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Wing Commander Tarun Bannerjee, who flew the experimental multi-role supersonic aircraft for 30 minutes, carried out a series of mandated tests cruising at a speed of 600 mph and covering a distance of 80 km.
Escort aircraft Mirage 2000 and Mig 21 took to the skies 10 minutes before the LCA-TD2 took off in clear weather at 11:50 hrs.
Defence Minister George Fernandes, his scientific advisor V K Atre, LCA program Director Kota Harinarayana, and several defence scientists, experts, and air force officials witnessed the demonstration from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport.
To facilitate the smooth conduct of the flight, Bangalore's airspace was blocked for an hour and the schedule of civilian flights was altered.
"It's a landmark day for the Indian aviation industry. The second success of the LCA test-flight demonstrates that India has arrived in the global defence aviation industry. We can only go forward now without any hesitation," Fernandes said after the event.
Soon after the aircraft returned to the base, Fernandes rang up Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to inform him of the successful flight. "The prime minister was thrilled to hear the exciting news and asked me to congratulate the entire team involved...," he added.
"The successive tests of the LCA's first two technology prove that India can proudly claim, without the fear of being contradicted, [that] our capabilities are a force to reckon with... a fitting reply to those inimical forces which were keen that India should not be allowed to progress in this area," Fernandes said.
The LCA-TD2 will undergo another 25 test-flights in the coming months.
"There will be many more steps to be taken. The first prototype of the LCA is on the anvil. The second one is in the making. The project has the full backing of the government and support from all political parties," Atre stated.
According to Harinarayana, the TD2 has incorporated several improvements over the TD1, moving closer to production standard.
"This test-flight is also a step towards preparing the LCA as an effective weapons platform. The extensive flight data on LCA-TD1 has been used by the designers to enhance the system performance and prepare the aircraft for flight envelope expansion," Harinarayana affirmed.
The 41-year-old Bannerjee was at his modest after testing the aircraft. "I am only at the glamour end of this whole program. It's all the contribution of our scientists, engineers, shop floor workers, and the whole team," he said.
"The flight was uneventful and went off exactly as we had planned and similar to what we had practised in the simulator. I am truly lucky to fly the LCA as such an experience is one of the aspirations of every experimental test-pilot...," Bannerjee told rediff.com
Bannerjee said he had about 3,000 hours of flying experience in all types of multi-role and fighter aircraft.
The takeoff and landing were perfect. Though the aircraft had certain speed limits, the pilot was able to reach a speed of 600 kph in the beginning itself.
The LCA-TD2 boasts of an indigenous Head-Up-Display, which replaced the imported one used in the earlier version. The new HUD, developed by the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation at Chandigarh, has a larger field of view, three times the brightness, higher redundancy, and is virtually noiseless since the design does not call for a cooling fan.
The TD2 has also been upgraded with the latest avionics, including an indigenous integrated communication system, developed by HAL's Hyderabad division. It is also a second-generation software-based system with significant reduction in weight, volume, and improved system of performance and reliability.
"The LCA is the smallest light-weight multi-role supersonic fighter in the world in its class. The LCA program has the twin objectives of developing an indigenous new generation frontline fighter of world class to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force in the 21st century by replacing the aging MiG series of aircraft, and creating a technology base in the country for advanced aircraft development," Atre asserted.
The LCA Project: The Complete Coverage
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