ramana wrote:Rakesh the best case is Kaveri-M88 comes through and Tejas Mk1A sheds some weight.
That is the ulitmate goal and should be worked at in earnest. At the end of the day, a
certified turbofan is the goal. Arguably, the turbofan is more important than even the aircraft itself. Everything is tied to the turbofan (AMCA, Ghatak, Tejas, etc, etc). This is the *MOST* important project that India needs to complete. Failure is not an option here.
Fail here and we will forever import. We have overcome all other hurdles - airframe (design & manufacture), radar, sensors, weaponry, etc. Further R&D in those areas are necessary and are in the works, but more or less India has mastered the meat & potatoes of the matter. However a working turbofan is still out of our reach. The GOI needs to have a clear vision (lacking now) which will in turn result in an actionable plan which should result in allocation of funds and personnel with ENFORCEABLE deadlines. I will likely take flak for saying this, but success in the Kaveri program is just as important as the ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel) project and when direction was coming from the PMO.
In the words of Field Marshal Sam Mankeshaw, "Gentleman, I have arrived and there shall be
NO MORE WITHDRAWLS." We Withdraw, We Die. Sorry for sounding melodramatic, but that is how serious this project should be looked at and worked upon. This is a prestige issue for India and when we succeed, India will have arrived. We cannot and must not rest on the hope that a license produced GE engine will forever be the answer. F404/F414 is only a stop gap till Kaveri arrives.
With regards to the Snecma project....I believe they can do it. The technical hurdles are not of concern. It is how far Snecma is willing to go, to ensure they fulfill their offset obligations and ensuring the success of the Kaveri program. Snecma's reputation is on the line here (it was their idea in the first place, to revive the Kaveri turbofan) and I believe they will see through the project. But as you know, engine tech is a closely guarded secret. The
secret sauce will be done by Snecma behind closed doors and they will not share it. But the key is - just like the Turbomeca Ardiden 1H (known as Shakti in India) turboshaft model - we will be making the turbofan in India. The success of Kaveri88 will have a direct correlation to the above. So it is important that from our side there is proper and regular oversight on the program.
The turbofan comparisions you provided are great. I am adding the M88 to the list. I thought F414 was longer than F404? If not, what are we modifying in the airframe to accomodate the F414?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_F404
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General characteristics
Type: Afterburning turbofan
Length: 154 in (391 cm)
Diameter: 35 in (89 cm)
Dry weight: 2,282 lb (1,036 kg)
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_F414
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General characteristics
Type: Afterburning turbofan
Length: 154 in (391 cm)
Diameter: 35 in (89 cm)
Dry weight: 2,445 lb (1,110 kg) max weight
ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GTRE_GTX-35VS_Kaveri
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General characteristics
Type: afterburning turbofan
Length: 3,490.0 mm (137.4 in)
Diameter: 909.3 mm (35.8 in)
Dry weight: 2,724 lb (1,236 kg) [Goal: 953 – 1,111 kg (2,100 – 2,450 lb)]
ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snecma_M88
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General characteristics
Type: afterburning turbofan
Length: 353.8 cm (139.3 in)
Diameter: 69.6 cm (27.4 in)
Dry weight: 897 kg (1,978 lb)