Successful maiden flight for Tejas LSP-1

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 cruising on supersonic speed in the maiden flight itself.

The aircraft, which took off around 1400 hrs yesterday, 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, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) said in release today. All the systems of the aircraft functioned normally.

The flight covered upto an altitude of 11 km. It was followed by Technology Demonstrator-2 (TD-2) of Tejas, as was customary for a maiden flight to be accompanied by another.

In all, five Tejas aircrafts were flight-tested by the ADA 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 TD-1 taking to the skies.

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

On December one, 2006, the PV-3 flew for the first time for 27 minutes at an altitude of 2.5 km 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 the PV-3 was equipped with a more advanced pilot interface, refined avionics and higher control law capabilities compared with the previous versions.

The Ministry of Defence 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