Light Utility Helicopter: News & Discussion: 06 Feb 2021

[Avinandan]

Going OT and probably this discussion could be taken for a new thread for Rotor craft uavs.

IMHO, for transport VTOL, it is preferable to have Chinook style tandem rotorcraft UAVs.

India already has some headaway with Tactical UAV (payload 20 Kgs) called Sabal 50

China already fields heavy UAV (payload 650 kgs) called Boying T1400.

https://defencenewsindia.in/sabal-50-he ... e_vignette


https://www.scmp.com/news/china/militar ... est-flight

[Manish_P]

...

IMHO, for transport VTOL, it is preferable to have Chinook style tandem rotorcraft UAVs.
...

+1 Agree on the more power/payload requirements. We will hopefully have multiples projects to cover the spectrum.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of Tandem Rotors vs Co-axial ones?

[Cybaru]

All said and done the real capacity is how many IA is willing to deploy - if we get a 100-200 kg variant and IA agrees to buy 1000-3000 of them, then thats supply chain at forward / high altitude bases that cannot be matched. Thats the key.

Converting old Cheetah / cheetaks for supply line use as autonomous makes a lot of sense. There is enough life left in them. Scrapping them would be stupid if they can be used in unmanned roles all along the forward areas.

[Manish_P]

OT perhaps or a tangent, but I have a feeling the Indian private sector (Logistics, Infrastructure etc) will buy Indian made drones and give a vital boost to the fledgling Indian drone ecosystem. The forces might come in big after.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2049028158498726043
@DefProdnIndia
Forging the future of India’s aerial strength

The Light Utility Helicopter (#LUH), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (#HAL), stands as a testament to indigenous innovation engineered to replace legacy fleets with precision, agility, and reliability. With a top speed of 220 km/h, a service ceiling of 6.5 km, and an operational range of 350 km, it is built to perform where it matters most.

More than just a machine, LUH represents a strategic leap towards self-reliance and operational excellence