LCA news and discussion

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 02 Feb 2010 23:57

http://www.indianetzone.com/photos_gall ... i_8324.jpg
whatever I could give you all!

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 03 Feb 2010 00:54

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/02/de ... te]Defence Minister AK Antony today: "It is a historic day for us as far as country is concerned, aeronautics is concerned and for all of us. I congratulate all of them who started years back. there was a time when there was serious doubt about this programme. But all these doubts have been proved wrong today. You've seen the spectacular performance of LCA. Today I can assure you that at last LCA will be a reality. This is 2nd february 2010, I can tell you with confidence that by the end of this year, Dec 2010 the IOC of LCA is going to take place. End of 2012 final operational clearance will happen."[/quote]
ho hum, so my estimates were close enough.

Tamang · Post by **Tamang** » 03 Feb 2010 00:56

Kartik wrote:Was there no press coverage of the flying demo? Man, our media sucks big time..if one film star was there, we'd have seen every bloody newspaper and website carrying pictures and a few of the LCA would've slipped in. Maybe they should've called Katrina Kaif or even some struggling starlet to come stand near PV-5, then all possible angles would've been photographed. bugger. So the only pictures we get from this visit of the RM is what we see on Livefist ?? disappointing to say the least.

There was a news report in NDTV India (Hindi), they infact interviewed the pilot too. Don't know about other news channels.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Feb 2010 01:40

Rahul, could you post the latest pics of PV-5 and LSP-2 from Shiv Aroor's blog on the Keypub forums ? Will give others a good look at the Indian SparrowHawk (Cybaru, that name you suggested really suits the Tejas Trainer- small and very purposeful looking

)

An Indian Sparrow Hawk

munna · Post by **munna** » 03 Feb 2010 01:48

Indian Sparrow Hawk is also known as "Shikra" (love it) !!!! So by 2010 first of sq. of IOC cleared Shikras will be gurading the national airspace?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 03 Feb 2010 01:49

Is LCA turning out to be baby Rafale or Rafale just being a glorified LCA?
In both cases , lot of money can be saved from MRCA deal.

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 03 Feb 2010 02:05

IAF to procure more Tejas aircraft and Akash missiles: Antony

Besides, the Minister also announced that the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared a proposal to sanction Rs.8,000 crore for further development of the indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, for use in the Navy and the Air Force, and for the development of the LCA’s new engine.

Has the Scnema/GTRE joint proposal already been sanctioned and funded ??

Srivastav · Post by **Srivastav** » 03 Feb 2010 02:07

Wasnt there a post on Shiv aroor's blog a little while back regarding the future name change of LCA ?

suraj p · Post by **suraj p** » 03 Feb 2010 03:07

Yes. Tejas was named by Vajpayee and now with Tejas ready to fly high, Kangi-netas want to rename it for their satisfaction.. thats funny....I only see such numerological name changes in bollywood!

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Feb 2010 03:09

munna wrote:Indian Sparrow Hawk is also known as "Shikra" (love it) !!!! So by 2010 first of sq. of IOC cleared Shikras will be gurading the national airspace?

I see, a fellow bird lover.

yes, the Shikra is the apt name for the Tejas Trainer..I always wanted the LCA to be named Shikra or else the Dhole (a ferocious Indian wild dog) which I was priveleged enough to see at a resort near Kabini river. Both are small, indigenous species and particularly good hunters. The Dhole has a fearsome reputation. The wildlife warden was describing how a pack of dholes had a much better rate of success at hunting than any other predator in India, including the tigers and leopards.

One time, as a schoolboy, I was at home eating lunch while watching tv, and a pigeon flew into the living room in a massive hurry..even as I looked on in surprise, a Shikra flew right behind it into the living room ! the sheer dexterity of the raptor was amazing as it dodged the ceiling fan. I ran outside to watch them, as it followed the poor pigeon and slashed at it very hard after they flew out of the living room. The pigeon staggered and came down, followed soon by the shikra. Within no time the Shikra had the pigeon in its talons and sat perched on our mulberry tree with its kill. And the pigeon was only a bit smaller than the Shikra..truely amazing and beautiful bird of prey.

BTW, Wikipedia had this description for the Shikra, which fits the LCA almost to a bill !

This bird is a small raptor (26–30cm long) with short broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to fast manoeuvring.

Small raptor with short broad wings indicating aspect ratio and chord, which are similar on the LCA, small sized, small aspect ratio and large chord. and the adaptation for fast manuevering..

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Feb 2010 03:15

suraj p wrote:Yes. Tejas was named by Vajpayee and now with Tejas ready to fly high, Kangi-netas want to rename it for their satisfaction.. thats funny....I only see such numerological name changes in bollywood!

Nothing of that sort yaar. they will give it a HF-XX (Hindustan Fighter) designation before or when it enters service. The Tejas name will stick as is behind the HF-XX (HF-XX Tejas). The HF-XX designation is something of a tradition like the HF-24 Marut and HF-73 concept that followed it. Its actually funny that its gone along so far without getting that tag. the IJT was named HJT-36 Sitara within no time and the stillborn CAT (Combat Advanced Trainer) was given the name HJT-39 even though it never went beyond initial mockup stage.

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 03 Feb 2010 03:33

How about naming Indira? As she kicked pakis mushraaf in 71, tejas will be doing that over & over for years to come.

a_kumar · Post by **a_kumar** » 03 Feb 2010 03:42

^^
As much as the iron lady more than deserves it, it sadly will be a foot in the door for Rajiv, Rahul, Sonia etc to follow.

Very happy with the way things are, lets not jinx it

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 03 Feb 2010 03:51

Sparrowhawks are found worldwide both in the new world and the old. Its a beautiful bird. Shikra aka sparrowhawk it is!

Jagan · Post by **Jagan** » 03 Feb 2010 04:18

suraj p wrote:Yes. Tejas was named by Vajpayee and now with Tejas ready to fly high, Kangi-netas want to rename it for their satisfaction.. thats funny....I only see such numerological name changes in bollywood!

Fully support a change of name. I mean.. an Indian fighter in decades and Vajpayee had to select a sissy name? I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs

but a fighter???

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 03 Feb 2010 04:19

Yeah. For a fighter .................................... Dara Singh. Or King Kong.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 03 Feb 2010 04:22

Jagan wrote:Fully support a change of name. I mean.. an Indian fighter in decades and Vajpayee had to select a sissy name? I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs but a fighter???

Not so sissy saar-ji "Tejas Tejasvi Namaham" is TACDE's motto

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 03 Feb 2010 04:41

On for 27 yrs, LCA project gets Rs 8,000 crore more

BANGALORE: What Tejas wants, Tejas gets. The much-delayed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme will get an additional funding of Rs 8,000 crore.
ejas, India’s effort at building an indigenous trainer — in the making since 1983 — will obtain initial operational clearance by the year-end. The government had spent Rs 4,800 crore on the LCA programme till 2009-end.

There has been all-round scepticism of the project over its inordinate delay. Experts have questioned the wisdom of continuing it, and dubbed it a total failure. But defence minister AK Antony on Tuesday strongly defended the LCA programme. ‘‘Today I can assure you with confidence... I can declare at last LCA is going to be a reality,’’ he said.

Dismissing all criticism about the project taking close to three decades, he said that all agencies involved strongly believed in LCA. The Centre would back the development team’s demands.

Maintaining that LCA had to undergo rigorous trials before it became a complete fighting machine, Antony said the development of a new aircraft was not easy; the gestation period is very long. ‘‘Don’t expect miracles. Our expectation is to give a momentum for indigenization.’’ Admitting that Tejas still has a long way to go, he expressed confidence it will get final operational clearance by end of 2012. The Indian Air Force has already ordered 20 LCAs and expressed interest in ordering another 20 aircraft. Antony said the government is in talks with parties abroad for the development of an engine for Tejas.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 03 Feb 2010 04:57

TOI does have something against the LCA.

Viv S · Post by **Viv S** » 03 Feb 2010 05:25

Jagan wrote:
suraj p wrote:Yes. Tejas was named by Vajpayee and now with Tejas ready to fly high, Kangi-netas want to rename it for their satisfaction.. thats funny....I only see such numerological name changes in bollywood!
Fully support a change of name. I mean.. an Indian fighter in decades and Vajpayee had to select a sissy name? I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs but a fighter???

Second that. Its far from apt, for a fighter aircraft.

Pair of Raptors. Couple of Gripens. Flight of Rafales. Formation of Tejass... Tejas'... Tejes... Tejases... darn it.

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 03 Feb 2010 05:27

Craig Alpert wrote:On for 27 yrs, LCA project gets Rs 8,000 crore more
BANGALORE: What Tejas wants, Tejas gets. The much-delayed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme will get an additional funding of Rs 8,000 crore.
ejas, India’s effort at building an indigenous trainer — in the making since 1983 — will obtain initial operational clearance by the year-end. The government had spent Rs 4,800 crore on the LCA programme till 2009-end.

There has been all-round scepticism of the project over its inordinate delay. Experts have questioned the wisdom of continuing it, and dubbed it a total failure. But defence minister AK Antony on Tuesday strongly defended the LCA programme. ‘‘Today I can assure you with confidence... I can declare at last LCA is going to be a reality,’’ he said.

Dismissing all criticism about the project taking close to three decades, he said that all agencies involved strongly believed in LCA. The Centre would back the development team’s demands.

Maintaining that LCA had to undergo rigorous trials before it became a complete fighting machine, Antony said the development of a new aircraft was not easy; the gestation period is very long. ‘‘Don’t expect miracles. Our expectation is to give a momentum for indigenization.’’ Admitting that Tejas still has a long way to go, he expressed confidence it will get final operational clearance by end of 2012. The Indian Air Force has already ordered 20 LCAs and expressed interest in ordering another 20 aircraft. Antony said the government is in talks with parties abroad for the development of an engine for Tejas.

if there was any proof required that the TOI articles are not worth being used even as TOIlet paper, this article will provide enough of it. The stereotypical ill-informed, stupid DDM mantra about "project started in 1983" bullshit repeated as is the "total failure" as per "experts". who will explain to these dullard journos that in 1983, it was the idea of an LCA that took root ! ADA didn't exist, HAL didn't want to take it up and there were no Air Staff Requirements, nothing, nada, zilch. There was no infrastructure, not one single person working on it, nothing. The Project Definition Phase (where you finally define what technologies the aircraft will have) itself didn't end till 1989..they do no real research before vomitting whatever they've got in their head and the result is shoddy journalism, which they couldn't care less about.

sigh..its useless. This ghatiya rag will have millions more readers than BRF and this disinformation will obviously lead to more Indians cursing DRDO, saying this project is a failure, yada yada and lamenting about tax rupees being wasted.

Notice how these liars claim that "expressed interest in ordering another 20 aircraft"- we know that the IAF has placed orders for 20 more. I mean when the RM says that they have, who else needs to confirm it ??!

Who will tell them that the technologies that have been mastered on this program will benefit Indian aerospace industry for decades to come ? That the money being spent is being spent within India only, not draining out to other countries.. ToI certainly wont because its journos are too dull to be able to wrap their miniature cesspool brains around anything related to technology. And since they're altoo faltoo journos, they won't have the slightest bit of real-world experience when it comes to large scale project development so no perspective either. This is what happens when newspapers don't employ people with a specific knowledge base and skill set for reporting on specific areas. Business Standard has Ajai Shukla, NDTV has Vishnu Som, Hindu has few good authors and journalists, even though Ravi Sharma can sometimes pass off as a TOI journo, but TOI itself has none. And this reflects in the piss-poor quality of journalism that emerges from this rag.

They are more concerned with filmi masala, politics and garbage that they collect from the rest of the world and fill their website with.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 03 Feb 2010 05:27

must be paid by the gripen folks.
--

Experts have questioned the wisdom of continuing it, and dubbed it a total failure.

like the ddm experts?

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 03 Feb 2010 05:41

Kartik wrote: sigh..its useless. This ghatiya rag will have millions more readers than BRF and this disinformation will obviously lead to more Indians cursing DRDO, saying this project is a failure, yada yada and lamenting about tax rupees being wasted.

Worse things will happen. When the LCA is inducted into the IAF and deployed in numbers, the confidence of the people in our country's air force will reduce because they have been told for years by the media that the LCA sucks!

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 03 Feb 2010 06:09

Why not send a rejoinder from Team BR?

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Feb 2010 06:23

Venu wrote:
krishnan wrote:They did away with the orange cap
No. The plane just returned from a sortie and jettisoned its drag chute. Observe the hollow in place of the 'orange'

The cap remains attached to the chute nowadays...

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 03 Feb 2010 06:35

Kartik wrote: sigh..its useless. This ghatiya rag will have millions more readers than BRF and this disinformation will obviously lead to more Indians cursing DRDO, saying this project is a failure, yada yada and lamenting about tax rupees being wasted.

K dawg, update on the LCA book that you are reading... Dying for some synopsis here..
TIA

sanjaychoudhry · Post by **sanjaychoudhry** » 03 Feb 2010 07:31

A report in today's Deccan Herald says a Tejas with MMR fitted is to fly later this month.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 03 Feb 2010 08:09

Venu wrote:
krishnan wrote:They did away with the orange cap
No. The plane just returned from a sortie and jettisoned its drag chute. Observe the hollow in place of the 'orange'

I dont see it even when its in the air. Or are my eyes getting old?

karan_mc · Post by **karan_mc** » 03 Feb 2010 09:21

sanjaychoudhry wrote:A report in today's Deccan Herald says a Tejas with MMR fitted is to fly later this month.

LSP-3 ? online edition or print edition ? my local news paper vendor keeps DH might grab one

rakall · Post by **rakall** » 03 Feb 2010 09:37

There is a scene in Transformers-1 (very early in the movie) where a marine is talking to his wife on webcam, sees his baby girl and says "honey.. we made one great looking kid"..

Thats what flashes in my mind whenever i see the LCA-Trainer. "We bloody kaffir yindoos managed to make one damny sexy looking plane"... it rivals any plane manufactured by anybody before in looks - mig29, Rambha everything..

Headlines today showed some footage of Tejas-tainer's display for Anotny last night during a program on their rant about "grounding of HPT-32's and unavailabitlity of trainers"... Damn.. it looks even nicer when it is flying.. looks as if - they chopped an LCA right behind the nose & attached an IJT front to it.. (like they did to Lord Ganesha).

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 03 Feb 2010 09:39

I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs but a fighter???

I like the name, don't knock it.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 03 Feb 2010 10:13

Neshant wrote:
I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs but a fighter???
I like the name, don't knock it.

Neshant saar,

Me too.

But, err ........ whatever happened to Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution which says that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Feb 2010 10:34

the trainer looks like friendly baby elephant.

I like the side on landing view of the single seater. maybe its just me, but
it looks good as a lone wolf.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 03 Feb 2010 10:43

I can see Tejas fitting it if we were selling light bulbs but a fighter???

Well I am tempted to start my response to this by saying "With respect.." - but there is only so much respect you can give such a statement.

The relationship between the word "Tejas" and "light", is the same as the relationship between the words "fragrance" and "odor". Or the difference betwen Arjun and "quarrelsome". Reminds me of the photo of the rear end of a cow in the papers a few days ago. It was being watched because the cow had been unable to see the difference between a gold chain and some hay.

andy B · Post by **andy B** » 03 Feb 2010 10:45

chetak wrote:
Neshant saar,

Me too.

But, err ........ whatever happened to Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution which says that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression?

Saarji we have taken a page out of our most esteemed taller than mountain respected neighbours from ze east and applied it

sanjaychoudhry · Post by **sanjaychoudhry** » 03 Feb 2010 11:01

karan_mc wrote:
sanjaychoudhry wrote:A report in today's Deccan Herald says a Tejas with MMR fitted is to fly later this month.
LSP-3 ? online edition or print edition ? my local news paper vendor keeps DH might grab one

Print edition.

wig · Post by **wig** » 03 Feb 2010 11:18

nachiket wrote:
Kartik wrote: sigh..its useless. This ghatiya rag will have millions more readers than BRF and this disinformation will obviously lead to more Indians cursing DRDO, saying this project is a failure, yada yada and lamenting about tax rupees being wasted.

Worse things will happen. When the LCA is inducted into the IAF and deployed in numbers, the confidence of the people in our country's air force will reduce because they have been told for years by the media that the LCA sucks!

and, unlike henry ford and model T which was bought and used by the men who worked in the ford factory then; none of the DRDO wallahs use TEJAS to fly to office or go to meet their in laws during vacations or zoom to parent teacher meetings at the kids school. Good old TEJAS will be used only by the IAF (state sponsored -state actors) for dropping in on unscheduled visits on some nice neighbours to settle, well; unfinished business!

Venu · Post by **Venu** » 03 Feb 2010 11:30

This birdie has not yet been inducted and you are already drawing scenarios of it crossing the border..eh?

Wig, I wanna chiggy wiggy with you boy.

Arun KS · Post by **Arun KS** » 03 Feb 2010 13:01

nice snaps..looks better than than the white one

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 03 Feb 2010 13:38

Twitter noise: Vikram Sood and Smitaprakash (Editor,News. Asian News International)

LCA project to get 8000 crores more. LCA project began when the Panchatantras were written,maybe.