First LSP of Tejas flies

Bangalore, Apr 26 (UNI) The first Limited Series Production (LSP-1) of the indigenously developed multirole light combat Aircraft Tejas successfully took to the skies on Wednesday cruising on supersonic speed in the maiden flight itself.

The aircraft which took off around 1400 hrs had a 47 minute flight in which it flew at mach 1.1. Gp Capt A P Singh, a test pilot attached to the Aircraft Systems and Training Establishment flew the aircraft and ADA in a release said that all the systems of the aircraft functioned normally. The flight covered upto an altitude of 11 km. It was chased by TD-2 as was customary for a maiden flight to be pursued by another.

In all five Tejas aircraft were currently being flight tested by the Aeronautical Development Agency and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Together these five aircraft have completed 658 test flights (TD1:207, TD2:255, PV1:133, PV2:28,PV3:34,LSP1:1). Tejas made its maiden flight on January four 2001, with the Technology demonstrator one took to the skies.

On 13 May 2006 the PV-2 went supersonic for the first time and on 14 May 2006 it did so again, but this time in a weaponised state (i.e., carrying a load of weapons such as missiles and an internal gun).

On 1 December 2006, the PV-3 flew for the first time for 27 minutes at an altitude of 2.5 km and at a speed of Mach 0.8.

According to LCA Programme Director P S Subramanyam, this flight-test was meant for "product enhancement" and clearing the Indian Air Force's Initial Operational Clearance envelope. He said that the PV-3 was equipped with a more advanced pilot interface, refined avionics and higher control law capabilities compared with the previous versions.

The Defence Ministry expected the Tejas to achieve Initial Operational Clearance by the middle of next year with delivery of half a squadron, followed by clearance for Final Operational Clearance by the end of 2010.

UNI