Kaveri & Aero-Engine: News & Discussion

[uddu]

^^^Thank you Maitya ji

[uddu]

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/19 ... 5560937894
@shreedharsingh9
D1 is only for baseline thrust, material integrity, and accelerated endurance.

In 2026 D2 & D3 Will go into endurance trials for 150 hrs under High altitude condition

D4 and D5 will then undergo qualification tests for 300-500 hours.

[uddu]

Kaveri indigenous content to go up from 85% to 90%
GTRE का दावा! कावेरी इंजन में 90% देसी पार्ट्स का इस्तेमाल, तेजस को मिलेगी 'जबरदस्त' ताकत
https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/zee-hin ... ca/2948426

[ramana]

Well, this is a surprise.
Have always been reading that Kaveri has a FADEC, not realizing that it was not a true FADEC as used in other engines.
It has never come up in the various reports or discussions around Kaveri, so kudos to the reporter for digging this up.

vera_k, What exactly is the difference between a true FADEC and this early version of Kaveri FADEC?
Other than the manual back up which they said is due to fear of electronic failure.
The early controller acronym is KADECU which stands for Kaveri Digital Engine Control Unit.
They say they have manual back up but talk about manual control linkages etc.
These are components of an Engine control unit which links to the throttle lever.
So this is not a true FADEC which has full authority digital Engine Control.

Kaveri engine is controlled by Kaveri full authority digital control unit {KADECU), which has been developed and successfully demonstrated at DRDO's test bed.

Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20110220152 ... averi.html


So GTRE has been economical with the facts.
They keep repeating over the years that Kaveri has a digital controller which is not a FADEC.

[uddu]

https://x.com/Kunal_Biswas707/status/19 ... 8150590473
@Kunal_Biswas707
Found this impression of RTA70 with turbojets & nice snap of Kaveri on IL-76 at Gromov Flight Research Institute in Russia back in 2010-11, it's not too late to have a RTA90 variant with 2 x Kaveri / Kabini, start with military variant for all certification then civil





https://x.com/Kunal_Biswas707/status/19 ... 8111462644
@Kunal_Biswas707
What is more unfortunate for Indian aerospace industry is that they had a transport aircraft engine called KABINI but never went for certification or being pushed for indigenous aircraft program such as NAL NCA or RTA-70 which were was once featured turbo jet engines.

[uddu]

https://x.com/MeghUpdates/status/1979595196200308867
@MeghUpdates
BIG! India’s Kaveri Engine programme gets a major boost as PTC Industries receives LoTA from CEMILAC–DRDO for indigenous Titanium castings for the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE-2).

[Kailash]

https://x.com/SJha1618/status/197952266 ... EOTGQ&s=19

Very important development:
'PTC Industries also received a Purchase Order for Post-Cast Operations to manufacture Single Crystal ‘Ready-to-Fit’ Turbine Blades for the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE-2).'

https://x.com/SJha1618/status/197984757 ... ZLU8g&s=19

Second gen SX blade investment casting capability implies mastery of the Bridgman Method preferred by the West ( Russians use LMC). The most popular 2nd gen SX blade alloy is of course CMSX-4. Importantly, that is out of patent.

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/19 ... OX89Q&s=19

Most likely We are going to use CMSX4 in KDE which is the 2nd generation SX blade. The raw temperature of Cmsx4 is 1080°- 1090°c .

SX blades make more advanced internal cooling (serpentine, impingement, multi-pass ) possible, while DS blades are more restricted.

https://x.com/shreedharsingh9/status/19 ... 5Mjyw&s=19

You can safely drill many tiny film holes, even in critical areas like the suction side or tip because it can handle more holes and stress without cracking.

[uddu]

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/1983487613853188280
@alpha_defense
MIDHANI receives Airworthiness Certification from CEMILAC for indigenous Superalloys, Titanium & Special Steels for advanced aero engines, enabling series production of airworthy components.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/prasannavishy/status/1984077095237014005 ---> As Delhi closes in on the Safran deal to co-develop a (120 - 140 kN?) engine for AMCA, domestic industry body wants a parallel “Mission Aero Engine” to design and manufacture a homegrown 110 kN core through the private sector. Society of Indian Defence Manufactures says India will need 700+ engines over the next decade for Tejas Mk-1A/Mk-2 and AMCA. A market worth ₹60,000 crore. But over-dependence on foreign partners leaves both defence and civil aviation vulnerable to sanctions. Unlike the proposed AMCA–Safran co-development (which may give India tech access but limited IP ownership), Mission Aero Engine seeks full indigenous control (from turbine materials to hot-section design). Capability gap? India’s Kaveri reached only ~80 kN thrust. So scaling to 110 kN needs deeper mastery in single-crystal blades, high-temperature alloys, and afterburner efficiency which are some of the areas where GTRE still lags. @businessline report

[Kakkaji]

Instead of shooting for a 110KN engine, I think the first priority should be the development of an 85KN Kaveri derivative engine to replace the GE404-IN20 when they come in for replacement. At least 400 of these engines will be needed for the 2 engine replacement cycles of the Tejas Mk1A. GE may not keep its production lines open till that time.

How far is the Kaveri Derivative Engine from this goal? I understand that GTRE is working with Godrej Aerospace and Brahmos and other companies towards enhancing the thrust of the Kaveri engine. Should Safran's or Rolls Royce's help be sought in this development?

[isubodh]

Instead of shooting for a 110KN engine, I think the first priority should be the development of an 85KN Kaveri derivative engine to replace the GE404-IN20 when they come in for replacement. At least 400 of these engines will be needed for the 2 engine replacement cycles of the Tejas Mk1A. GE may not keep its production lines open till that time.

well both can go in parallel as well, unless money is the constraint,
if we target 110kN... we may well achieve 90-99kN

[Aditya_V]

I just like Automotive engines, size, dimension specific fuel consumption matter, Al31FP engine dimensions are much bigger, heavier and consumes too much fuel for light or medium Aircraft, you can't fit a Toyota innova 2.7 liter Engine gearbox combo in a Maruti Alto. A truck engine will provide loads of Torque , is huge, heavy, but it cannot be designed to rev fast and high.

So it's not just output it's output with dimensions, weight , fuel consumption, MTBF etc. So it's is better to design 2-3 engines and also devlop High bypass engines for Transport Aircraft.

[uddu]

https://x.com/DefenceDecode/status/1987057171742532056
@DefenceDecode
RM Rajnath Singh stated that within the next year, India will achieve a significant milestone whereby the engines for all fighter aircraft will be manufactured domestically - by Indian companies and by the skilled hands of the Indian workforce.

[Kailash]

https://x.com/DefenceDecode/status/1987057171742532056
@DefenceDecode
RM Rajnath Singh stated that within the next year, India will achieve a significant milestone whereby the engines for all fighter aircraft will be manufactured domestically - by Indian companies and by the skilled hands of the Indian workforce.

I really don't see how this is possible. F404 still has to come from the US. Even if this is just limited to local "assembly",manufactured is quite a strong word

Even if we take this at face value, technically this doesn't cover choppers, basic, intermediate or advanced trainers. Hopefully we are covered in terms of uav use. The statement is politically well made, to which there could be a lot of caveats and loopholes.

[Cybaru]

Indian industry should focus on getting Kaveri to spec and creating derivatives of Kaveri for many new use cases.

[Rakesh]

Fighter jet engine | Battle for a jet engine
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/defe ... 2025-11-07
07 Nov 2025

“One should know what to ask for...unless you ask for it, the original equipment manufacturer will never share something that took decades to develop,” says a scientist.

[Khalsa]

Thank you

[Prem Kumar]

https://x.com/DefenceDecode/status/1987057171742532056
@DefenceDecode
RM Rajnath Singh stated that within the next year, India will achieve a significant milestone whereby the engines for all fighter aircraft will be manufactured domestically - by Indian companies and by the skilled hands of the Indian workforce.

Rajnath Singh channeling his inner-Gadkari

[Khalsa]

I wish... within a year ?


I will be indebited if within a year, we choose the direction we are heading down and shortlist our strategic partner.

[Cybaru]

They really need a plan to get Kaveri across the finish line and test it on an Indian testing platform and the end platform to really cross all hurdles. They can do whatever they want with Safran, unless they do this, the Safran deal wont be that effective.

[uddu]

Big- Kaveri Engine पर बड़ी सफलता - Kaveri Engine Big Update
In a critical boost to India's quest for self-reliant aero-engines, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has fully qualified and inducted its Advanced Full Authority Digital Engine Control (A-FADEC) unit into the Kaveri Dry Engine program. This sophisticated digital brain, designed to orchestrate the non-afterburning variant of the indigenous Kaveri turbofan, has amassed nearly 300 hours of in-engine testing alongside over 1,300 cumulative hours on test rigs, including 75 hours at simulated altitudes. The 2024 highlight: groundbreaking flame-out and auto-relight logics tested in Bangalore, ensuring unflinching performance in the harshest skies.

[uddu]

Kaveri (Dry & AB) Next Step
Dry Kaveri delayed due to delay in allotting slot in Russia for testing for its certification testing process. Ghatak project to be delayed by 2 to 3 years. Even Kaveri with Brahmos Afterburner project delayed due to this. Lack of our own flying test bed the reason.

[SRajesh]

^^ Given serious reorganisation of the order, I dont think we will be Self sufficient or Atmanirbhar in the real sense any time sooner.
We are being given the boot by all and sundry.
We will be made to pay for everything but only of slightly lower end Maal will be sold.

[uddu]

One of our Il-76 can be converted to flying engine testbed if both the IAF and political leadership decides. DRDO could get it done, even with some support from the Russians. Risk taking ended with Manohar Parrikar.