Newsflash: Kaveri engine successfully test flown!

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 04 Nov 2010 08:15

The Kaveri has successfully been tested on its flying test bed in Russia.

History of sorts has been made because this is the first time an Indian engine has powered any aircraft and marks the beginning of a new era.

An early Happy Diwali folks.

Raveen · Post by **Raveen** » 04 Nov 2010 08:19

Link please sir, or is thie chai wala news with ladoo?

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 04 Nov 2010 08:21

I thought, it has flown before, but it had vibration issues.

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 04 Nov 2010 08:27

Great news this! Can't wait to get the details!

CM.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 04 Nov 2010 08:28

Raveen wrote:Link please sir, or is thie chai wala news with ladoo?

No link yet. "A little birdie". A reliable birdie. But it will appear in the news in due course.

Raveen · Post by **Raveen** » 04 Nov 2010 08:30

shiv wrote:
Raveen wrote:Link please sir, or is thie chai wala news with ladoo?
No link yet. "A little birdie". A reliable birdie. But it will appear in the news in due course.

Ghee Shakkar in order sir!
Good job on getting hold of the reliable lil birdie

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 04 Nov 2010 08:31

So what's the difference between this flight and the earlier flight. Unless this the very first flight ?

Raveen · Post by **Raveen** » 04 Nov 2010 08:33

Cybaru wrote:So what's the difference between this flight and the earlier flight. Unless this the very first flight ?

Success and failure?

Santosh · Post by **Santosh** » 04 Nov 2010 08:38

This is awesome news, eagerly awaiting details. Kaveri is up in the air, Tejas IOC in Dec 2010 and Tejas wing has been certified by the BR phorum

, Tejas program is firing on all cylinders. Happy Diwali.

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 04 Nov 2010 08:39

shiv wrote:
Raveen wrote:Link please sir, or is thie chai wala news with ladoo?
No link yet. "A little birdie". A reliable birdie. But it will appear in the news in due course.

A little birdie flying on the lawns of your famous golf course, I presume.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 04 Nov 2010 08:46

Cybaru wrote:So what's the difference between this flight and the earlier flight. Unless this the very first flight ?

This is the first flight and it was termed "successful"

One comment related to this is that having our own engine - assuming it continues to perform well as it did over the remaining series of tests means that it puts India is a totally new and much stronger footing in this world of extortionate and small clique of engine manufacturers.

Obviously the engine works and is able to fly. There may still be a long road ahead but the light at the end of the tunnel has been spotted.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 04 Nov 2010 08:51

Great News Shiv saar! Finally!!! Great work GTRE. Hats off for taking our abuse and continuing to work hard.

koti · Post by **koti** » 04 Nov 2010 09:07

Great news sir.

It seems for the first time GTRE will be getting some pats from BR folks.

astal · Post by **astal** » 04 Nov 2010 09:15

BRF and GTRE are on the same team! (Infact we are armchair designers or critics, while they walk the talk.) The forum laments their failures and rejoices at their successes. Unfortunately since engine design is a complex and closely guarded endeavour, successes are much harder to come by. Anyway step one complete.

Congratulations for an important milestone! I wish them luck for the challenges ahead.

nrshah · Post by **nrshah** » 04 Nov 2010 09:19

Great news... Finally a word of congrats to GTRE and thanks to all those associated for making this nation stronger....

Adds a new option to BR JINGO VIMAN

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 04 Nov 2010 09:24

The day is as great as teh day the LCA was first flown.

WOW.........................

Willy · Post by **Willy** » 04 Nov 2010 09:37

India needs to have this engine power an aircraft. An AJT to start with would be great even if not the LCA immediately.

negi · Post by **negi** » 04 Nov 2010 09:37

Pah we always dance with lungi, this is time to dance nekkid.

Shiv garu so when are we getting a Kaveri's weight of barfis or 'mysore-paak' ?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 04 Nov 2010 09:40

Vallah this is as good as it gets , Does this mean the Kaveri is now flight qualified to fly with Tejas ?

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 04 Nov 2010 09:42

Delighting News.

IIRC this is the first test flight with the kaveri actually replacing one of the plane's engines (and thus powering it), while earlier tests were with the Il running on it's own engines with this engine running while attached to a special fitment.

Could someone confirm the thrust ratings of this engine.

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 04 Nov 2010 09:49

Great news! Guess it was on the IL-76 flying test bed?

Willy · Post by **Willy** » 04 Nov 2010 09:50

From a long term perspective GTRE needs a flying testbed of its own.

Actually the IAF was right in opposing the GTRE-Snecma tieup saying tht GTRE wouldn't learn anything from Snecma.One's on efforts in the long run will be more benificial

vina · Post by **vina** » 04 Nov 2010 09:55

As usual , I swoop in to "grab the credit" as I was the first guy to speculate that the GTRE folks had a working engine and even crossed swords with the Grand Mullah Al Enqyoob-ud-din-e-Gas-Turbine on this.

Subanallah!.

vina · Post by **vina** » 04 Nov 2010 10:03

Ah.. Now , lets wait. Soon Shiv Aroor will post a "scoop"/"first" that the Kaveri has flown and the the other Jarnailists will follow.

neerajb · Post by **neerajb** » 04 Nov 2010 10:04

Shiv saar great news! Did the birdie give any info about which version was tested K9/K10 ityaadi (already lots of confusion on this one) or was it Snecma/GTRE one?

Cheers....

Marut · Post by **Marut** » 04 Nov 2010 10:08

Finally after years & years of blood, sweat & tears, our baby has been successfully tested on its own steam

Hats off to GTRE folks for persevering when everyone pretty much gave up on them. All the tapasya has borne fruit now.

May this Diwali bring more light and shine for our Kaveri!

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 04 Nov 2010 10:10

Nice! Now it's time to make some materials engineers offers they cannot refuse.

disha · Post by **disha** » 04 Nov 2010 10:13

shiv wrote:
Raveen wrote:Link please sir, or is thie chai wala news with ladoo?
No link yet. "A little birdie". A reliable birdie. But it will appear in the news in due course.

Congrats GTRE. We can now have a Chota-LCA or Chota-NLCA to train the LCA pilot wannabes!!

BTW Saar, when you heard the news what did you do to the little birdie!

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 04 Nov 2010 10:21

Wonderful, most excellent, sadhu, sadhu....

yes yes yes...

Cybaru · Post by **Cybaru** » 04 Nov 2010 11:11

shiv wrote:
Cybaru wrote:So what's the difference between this flight and the earlier flight. Unless this the very first flight ?
This is the first flight and it was termed "successful"

One comment related to this is that having our own engine - assuming it continues to perform well as it did over the remaining series of tests means that it puts India is a totally new and much stronger footing in this world of extortionate and small clique of engine manufacturers.

Obviously the engine works and is able to fly. There may still be a long road ahead but the light at the end of the tunnel has been spotted.

Thanks for clarifying and sharing. Although, I am still confused, I am happy to hear something significant happened and it will probably clear up in a bit. Congrats all around!

Udayan pathak · Post by **Udayan pathak** » 04 Nov 2010 11:23

http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2010/11/b ... -gift.html

Barely a month after the DRDO announced that the Tejas Mk-11 will powered by GE-414 power plant, there's some good news for the devotees of desi defence products. The Kaveri engine has finally passed the critical tests onboard IL-76 in Russia on November 3 crossing a major hurdle towards certification.

Russian sources confirmed to Tarmak007 late on Wednesday night that the tests results were extremely positive. "This is a huge sigh of relief for the Indian side as the platform had its share of problems earlier. We are waiting for the final trial parameters, but I can confirm to you that the Indian engine has finally proved all necessary test points. It's a huge technologocal breakthrough for India," a source tells.

DRDO officials are tight-lipped about the development and didn't want to comment on the historic achievement on the even of Diwali. A formal announcement is expected to be out today/soon/any moment from Delhi.

The Indian government had earlier this August had announced in Parliament that the Kaveri engine testing under simulated altitude and forward speed conditions were completed successfully in February 2010. “The Kaveri has been integrated with an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute in Moscow for ground and flight tests. The engine tests under simulated altitude and forward speed conditions conducted in February 2010 [were] successful. Another engine has been integrated with IL-76 aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute, Moscow for ground and flight test which is expected to complete by October 2010. These two major milestones would make the engine certified for flight operations," Defense Minister A.K. Antony had told the Upper House of the Parliament on August 25, 2010. He had also even spelt out the reasons for the delay, then.

Finally, GTRE scientists and engineers couldn't have asked for a better Diwali gift, considering the non-stop battering they received from all corners, for the inordinate delay in developing Kaveri for Tejas.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 04 Nov 2010 11:47

Well let me ask the first serious question on this thread.

How many more hours of flight testing will it need before it is certified for regular operations.

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 04 Nov 2010 12:32

Pratyush wrote:Well let me ask the first serious question on this thread.

How many more hours of flight testing will it need before it is certified for regular operations.

Once it finishes the IL-76 test (30 - 100 hours or so, depending upon the results), then it can be integrated into Tejas models. But, it has not undergone those many hours. Thats why folks are mum.

shanksinha · Post by **shanksinha** » 04 Nov 2010 12:41

This is a significant moment in Indian Aviation history, we now have our very own Rolls Royce Nene to build upon and only great things can follow. More power to GTRE boffins and thanks to the Gromov Flight Institute guys.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 04 Nov 2010 12:42

Willy · Post by **Willy** » 04 Nov 2010 12:59

So does this have the single crystal's over which there was so much hoopla about???????

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Nov 2010 13:08

If accurate,then it is a great achievement.Congrats to all conmcerned.Earlier tests in past years were failures.However,what experts would wish is that such engine test-beds and supporting infrastructure are set up in India,specifically at HAL B'Lore,so that engine development can be faster.They would like to see the engines tested in an Indian environment (dust storms et al) which differs markedly from those in Russia.As many have said this is just the first step.There is a long regime of testing ahead ,integrated with an LCA prototype before we can safely assume that we have finally developed our own engine fit to be mass produced for combat aircraft.The development of the marine version must also be taken up simultaneously,as here is an opportunity where standardisation of engines can have a huge cost-effective benefit.A variety of surface vessels can use the engine from fast missile craft to destroyers and frigates,replacing the GE engines being used.

Gaur · Post by **Gaur** » 04 Nov 2010 14:00

Wow! This is the most exciting news. Going for a lungi dance now.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 04 Nov 2010 14:24

Congratulations GTRE!

I'd absolutely love to see a photo of the Kaveri slung under the IL76 wing. A photo of the Kaveri in flight would be poster material

Congrats again, GTRE.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 04 Nov 2010 14:48

Yes..... finally.