LCA News and Discussions

Vikram W · Post by **Vikram W** » 31 Aug 2011 18:34

august came
and august went
alas

sumits · Post by **sumits** » 31 Aug 2011 18:49

suryag wrote:As if the current set of problems that the LCA program were not enough now this
LCA tejas parts go missing

INDIA's effort at building an indigenous TRAINER for the air force has hit numerous air pockets...

What's up with that??

gakakkad · Post by **gakakkad** » 31 Aug 2011 19:01

^^^ Looks like a chinese LCA is on its way

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 31 Aug 2011 19:13

ah, so something got lost in heathrow airport and that too is HAL/DRDO's fault ?
our lifafa journalists waste no opportunity to dump on the LCA.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 31 Aug 2011 20:03

Rahul M wrote:ah, so something got lost in heathrow airport and that too is HAL/DRDO's fault ?
our lifafa journalists waste no opportunity to dump on the LCA.

This is a complete avoidance of acknowledgement of security lapses at Heathrow Airport. How terrible it can be, oh my, the very busy heathrow airport!

Next time, please let cargo come through direct flight from USA to India(fairly known), no Heathrow withdthrow please, anyone listening? That will also help in de-congestion at the busy airport.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 31 Aug 2011 21:02

actuators for flight controls are being imported!!!??

chiru · Post by **chiru** » 31 Aug 2011 21:17

SaiK wrote:actuators for flight controls are being imported!!!??

SaiK saar unkil is the supplier for the actuators of flight controls

... I cannot recall the manufacturer though

negi · Post by **negi** » 31 Aug 2011 21:32

Article says stuff being transported worth 2.5 crore INR or more need to be insured; sounds absurd to me moreover the more I read about this military import-export business my earlier impressions of it being the most shady and the one with highest profit margins get stronger; I mean today if you buy a personal artifact online worth say around 1000USD or above the supplier ensures the package before sending it via UPS/Fedex . One would have thought there would be even more stringent controls in place for a sensitive and costly item in question. How is that otherwise nosy Unkil who often gets it's knickers in a twist about sensitive stuff falling into hands of terrorists did not enquire about a lost shipment? This is no 26” suitcase which gets misplaced between connecting flights.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 31 Aug 2011 21:55

IIRC the actuators are from MOOG

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 31 Aug 2011 22:06

it should be insured.. anyways..

I thought moog actuators were long back replaced by desi ones. moog once had their office at cunningham rd (near the famous pyt college/ot)...so sounds like they are still in business.

if it is lost in transit, it is moog's responsibility.

===

PS:

http://www.ada.gov.in/ifcs.htm Furthermore, the activities include the indigenous development of actuators , sensors, digital flight control computer, ground support equipment among others for the LCA.

Gurneesh · Post by **Gurneesh** » 31 Aug 2011 22:31

Generally when the seller takes shipping charges, the health of shipped items is seller's responsibility. How that responsibility is shared amongst seller and shipper is also seller's headache. Insurance is also sellers problem (They just include the charges in shipping costs). So, the customer is not responsible until he/she signs the delivery acceptance form (which states that the items are in good health).

One would also assume that such items would come via cargo planes (generally flown by fedex or dhl) instead of coming via a BA flight.

The only possible reason could be that some one at purchasing tried to act smart and chose a cheaper (but unreliable) option of shipping instead of going by what seller proposed. In that case, the seller would have no responsibility after it gives the items to the customer appointed shipper.

Or maybe some one thought of making quick bucks and the 15th consignment wasn't actually ordered (i guess it is pretty difficult to lose a 3 ton cargo into thin air).

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 01 Sep 2011 07:55

there are organized gangs at major intl airports stealing high value goods.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 01 Sep 2011 07:57

this one must have been funded by chippanda with paki gangs.

team LCA, must ask moog to meet the shipment deadline, by sending a new batch while they could wait for the investigations and crime hunt.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 01 Sep 2011 08:19

lots of pakis in LHR staff.

Drishyaman · Post by **Drishyaman** » 01 Sep 2011 08:30

Gurneesh wrote:Or maybe some one thought of making quick bucks and the 15th consignment wasn't actually ordered (i guess it is pretty difficult to lose a 3 ton cargo into thin air).

May be you are right, may be it was just a paper consignment or may be we are smelling a rat in everything like the news media these days...

geeth · Post by **geeth** » 02 Sep 2011 10:23

About the missing parts :

a) It is a case which is 3 years old. Things have moved on since then.
b) If, as mentioned in the report, the missing parts are the actuators (which are imported), where is the question of security breach? Technologically, there is no loss, since it is not Indian technology. How can Indian intelligence chase cargoes moving all around the world? Even if the keep a close tag, they can only find out at what point it went missing. In this case they know where it went missing.
c) Ever since the programme started, DRDO was using imported actuators. They have developed indigenous technology for actuators and a facility is already in operation at Hyderabad to cater for LCA and other programme needs. They have also started exporting actuators to other countries.

tejas · Post by **tejas** » 02 Sep 2011 10:38

Never even heard about actuators till they were sanctioned back in 1998. Then I looked into them. Quite complicated little contraptions they are! Moog is the world leader and are not far from me in Buffalo, NY. That DRDO was able to indigenize these highly complex items is another unsung kudo of the LCA program.

rajanb · Post by **rajanb** » 02 Sep 2011 12:06

geeth wrote:About the missing parts :

a) It is a case which is 3 years old. Things have moved on since then.
b) If, as mentioned in the report, the missing parts are the actuators (which are imported), where is the question of security breach? Technologically, there is no loss, since it is not Indian technology. How can Indian intelligence chase cargoes moving all around the world? Even if the keep a close tag, they can only find out at what point it went missing. In this case they know where it went missing.
c) Ever since the programme started, DRDO was using imported actuators. They have developed indigenous technology for actuators and a facility is already in operation at Hyderabad to cater for LCA and other programme needs. They have also started exporting actuators to other countries.

Phew Geeth. Thanks for the reality check, mate.

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 02 Sep 2011 12:15

From MOOG website:

http://www.moog.com/products/actuators- ... t-control/

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 02 Sep 2011 15:43

++1 geeth.

AdityaEngineer · Post by **AdityaEngineer** » 02 Sep 2011 20:05

I didnot know my contacts with many profs. Would allow me to go the HAL ,Nashik Plant. Wow! In Dec this year.BTW whats the news on AOA of Tejas?

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 02 Sep 2011 22:27

geeth wrote:About the missing parts :

c) Ever since the programme started, DRDO was using imported actuators. They have developed indigenous technology for actuators and a facility is already in operation at Hyderabad to cater for LCA and other programme needs. They have also started exporting actuators to other countries.

Source?

AFAIK, only the rudder actuator was under development (at an ISRO facility, not a DRDO one) with others slated for development after the rudder actuator development was completed successfully. No news after that.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 03 Sep 2011 08:32

Flight test update

LCA-Tejas has completed 1671 Test Flights successfully. (30-Aug-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-207,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

LCA-Tejas has completed 1670 Test Flights successfully. (25-Aug-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-206,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

I was going through the flight test numbers for the year of 2010

LCA-Tejas has completed 1520 Test Flights successfully. (10-Jan-2011).

(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-192,PV3-255,LSP1-60,LSP2-160,PV5-22,LSP3-24,LSP4-25,LSP5-2)

LCA-Tejas has completed 1272 Test Flights successfully. (07-Jan-10).

(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-238,PV2-129,PV3-190,LSP1-54,LSP2-122,PV5-1).
238th flight of Tejas PV1 occurred on 06rh Jan 10.
122nd flight of Tejas LSP2 occurred on 06rh Jan 10.

So we had 248 flights in the calendar year of 2010 but this year we flew 150 flights, of these 20-30 were AI2011 display flights makes me curious why we flew less despite having more aircraft

geeth · Post by **geeth** » 03 Sep 2011 09:25

>>>Source?

IIRC I read it in this forum only. Either in a DRDO News Letter or News clipping

Will · Post by **Will** » 03 Sep 2011 09:29

Has the radar been integrated yet?

karan_mc · Post by **karan_mc** » 03 Sep 2011 21:33

INS Hansa to set up Shore Based Test Facility for light combat aircraft.

venku_Raj · Post by **venku_Raj** » 07 Sep 2011 08:33

Light Combat Aircraft naval variant may take maiden flight in 2 months

the Limited Series Production (LSP-7 and LSP-8) and the naval variant of the aircraft, Naval Prototype-1 (NP-1) will take to the skies.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 07 Sep 2011 10:07

^^^ when is the question(august is gone and september is a week old)

Meanwhile Flight test update

LCA-Tejas has completed 1672 Test Flights successfully. (06-Sep-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-208,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

LCA-Tejas has completed 1671 Test Flights successfully. (30-Aug-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-207,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 07 Sep 2011 13:31

suryag wrote:^^^ when is the question(august is gone and september is a week old)

Meanwhile Flight test update

LCA-Tejas has completed 1672 Test Flights successfully. (06-Sep-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-208,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

LCA-Tejas has completed 1671 Test Flights successfully. (30-Aug-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-207,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

In 1 week the only flight is of PV-2 doing 1 flight

keshavchandra · Post by **keshavchandra** » 07 Sep 2011 16:28

some updates on NLCA, LSP-7,8. All will take fresh test flights in comming two months

idrw.org/?p=3875

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 07 Sep 2011 19:48

^^^ already posted above buddy, this statement that it will fly within the next three months is very similar to our ministers' statement ("we cannot be intimidated by terrorist acts") churned out with great regularity. I am tired of whining too

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Sep 2011 22:09

The Week latest issue has update on Kaveri Engine with Interviews , one of the Kaveri engine will fly with the LCA in limited flight envelop some time in 2013.

From the test conducted so far the Kaveri has achieved 70 Kn in reheat versus the required need for 80 kN and further thrust cannot be increased , Snecma-GTRE deal calls for engine with 90 Kn plus thrust it will replace the existing Mk1 engine once the life of existing engine is over it will be replaced by Snecma-GTRE engine. Project will take 5 - 7 years to complete and put to production , deal will be signed in a year.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 10 Sep 2011 22:13

I am thinking of a still lighter version of AJT trainer.. where the existing Kaveri 70kN could be used. There by, we could establish a product base.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 13 Sep 2011 11:57

Flight test update
LCA-Tejas has completed 1678 Test Flights successfully. (10-Sep-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-208,PV3-292,LSP1-67,LSP2-176,PV5-36,LSP3-43,LSP4-40,LSP5-36)

LCA-Tejas has completed 1672 Test Flights successfully. (06-Sep-2011).
(TD1-233,TD2-305,PV1-242,PV2-208,PV3-291,LSP1-67,LSP2-175,PV5-36,LSP3-42,LSP4-38,LSP5-35)

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 13 Sep 2011 12:14

SaiK wrote:I am thinking of a still lighter version of AJT trainer.. where the existing Kaveri 70kN could be used. There by, we could establish a product base.

I asked the same Q. I was told, let it fly first.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 14 Sep 2011 08:00

AMCA/Tejas updates

abhishek-nayak · Post by **abhishek-nayak** » 14 Sep 2011 08:23

suryag wrote:AMCA/Tejas updates

HAHA, as expected, delays and more delays.By the time AMCA takes it's first flight China would have inducted it's J20 fighter and by the time AMCA joins the airforce,US and China would be inducting 6th gen fighters.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 14 Sep 2011 08:27

abhishek-nayak wrote:
suryag wrote:AMCA/Tejas updates
HAHA, as expected, delays and more delays.By the time AMCA takes it's first flight China would have inducted it's J20 fighter and by the time AMCA joins the airforce,US and China would be inducting 6th gen fighters.

You mean India will still exist with all these weaknesses?

prithvi · Post by **prithvi** » 14 Sep 2011 11:52

shiv wrote: You mean India will still exist with all these weaknesses?

yes ... and you will continue to post these questions...

abhishek-nayak · Post by **abhishek-nayak** » 14 Sep 2011 13:14

You mean India will still exist with all these weaknesses?

I am not a pessimist but as a former HAL Trainee, all i can say is "GOD SAVE INDIA". My HAL instructor brilliantly described HAL as nothing but Russian brain,Russian technology and Indian labor