HAL Kiran
The HAL HJT -16 Kiran is a two-seat trainer aircraft of the Indian manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics.
History and construction
The Kiran is a einstrahliges trainer aircraft with two adjacent seats and is used by the Indian armed forces as a jet trainer. The first aircraft, powered by a Rolls- Royce Viper Mk 11 jet engine, was launched on September 4, 1964 for its first flight. The first series - Kiran Mk I - was delivered to the Indian Air Force from March 1968. Later machines were equipped with four suspension points under the wings to also perform weapons training and may have been referred to as Kiran Mk IA. An improved version, powered by a Bristol Siddeley Orpheus engine and improved weapons carrying capacity, was the Kiran Mk II you first flew on 30 July 1976, and was delivered from 1985 to 1989 (61 pieces).
Versions
Use
- Indian Air Force
- Indian Navy