6 engine has also been carried out. The next phase will involve wind tunnel testing. Design iterations of LCA Navy Mk.2 surface geometry has also been undertaken based on suggestions made by design consultant Airbus D&S and have been evaluated with CFD studies. "Meanwhile, based on the design suggestions, design teams involving Aerodynamics, Structures and various groups are working on the concept design of LCA Navy Mk2," says the ADA.

An improved landing gear design, supplied by Airbus Defence & Space is currently under review for implementation on the Mk.2. "This would reduce landing gear mass considerably," admits ADA. All issues related to landing gear observed during initial block of flight testing on the NP1 have been rectified. Part fabrication of the arrester hook assembly and the actuator-cum-damper assembly have been progress at ADA. The arrester hook assembly has been integrated on the NP2. A modified arrester hook system conformal to the fuselage is being studied for implementation on LCA Navy Mk2.

The LCA Mk.2, both air force and navy variants, are intended for far improved performance across the flight envelope, including higher turn rates, acceleration and climb, a much smaller logistics and maintenance footprint, longer endurance with a larger fuel carrying capacity, a vastly improved electronic warfare suite and a full weapons capability, including beyond visual range air to air missiles, stand-off strike weapons and anti-ship missiles. The G limits on the Mk.2 will be up from +8/-3.5 to +9/-3.5. The platform will also sport an on-board oxygen generation system and will be 45% composites by weight.

member_20292 · Post by **member_20292** » 01 Oct 2014 16:06

Close to the wing root, right above the red engine air intake covering in the photograph above, is a little, vertical, vortex controller? It looks like a vertical strake.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 16:07

And this older article from Aviation Week Aerospace Daily mentions that at least 2 Tejas airframes were modified with refueling probes..perhaps the fixed probes that we saw in a picture of a Tejas at a HAL hangar. the article is mostly accurate in terms of what the testing profile for 2014 was to be..

article link

Testing To Occupy India's Tejas Mk. 1 In 2014

NEW DELHI -- India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) may have finally been cleared for entry into squadron service, but the coming year ushers in a critical round of testing for the Mk. 1 fighters to meet a final deadline of December 2014 to be fully operational. The tests are crucial to how the Indian air force (IAF) will deploy the jet, built chiefly to replacelarge numbers of MiG-21 interceptors still in service with frontline squadrons.

A broad list of 10 improvements and capability demonstrations remains on the program's packed to-do list. The team proving the jet will chiefly focus on expanding the platform's operating envelope. For instance, the IAF wants the current g capability of -2 to 6g to be pushed to -3.5 to 8g, and for the current 24-deg. angle of attack to be coaxed up to 28 deg.

Apart from performance qualities, the test demonstrating team also will be working toward an inflight refueling capability in the next 12 months. At least two Tejas airframes have already been fitted with Cobham refueling probes, compatible with the IAF's current Il-78M and future Airbus A330 tanker transports. Weapons demonstrations will occupy large chunks of the 2014 proving schedule. While the Tejas has demonstrated
firing the Vympel R-73 (NATO's AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile at least four times, including a recent test with the aircraft's onboard fire control radar, it will need to prove it can deploy the Israel-built Derby beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile and the Python-5 IIR short-range air-to-air missile. The aircraft will simultaneously be put through a routine of precision-guided munition tests to demonstrate its strike profile. Test firings are likely to take place next summer.

The final weapon integration on the Tejas airframe will be a Russian KBP Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 23mm cannon, along with attendant vibration tests. Tejas also will receive new drop tanks for supersonic flight and a radar nose cone for elevated radar and electromagnetic performance. An improved cooling system for the aircraft's braking system also will need proving. "With the integration of new BVR missiles, integral guns and air-to-air refueling capability, LCA will acquire increased potency and enhanced operational efficiency as envisaged at the FOC level," says former IAF chief Norman Browne, who welcomed the Tejas into the IAF before retiring in late December.

The Tejas Mk. 1 has been cleared for entry into IAF service just as the IAF's MiG-21FL, the Type 77 interceptor variant, was retire -- amplifying the need for the indigenous program to stay on track for what will undoubtedly be its most difficult year. The team has gathered substantial momentum, notching 500 test flights in 2013, its most prolific test year. The IAF's two Tejas squadrons will be based at Sulur in South India, close to Bengaluru, where the aircraft production line will push out 16 aircraft a year at full rate. The Tejas Mk. 1 will be followed by the Tejas Mk. 2, propelled by the more powerful GE F414 turbofan, allowing performance qualities far closer to what the IAF had initially wanted from the jet. The IAF's current plans put down a requirement of at least 83 of the Mk. 2s.

"The two primary design drivers already identified by us are the critical GE 414 engine integration for enhanced thrust along with perhaps a better intake design and improved maintainability of the platform," Browne says.

The naval Tejas variant, being developed for aircraft carrier short-takeoff/arrested recovery operations, remains on the ground after a brief round of test flights in 2012. The first prototype is likely to resume flight testing in spring 2014 with an improved landing gear, modified under a technological consultancy with EADS. The aircraft, intended for operations off the INS Vikramaditya and future indigenous aircraft
carrier, will enter a test phase on the mock carrier deck facility at the Indian navy's shore base in Goa later this year.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 01 Oct 2014 16:10

mahadevbhu wrote:Close to the wing root, right above the red engine air intake covering in the photograph above, is a little, vertical, vortex controller? It looks like a vertical strake.

its not a strake- its the channel which allows the boundary layer airflow close to the fuselage right next to the air intake to be spilt onto the wing..kind of re-energises the airflow over the wing, helping in keeping the airflow attached to the wing at higher alpha (AoA).

member_20292 · Post by **member_20292** » 01 Oct 2014 16:52

The LCA wing is an interesting beast in its own right. I wish someone would collect the posts that you and Indranilroy exchanged a few years back on the details of the wings. IIRC its like an F 16 XL