The prestigious light combat aircraft (LCA) project, expected to give the Indian Air Force an indigenous edge, will soon go designer. The Aeronautics Development Agency (ADA), Bangalore, working on the aircraft has tied up with the National Institute of Design (NID), to bring in the
elements of ergonomics and modular design. With the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed recently, the aim is to help build the aircraft in such a manner that it has more standardised units or dimensions allowing increased flexibility. This is one of the few long-term MoUs that the institute has signed as it will be valid for seven years. Sources suggest this is part of ADA's efforts to make the aircraft commercial and put it up on the international design market. ''Until now, only avionics experts, aviation medicine professionals, engineers and senior pilots were involved in the project,'' says Dr S Ghosal, director NID's new Bangalore centre who will lead the team of designers, including diploma students, faculty and contracted alumni.
''Now they want professionals from the point of view of human factor and design.'' As the entire LCA project has been promoted as being indigenous, one of NID's responsibilities will be to make all the components 'manufacturable'. Thanks : TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2002] |
