HAL Tejas

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HAL Tejas
Image:4781.jpg
Description
Role	Light weight multi-role tactical fighter
Crew	one, pilot
First Flight	January 4, 2001
Manufacturer	Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) / Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
Dimensions
Length	13.20 m	43 ft 4 in
Wingspan	8.20 m	26 ft 11 in
Height	4.40 m	14 ft 9 in
Wing area	38.4 m²	413 ft²
Weights
Maximum takeoff	kg	lb
Empty	5,500 kg	12,100 lb
Loaded	8,500 kg	18,700 lb
Powerplant
Option 1	1×General Electric F404-F2J3 (turbofan)
Thrust	80.5 kN	18,100 lbf
Option 2	1×Kaveri (turbofan) GTRE
Thrust	89.9 kN	20,000 lbf
Performance
Maximum speed	1,920 km/h	1,195 mph (1.8 Mach)
Range	850 km	530 mi
Service ceiling	15,250 m	50,000 ft
Rate of climb	m/min	ft/min
Wing loading	221.4 kg/m²	45.35 lb/ft²
Thrust/Weight (opt. 2)	10.6 N/kg	1.07
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Guns	1x 23 mm GSh-23 cannon
Other	seven external stations + one station for pod
Potential Customers	Indian Air Force Indian Navy

The HAL Tejas (Sanskrit: "Radiance") is a compact multirole fighter aircraft being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force. The first test flight was conducted in 2001 and over 500 flights have been conducted since then. It is likely to be a few more years before the aircraft goes into production.

1 History
2 Variants
3 Related content
4 External links

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History

In 1983, India commenced a programme to develop an aircraft to replace its aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s as the Air Force's primary multi-role tactical fighter. Initially simply dubbed the Light Combat Aircraft, the design was finalised in 1990 as a small, delta-winged machine. The sophisticated avionics and advanced composite structure specified caused some concern almost immediately, as a government commission expressed doubt that India possessed sufficient technological infrastructure to support such an ambitious project. Two technology demonstrators were ordered as proof of concept before full support was given to the design.

These two aircraft were completed by 1995, but were kept grounded due to structural concerns, and trouble with the development of the flight control system. Eventually, US firm Lockheed Martin was brought in to consult on the latter of these difficulties, but their involvement was terminated in 1998 as part of a US response to India's second nuclear tests in 1998. The same US ban led General Electric to suspend delivery of the F404 engines that were to power the aircraft.

Eventually, the flight control issues were resolved and a programme was launched to develop an indigenous powerplant (the GTRE GTX-35VS, christened 'Kaveri'-the development under progress) to replace the F404 once the aircraft entered mass production. The first technology demonstrator flew with its American F404 engine on January 4 2001. The aircraft was first publicly displayed on June 24 2004.

Several prototypes of the Kaveri engine has been developed. However progress has been delayed by technical difficulties and India has sought external help in fixing its defects. Snecma, a French manufacturer that makes the engines that power the Mirage 2000, as well as Pratt and Whitney have expressed interest in rendering assitance to India in developing the engines. However, questions remain whether potential export customers would accept a relatively unproven engine, rather than the F404.

The aircraft is expected to enter full production by 2006 and service in 2010.

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