The maiden flight of the second LCA Technology Demonstrator (TD-2) aircraft KH 2002 occurred at 1145 hours on June 6, 2002. The flight was successful and met all the test parameters set for the flight. The flight lasted 30 minutes.
This is a significant milestone in LCA Programme at ADA and HAL and marks the entry of second aircraft into the Flight Test Programme. The aircraft was piloted by Wg Cdr Tarun Banerjee of the National Flight Test Centre, ADA headed by Air Cmde A K Nagalia. The flight was witnessed by Hon. Defence Minister George Fernandes, Minister of State for Defence Mr. U.V. Krishnamraju, Dr V K Aatre, SA to RM, Mr N R
Mohanty, Chairman, HAL, Dr Kota Harinarayana, LCA Programme Director, Air Marshal (Retd) P Rajkumar, PVSM, AVSM, VM, Director ADA, Mr. A.K. Saxena, MD(BC), HAL, Mr Yogesh Kumar, Executive Director (Design), HAL, AOC-in-C, Training Command Air Marshal T J Master, PVSM, AVSM, and many other dignitaries from the Defence R&D, Industry and Services. |
LCA TD-2 flight is a proud moment for the entire Aeronautical community from ADA, HAL,
DRDO, NAL, CEMILAC, DG-AQA, Academic Institutions, R & D Laboratories and also for many public and private sector industries who participated in LCA programme. This aircraft is instrumented for extensive flight testing to generate design validation data beginning this week.LCA TD1 which had completed its first block of flight in June 2001 is prepared to fly with advanced flight controls software as well as extended range of flight endurance. This will
join LCA TD2 in the flight test shortly. The third LCA aircraft PV1 with all composites structure is in final stages of system integration tests at Aircraft Research & Design Center, HAL and will join LCA TD1 and TD2 in flight testing by the end of this year. |
