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LCA finally flies at air show

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

Allaying fears of uncertainty, the Light Combat Aircraft, India's latest pride in military aviation, flew at the Aero India 2001 air show on Friday afternoon.

Taking off majestically from the HAL defence strip around 15:12 hours IST, with a clear blue sky, the green-nosed white prototype multi-role aircraft made a grand appearance within a minute at the aero show at the Yelahanka air force station, 20 nautical miles away.

Aeronautical Development Agency programme director Kota Harinarayana told rediff.com minutes after the display that the first technology demonstrator of the LCA, flown by Wing Commander Rajiv Kotiyal, flew at about 500 km speed at a height of 1-1.5 mile.

"As it was meant to be a demo, no tests were conducted. To make a mark at the aero show and demonstrate India's capability in the most-advanced aerospace technology to visiting dignitaries, we had decided to make the LCA fly for the fourth time in a month. It should be one of its kind, as such flights normally do not take off during international aero shows, be it at Farnbourgh in the UK or Le Bouget in France," Harinarayana claimed.

Amid expectation and excitement among thousands of spectators, the sudden appearance of the LCA drew thunderous applause.

There was a sigh of relief among the organisers, as they were at the receiving end from disappointed crowds as the LCA failed to take off on the inaugural day due to a technical snag.

Later, Dr V K Athre, scientific adviser to the defence minister, refuted reports that the LCA had only 30 per cent indigenisation, when officially declared by the project team of having achieved 70 per cent localisation with only critical components such as avionics and radars being sourced from the United States, France, Israel, and Sweden.

EARLIER REPORT
Air show takes off, but not LCA

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