HAL Tejas

The HAL Tejas ( Sanskrit: तेजस् / i: " Bright " ), developed under the project name Light Combat Aircraft (LCA ) is a lightweight, fast supersonic multirole fighter of the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics.

History

The development of the intended to replace the MiG -21 aircraft began in 1983. The first flight of the equipped with a jet engine and with delta - wing aircraft took place on 4 January 2001. On 4 May 2003, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tejas as the name of the original Light Combat Aircraft (LCA ) called aircraft known, but in public is this original name still yet familiar. The development of the Marine variant is supported by EADS.

Equipment

It is equipped with a four-fold redundant fly-by- wire control system according to the HOTAS principle and modern avionics. These include night vision goggles, suitable multifunction displays in the cockpit (including three 5- inch screens ), FADEC for the engine, with laser gyro INS and pulse Doppler multi-mode radar. The lithium -aluminum alloys, carbon fiber (45 % of the structural weight) and titanium alloys built airplane is equipped with a Martin -Baker ejection seat.

Drive

Originally, the LCA should be from the Indian - are driven Kaveri engine - yet to be developed. After the Kaveri increasing problems during the development phase was told that could not be solved with the help of the French engine manufacturer SNECMA, HAL picked for the first 41 copies of the Tejas back to the proven General Electric F404 -GE- F2J3 and wrote the definitive engine from. The series designation of these machines is "Mark 1" ( Mk.1 ) The tender called for the delivery of finished engines as well as technology transfer and licensed production of the engine in India. Candidates were the Eurojet EJ200 and the General Electric F414 - now selected INS63, these machines are the Mk.2 series. The agreement was announced at the state visit of the U.S. President in India. It comprises a total of 99 (according to other sources 107) engines for 650 million U.S. dollars, with an option for 49 more. The first eight engines are supplied ready GE, the remaining 91 to be assembled from ready-made assembly kits in India.

The Eurojet consortium promoted so that the EJ200 is lighter than the competition engine, making no changes to the design of the Tejas would be necessary. Extent by the choice of F- 414, the LCA - program is now reflected by the expected redesigns, is not known.

Variants

Prototypes

Model name ( identifier ) - the date of the first flight.

Technologiedemonstator (TD)

• TD -1 ( KH2001 ) - January 4, 2001
• TD -2 ( KH2002 ) - June 6, 2002

Prototypes ( PV)

• PV-1 ( KH2003 ) - November 1, 2003
• PV -2 ( KH2004 ) - December 2, 2005
• PV -3 ( KH2005 ) - 2nd December 2006 - Production variant.
• PV -4 - first as a naval variant for aircraft carrier (INS Vikrant ) planned now term for second production variant.
• PV 5 - trainer variant ( two-seater )

Naval Prototypes ( NP):

• NP-1 - Navy version for aircraft carrier ( two-seater ) - April 27, 2012
• NP -2 - Marine variant for aircraft carrier (single seat )

Limited Series Production ( LSP) - Pre-Production

Currently eight LSP aircraft are ordered.

• LSP -1 ( KH2011 ) - April 25, 2007
• LSP -2 - First flight expected in late 2007.
• LSP -3 - version with multi- mode radar.
• LSP -4 to LSP -8 - scheduled for late 2008.

Production variants

Specifications

• Crew: 1
• Length: 13.20 m
• Wingspan: 8.20 m
• Height: 4.40 m
• Wing area: 38.4 m²
• Mass: 5500 kg
• Empty weight: 8500 kg
• Max take off weight: > 12,500 kg
• Drive: 1 × General Electric F414 turbofan - INS63 with 65.64 kN ( 98.0 kN with afterburner )

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 ( 1990 km / h ) at high altitude ( Mach 1 at low altitude )
• Range: 2.000 km / h 2,30 (with internal fuel)
• Action radius: 510 km
• Service ceiling: 15,950 m
• Wing loading: 221.4 kg / m²
• Thrust -to-weight ratio: 1.07

• Throwable external tanks
• Container for electronic warfare, reconnaissance or target illumination