SKY TEST: Tejas LSP-7 all set for first flight; fuel leak plugged, user trials soon

Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

BANGALORE: Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots will officially get a taste of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas with the 12th aircraft from the project flight-line and the seventh from the limited series production (LSP-7) block set to kiss the skies soon. Sources told Express that the crucial engine ground run (EGR) was over and the fighter was now being put on low-speed taxi trials (LSTT). “We will do the LSTT before October 24 and the high-speed taxi trials (HSTT) after that. Finally, we will do the nose-up trial leading to the first flight,” sources said. The aircraft is expected to do the LSTT at 150 kmph and the HSTT at 250 kmph.

Though the LSP-7 was scheduled to fly in August, the project hit an air pocket when fuel leak was noticed in one of the aircraft during taxiing. “We had to ground the entire Tejas fleet as safety was our top-most priority. We lost the months of May, June, July and August with not much of testing happening,” sources said.

(Full story in Expressbuzz)

Alert: LSP-5 cleared for flight

The fifth platform from Tejas LSP block (LSP-5) will kiss the sky any time now. Team Tejas seems to have sorted out major issues and the flight might take place any time now, weather-permitting.  "The flight is expected any moment. We are closing in on," says a source.
The flight readiness review board is said to have given the go-ahead on November 11, barring some test-points. "All we need is a clear sky," says the official.
Meanwhile, the LSP-5 had yet another high-speed taxi trials (HSTT) on Friday (Nov 12) at Old Bangalore airport. "The trials might continue for Saturday and Sunday too," the official said.
More updates soon.

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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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CEMILAC set to complete Tejas' certification by Dec 27; it will signal the start of a key phase, ADA chief P.S. tells BDAJF

| By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |

Bangalore |  India | September 14, 2010 |

India has set a Dec. 27 deadline to complete the certification process for its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)

According to P.S. Subramanyam, director for combat aircraft at the Aeronautical Development Agency, the deadline was set to make sure Tejas enters its much-awaited initial operational clearance phase. The certification process is monitored by the Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification.

“We are at it, and close to 400 scientists and engineers are currently working on the certification program,” he says. “We need to consolidate all that we have done in the last 20 years and put it to the scrutiny of the certification agency. We have set ourselves a target to complete the certification process and December 27 will be a significant day for India’s military aviation program.”

Subramanyam spoke before a select group of defense correspondents during the official logo launch of the Bangalore Defense and Aerospace Journalists’ Forum.

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Tejas Test pilots from NFTC capture modern philosophies of IAF's frontline squadrons; all efforts to give Tejas the best pilot-vehicle interface, says ADA boss P.S.

By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |

Bangalore | India | August 27, 2010

Test pilots from India’s National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), a crucial unit aiding the development of India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), are on a mission to familiarize themselves with the modern philosophies of Indian Air Force (IAF) squadrons. This, they feel, will benefit the LCA project, which is nearing its initial operational clearance (IOC) phase.

Program director for combat aircraft and Aeronautical Development Agency Director P.S. Subramanyam tells AVIATION WEEK that the NFTC team should gain enough expertise from the current mission to give Tejas the best pilot-vehicle interface.

“Our pilots and other experts from NFTC are trying to consolidate from all the available aircraft so as to make Tejas the best flying platform,” Subramanyam says.

“The current familiarization mission will give the test pilots the feel of the latest technologies in some of the frontline aircraft,” an IAF official says. “Tejas will have to eventually fly along with Su-30 MKIs, Mirages and the MiG 29s. The team will update themselves with the latest philosophies and compatibility in a combat environment.”

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