By the end of 1988 the PDP was complete and the report was circulated to various agencies inclusding the AHQ. The report landed on the table of Air Commodore S.Krishnaswamy, Director, Air Staff Requirements. Kitcha was an experienced fighter pilot and a graduate of Empires Test Pilots School, UK. At that time, he was one of the few people who could understand the nuances of technology choices. he wrote a report on the PDP document and was very sceptical about ADA's ability to design a state of the art fighter with host of technologies, which were being introduced into an aircraft for the 1st time in the country.
The IAF recommended that a confidence and competence building route of proving the four crucial technologies, by flying two TD aircraft through a limited flight test programme be followed before embarking on the full scale engineering development of prototypes.
Dassault Aviation was very keen to partner the ADA in the develoment of the LCA and offered the 3 Digital Channels with an Analog fourth channel FBW which they has successfully developed for Rafale. The FCS computer would be hybrid Digi-Ana computer having three digital processors with three independent channels and one har wired analgog channel. they said that they would go for a quadruplex FBW FCS when they had gained more experience with Digi-Ana hybrid FCS.
Unfortunately, their offer was spurned in favor of the quad digital FBW technology offered by the Martin Marietta Control Sytems (MMCS), later Lockheed Martin and now BAE Systems of USA. The FCS computer would be fully digital wiht four independent channels. The Americans were very confident about the reliability of digitla technology and there was no doubt that at that time it was cutting edge.
Since, they would have no control over the development of a system as crucial as the FCS, the Dassault Aviation walked out of the programme, a decision which I am sure both parties regret to this day. With an experienced a/c hiuse like Dasault as a partner ADA/HAL may well have been able to develop the a'c and have it in service by the end of 1990s. In my view, the decision to accept the US offer of quad digital FBW technology and go it alone with only consultance agreements with various foreign firms added a decade or more to the programme.This decision, I suspect, was taken because the thrust was to acquire the latest technology and build self reliance rather than on deliver and operational fighter in a reasonable timeframe to meet IAFs modernization plans. It was a classic case of 'best' been the enemy of 'good'. Operational requirements should drive the technological requirements and the not the other way around
Raj Malhotra wrote:Once upon a time there was some talk of indigenous ejection seat but there is no reference to the same nowdays. Is there going to be an indigenous ejection seat for LCA etc?
Raj
I think we should get out of this penchant of having everything Hindian.
If we can get the best seat in the world form say martin Baker, why do we waste our energy re designing the damn thing.
This is one of the reasons why our earlier programs have failed miserably. We wanted to design everything ourselves. Why ? For an aircraft let us get
Engine from RR / PW / Snecma
Ejection seats from Martin Baker / Goodrich
Undercarriage / hydraulics form Dowty
Gun from Mauser
Stores carriers from Alkan
Tyre from Dunlop
Let us learn how to specify these items and how to integrate all these items into an aircraft
Today no aircraft or car manufacturer makes more than say 30 - 40% of the items. The manufacturers' skills is puting all these together.
HAL must concentrate on how to put various thousands of items form hundreds of suppliers together and make the damn thing fly
Kersi D wrote:
HAL must concentrate on how to put various thousands of items form hundreds of suppliers together and make the damn thing fly
K
Can't agree more with Kesri. Practical application rather than jingoistic rhetoric is needed in the area of defence. Only the country's interest is of importance.
If the above is true, why is that HAL be the best MMRCA contract vehicle? /lesser of an OT, but its important 'cause HAL is the primary vehicle for LCA. IMHO, just being an integrator we don't establish an engineering and product base in the country. It may be OK to start as an integrator.. but can't remain so for ever.
It is very important to have a plan, spend on it, like we have been doing for LCA. This failure aspect is every where in the world, that you all have "closed ears".. and these are the failures that needs to be pumped with extra money and make it successful. Its disheartening to hear that we are focused on a narrow band of thought.
holistic views needed folks!
added: Without an active program no other advanced product nation would supply competing components to integrate (either direct or indirectly sanctioned). In defence world, its just not only business (sellers) the main factor. We have already discussed these. Hope JCage avatar may answer this in a more detailed post.
I think we should get out of this penchant of having everything Hindian.
If we can get the best seat in the world form say martin Baker, why do we waste our energy re designing the damn thing.
In fact, today, that is how things work in most, if not all, countries. There is no other alternative.
However, what does matter is if one country selects a product from another and the supplier for some political reason cuts the supply.
Having said that I think India is large and cheap enough to be a supplier and consumer (which is what "indigenization" is). The challenge is and has been technical issues. IF done properly, there is no reason that India cannot consume and export.
Reg Ejection Seats - let me requote the text from the top of this page (the Tejas book)
Operational requirements should drive the technological requirements and the not the other way around
IMO it makes better sense to source the ejection seats if you want to get the LCA operational quickly.
how long will a reliable ejection seat take? it took decades of experience and testing for martin baker and the russians to come up with their current unmatchable designs. testing your ejection seats requires plenty of manpower and resources. And the infrastructure that you build up needs to have a large market. So unless you come out with a world class product that is ordered by the tens of thousands like the Brit and Russian products, trying to design a seat that will be used in the mere low thousands (LCA + IJT + HTT + MCA and all the future stuff) is not economical.
HI Krish
Regarding the rate of turn of the LCA it was quite obvious that the performance of the LCA was no way near the full potential as the during the
last aero india and the previous ones. I have never seen the LCA on full after burner through the whole turn and the angle of bank was never 90degress all the time .
I believe that the pilot has to be at 90 degrees bank with the full afterburner with the angle of attack at the greatest permitted level to achieve the highest rate of turn . Maybe after more testing with the help of EADS and a better engine the LCA should be easily better than a mirage-2000. The instantaneous turn rate of the mirage is more than the f-16 though the f-16 beats it in the sustined turn .So in my opinion the LCA will deffinately have a better instantaneous rate of turn than the mirage -2000 ,being a smaller aircraft and having an even more lightly loaded wing.
Any way people like karthik can explain and correct what i have said
I don't know about "full after burner" requirement for highest rate of turn. When I was doing my PPL, higher thrust implied bigger arc. The centrifugal forces will make it even more difficult to sustain the turn.
rad wrote:HI Krish
Regarding the rate of turn of the LCA it was quite obvious that the performance of the LCA was no way near the full potential as the during the
last aero india and the previous ones. I have never seen the LCA on full after burner through the whole turn and the angle of bank was never 90degress all the time .
I believe that the pilot has to be at 90 degrees bank with the full afterburner with the angle of attack at the greatest permitted level to achieve the highest rate of turn . Maybe after more testing with the help of EADS and a better engine the LCA should be easily better than a mirage-2000. The instantaneous turn rate of the mirage is more than the f-16 though the f-16 beats it in the sustined turn .So in my opinion the LCA will deffinately have a better instantaneous rate of turn than the mirage -2000 ,being a smaller aircraft and having an even more lightly loaded wing.
Any way people like karthik can explain and correct what i have said
Regarding the rate of turn of the LCA it was quite obvious that the performance of the LCA was no way near the full potential as the during the
last aero india and the previous ones. I have never seen the LCA on full after burner through the whole turn and the angle of bank was never 90degress all the time .
I believe that the pilot has to be at 90 degrees bank with the full afterburner with the angle of attack at the greatest permitted level to achieve the highest rate of turn . Maybe after more testing with the help of EADS and a better engine the LCA should be easily better than a mirage-2000. The instantaneous turn rate of the mirage is more than the f-16 though the f-16 beats it in the sustined turn .So in my opinion the LCA will deffinately have a better instantaneous rate of turn than the mirage -2000 ,being a smaller aircraft and having an even more lightly loaded wing.
Any way people like karthik can explain and correct what i have said
Rad
I
please note that as of NOW, the pilot is restricted from applying G's anywhere more than 6Gs, as the flight envelope has been cleared upto that load. we will not see the best Tejas flight display till the time that its flight enveloped is fully cleared to 9G, so that the pilot can fly at the corner velocity of the aircraft and display its best turn rate. the reason I'm talking of corner velocity is because almost all air-show pilots fly around this speed to maximise the turning potential of their planes and make the airshow look appealing to the viewers.
and just in case you didn't know, corner velocity is the minimum speed at which an aircraft can pull its maximum rated Gs, and in this case, the maximum rated Gs are only 6Gs as of now. Currently, what we're seeing is higher speed, longer radius turns, which will probably be at 5-6Gs only, hence the longer time taken to turn. In order to make tighter turns, the pilot either needs to slow down or pull even more Gs if he's at a higher speed. but since he's restricted to 6Gs max, he cannot make the tightest turns possible. An aircraft at its corner velocity will attain its maximum instantaneous turn performance- its tightest turns. till the time that the Tejas isn't cleared fully, its best instantaneous and sustained turn performance will not be known, not even to its own Test Pilots.
already, the roll-rate of the Tejas is as good or probably even better than the Mirage-2000 which had a roll rate of nearly 270 deg/s.
The Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels (BHPV), which has developed eight types of compact heat exchangers for the Indian light combat aircraft (LCA), has been awarded the type certification, according to a press release.
...
Kartik wrote:
please note that as of NOW, the pilot is restricted from applying G's anywhere more than 6Gs, as the flight envelope has been cleared upto that load. we will not see the best Tejas flight display till the time that its flight enveloped is fully cleared to 9G, so that the pilot can fly at the corner velocity of the aircraft and display its best turn rate.
Is it an aversion for any failure that kept the G-force limit restricted for so long? The rugged airframes of TD-1 and TD-2 are already behind us so perhaps an opportunity lost there?
PratikDas wrote:
Is it an aversion for any failure that kept the G-force limit restricted for so long? The rugged airframes of TD-1 and TD-2 are already behind us so perhaps an opportunity lost there?
On a lighter note aversion to failure is a great thing while testing any flying machine
But more seriously - and I am not THE expert here - it appears that every incremental step in the envelope of the LCA - i.e ever extra degree of say angle of attack, or change in rate of roll or turn can only be modified by instructing the computers to allow that change to occur by modifying the flight control software accordingly.
For every software modification that is made to the movement of any single control surface, the effcts of that new movement on every other control surface has to be modeled and tested.
Recall from M Raj's book that the computers are getting inputs from sensors 50 times a second and send out instructions to the control surfacec like elevons and rudder 4 times a second. Every one of these needs to be validated on the ground in simulation and then incrementally tested in the air, allowing for the possibility that something may not work as planned and there may be an accident.
As you can see from the Saras crash - it is impossible to tell for months what went wrong - and sometimes one never finds out. So aversion to accidents is a good thing - but it certainly does slows things down.
In addition - just look at he news in our country. We have a retired AF officer playing for an Israeli company and sabotaging an Indian development Akash). Now imagine what happens if there is one failure of an Indian system. It will mean really good news for anyone who wants to tap into the gold mine that Indian defence is turning ouit top be in these times of recession. Those officers were never around to witness and criticise the test failures of foreign equipment - but are ther now as salesmen pushing someone's wares.
So aversion to accidents is a good thing - but it certainly does slows things down.
Until one collects enough data to build a reliable model. Actually this is true in all cases where modeling is concerned - bridge, traffic, air traffic, metal fatigue, nukes, etc.
NEW DELHI — India is seeking to buy an EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar from Israel’s Elta for its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), after efforts to develop a radar failed, Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said.
The aircraft’s developer, the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), also is seeking a foreign firm to advise it about the flight tests. ADA is offering a two-part contract for 18 months of work leading up to initial operational clearance, and 24 months of work leading to final operational clearance.
LCA prototypes have already flown about 600 test flights, one ADA official said. The single-seat, single-engine, supersonic LCA will soon begin weapons integration work, and the aim is to achieve initial operational clearance with the EL/M-2052 radar aboard.
A DRDO team flew to Israel within the past two weeks, hoping to secure the radar in time to have it aboard the under-development LCA by next year, Indian Defence Ministry sources said.
The radar will allow the LCA to detect, lock onto and pass information about 64 targets to the plane’s mission computer.
Since 1991, India has spent more than $50 million to develop a Multi Mode Radar, which was originally to have been designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and the DRDO for service beginning in 1998.
The LCA program was launched in 1983. ADA is leading the development with help from HAL.
NEW DELHI — India is seeking to buy an EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar from Israel’s Elta for its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), after efforts to develop a radar failed, Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said.
The aircraft’s developer, the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), also is seeking a foreign firm to advise it about the flight tests. ADA is offering a two-part contract for 18 months of work leading up to initial operational clearance, and 24 months of work leading to final operational clearance.
LCA prototypes have already flown about 600 test flights, one ADA official said. The single-seat, single-engine, supersonic LCA will soon begin weapons integration work, and the aim is to achieve initial operational clearance with the EL/M-2052 radar aboard.
A DRDO team flew to Israel within the past two weeks, hoping to secure the radar in time to have it aboard the under-development LCA by next year, Indian Defence Ministry sources said.
The radar will allow the LCA to detect, lock onto and pass information about 64 targets to the plane’s mission computer.
Since 1991, India has spent more than $50 million to develop a Multi Mode Radar, which was originally to have been designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and the DRDO for service beginning in 1998.
The LCA program was launched in 1983. ADA is leading the development with help from HAL.
The ADA website says,
LCA-Tejas completed the 1088 Test Flights. (31-Mar-09)
This is what Shiv garu was refering to. (as I often say India's problems are with in not with out. Also note all defence deals are made just before elections, two reasons one to fill party coffers two more often than not fill individual coffers and abscond later. A nation of billion clueless ruled by million mafia)
***
Ex-IAF officer played key role
Retired officer had a hand in scuttling the induction of Akash missile
Josy Joseph. New Delhi
Who were the main actors pushing for the controversial Rs10,000 crore medium-range surface-to-air (MRSAM) contract with the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)?
The deal, signed on February 27, just days before the general election was announced, had an unheard of clause for paying Rs600 crore (6% of the contract value) as "business charges".
While Israel's Elul Group is already under scrutiny, serious questions are also being raised about a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who played a crucial role in formally proposing purchase of MRSAMs from Israel. This officer was also responsible for scuttling the large-scale induction of the indigenous surface-to-air missile Akash.
Over the past few days, DNA's investigation has raised questions about the controversial deal with IAI, which is already being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the Barak missile deal of 2000. The MRSAM deal was signed despite initial vigilance objections, neutral legal opinions, and the success of the indigenous Advanced Air Defence missile of similar capability.
DNA's investigation found that the IAF officer, who retired about two years ago, is now working for the Israeli arms industry in New Delhi.
Without naming the officer, Defence Research & Development Organisation chief M Natarajan told a press conference in Bangalore during the Aero India show last month that the officer had slashed his predecessor's commitment to induct eight squadrons of Akash missiles. The officer had brought the figure down to just two squadrons. Akash has a range of 27km, while MRSAM has a range of about 70km.
A source in the defence ministry confirmed that even for the induction of these two Akash squadrons, the IAF put a condition that the DRDO must first agree to the MRSAM project. "We were blackmailed into the MRSAM project," said the source. "He [the former IAF officer] killed Akash, blackmailed us to agree to MRSAM, and is now working for them [Israeli arms companies] openly."
"Yes, we are aware (that the officer is working for Israelis)," said a senior defence ministry official, who had defended the government for going ahead with the MRSAM deal.
The official said the ministry has not yet sought clarification from the officer because he retired "two years ago". But "he has very limited access in the defence ministry and air headquarters," the official claimed.
The retired officer had held such a crucial position in the IAF that it is surprising why the government has closed its eyes to his alliance with foreign arms firms after retirement.
The role of another IAF officer is also coming under scrutiny in this matter. He is associated with Nova Integrated Systems, the Tata-IAI joint venture which will be integrating the MRSAM.
Several officials in the defence ministry are baffled how a private-sector firm has been nominated as the integrator for the sensitive missile system. In India, all missile systems are integrated in public-sector units, usually Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
In fact, DRDO suggested BDL as the integrator for the MRSAM, with Israelis supplying the seeker and some radar components and DRDO making the airframe, servos, and propulsion. But Nova will be doing the integration now.
This is yet another decision that has raised eyebrows. Sources in the defence establishment believe it is a perfect example of how the Israelis were able to get through whatever they wanted.
I don't understand why there is so much hype about MRSAM. Isn't this the Land version of Barak 8?
And 10000 crores include cost of dev and acquiring a certain number of squadrons of launchers and weapons itself.
I don't understand the problem here.
Akash takes 20 years and the range is 27 kms, cost is $500 million(only for dev), total amount including 2 squadrons is another $400 million = Total cost $900 million .
MSRAM will take 5 years, range will be 70 kms, cost including some squadrons = $2 billion.
And as per as NOVA getting the deal in india, I think it will be great since some private players in india will also get valuable experience in integrating missiles.
Wow! That is one elegant cockpit. All the information is presented in a simple manner and no jungle of toggle switches and analog dials to reckon with.
any body know which technique used in EW suite Mayavi for LCA.
Is it using Digital radio frequency memory(DRFM) technique for self-protection jammer?
Hi Nash, check my report from Aero india (Dr. Revankar's talk)... we've already moved to DRFM based SPJs and EW suites, and are currently leveraging that technology in other projects.
Singha wrote:Tejas would benefit from a F-solah style bubble canopy on hydraulic jacks that pops up in clamshell fashion.
Does that in any way help in combat? And what if the hydraulics fail (remember an incident with the F-22).. the pilot would be stuck in the cockpit on the ground. Lets not nitpick here... if it ain't broke, and if it doesn't provide any advantage, why change it??
Singha wrote:Tejas would benefit from a F-solah style bubble canopy on hydraulic jacks that pops up in clamshell fashion.
Does that in any way help in combat? And what if the hydraulics fail (remember an incident with the F-22).. the pilot would be stuck in the cockpit on the ground. Lets not nitpick here... if it ain't broke, and if it doesn't provide any advantage, why change it??
K Prasad,
I think Singha was referring to the view from the cockpit if those metallic frames of the cockpit that you see in the LCA cockpit picture are gone. Improves visibility...
I think Singha was referring to the view from the cockpit if those metallic frames of the cockpit that you see in the LCA cockpit picture are gone. Improves visibility...
-Vivek
Aah... yes to the bubble canopy... but i wonder how the hydraulics would help... from what I've seen in the F-16 twin seater, it only adds a huge rod right in front of the WSO's nose (the biological one, ie. ).
any body know which technique used in EW suite Mayavi for LCA.
Is it using Digital radio frequency memory(DRFM) technique for self-protection jammer?
Hi Nash, check my report from Aero india (Dr. Revankar's talk)... we've already moved to DRFM based SPJs and EW suites, and are currently leveraging that technology in other projects.
Thanks a lot k prasad.
It will greatly increase the LCA survivability and make it more potent.
LCA Test Flights
LCA-Tejas has completed 1088 Test Flights successfully. (31-Mar-09).
* LCA has completed 1088 Test Flights successfully
(TD1-233, TD2-304,PV1-188,PV2-119,PV3-144,LSP1-46,LSP2-54).
* 188th flight of Tejas PV1 occurred on 30th Mar 09.
* 54th flight of Tejas LSP2 occurred on 30th Mar 09.
27 Test Flights in March almost 1 flight everyday,they are speeding up .
@Tanaji: I was waiting for the response of the mods to the post. As no hellfire as been fired at my musharaff....will do the needful. Just give me some time.
India is seeking to buy an EL/M-2052 active electronically scanned array radar from Israel’s Elta for its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), after efforts to develop a radar failed, Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) sources said. The aircraft’s developer, the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), also is seeking a foreign firm to advise it about the flight tests. ADA is offering a two-part contract for 18 months of work leading up to initial operational clearance, and 24 months of work leading to final operational clearance.LCA prototypes have already flown about 600 test flights, one ADA official said. The single-seat, single-engine, supersonic LCA will soon begin weapons integration work, and the aim is to achieve initial operational clearance with the EL/M-2052 radar aboard.A DRDO team flew to Israel within the past two weeks, hoping to secure the radar in time to have it aboard the under-development LCA by next year, Indian Defence Ministry sources said.The radar will allow the LCA to detect, lock onto and pass information about 64 targets to the plane’s mission computer.Since 1991, India has spent more than $50 million to develop a Multi Mode Radar, which was originally to have been designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and the DRDO for service beginning in 1998.The LCA program was launched in 1983. ADA is leading the development with help from HAL.
k prasad wrote:
Does that in any way help in combat? And what if the hydraulics fail (remember an incident with the F-22).. the pilot would be stuck in the cockpit on the ground. Lets not nitpick here... if it ain't broke, and if it doesn't provide any advantage, why change it??
only helps reduce the pilot's efforts to have to scan airspace that may have been blocked by the frame. but no big deal. pilots can actually mistake bugs on the canopy for a visual on a bogey and turn on it, so I guess a wiper might be a good addition too.