Tracking the Tejas: LSP-5 gearing-up for first flight; lit cockpit for night flying & new com set onboard; will fly on autopilot mode for first time

LCA LSP-4 during the June 2, 2010 maiden flight. LSP-5 is now gearing up for first flight. Photo: DRDO
| By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |

Bangalore |  India | October 28, 2010 |

India’s fifth limited-series production (LSP-5) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is ready for its first flight.

Indian sources confirm to AVIATION WEEK that a flight readiness review meeting was held recently and the LSP-5 will fly “soon,” weather permitting. LSP-4 had its first flight in June. 

“Two more high-speed taxi trials are remaining and after that we will be ready for the first flight,” says a senior official associated with the program. “It will have internal cockpit lighting for enabling night flying, with all corrections being done. We are also testing a new communication set, similar to that on the Dhruv chopper. This would again ensure commonality of inventory in the country.”

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