Indigenous software for LCA proves good

India's light combat aircraft has passed with flying colours a "vital stage" of its developmental process after a indigenously-developed software, the "control law", was tried on an US Air Force F-16 warplane, defence sources said.

The F-16 , like the LCA, is placed in the "unstable" category, which means that manoeuvrability improves at the cost of stability. The new software keeps the aircraft free from pilot-induced oscillation by correcting pitch, roll and yaw on a real-time basis, the sources said. They also said more LCA systems were being developed and tested on system rigs.

The sources said the first LCA, 'TD1' (Technology Demonstrator-1), which rolled out in November 1995, was undergoing aircraft-level integration tests in phases. All the aircraft's systems are to be tested individually and, later, together.

The front, centre and rear structural subassemblies of the second aircraft, 'TD2', have been completed and the coupling of the fuselage is in progress, the sources said, adding that the fuselage and wings will be soon ready.

Meanwhile, the standing committee on defence, in its latest report, said that though the committee was generally satisfied with the steps taken to induct the LCA by 2003 -- two years ahead of schedule, it wanted the first phase of LCA development and flight testing finished during 1997-98 because further delay could delay induction in 2003.