Cold weather trials of India’s Light Combat Helicopter were carried out at Air Force Station, Leh early last month. “The trials covered engine starts with internal batteries after overnight cold soak at 3 km altitude and 4.1 km altitude”, HAL chairman T. Suvarna Raju has said in a statement. The engine starts were satisfactory in the temperature of minus 18 degree C at 4.1 km, the flights were also carried out to assess high altitude performance and low speed handling, the statement said.
The LCH prototype, TD2 was ferried from Bangalore to Leh and the flight trials were carried out involving customer pilots from Air Force and Army and with the participation of representatives from RCMA (H/c) and DGAQA (H/c).
“Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Technology Demonstrator TD-3 made its maiden flight in November last year and the TD-4 is likely to fly soon. The IOC is expected in the later part of this year and to achieve this we are concentrating on building more prototypes and increase the number of flights to reduce the lead-time for IOC”, Raju said.
Great news. Why are buying American Gun ship helicopters ? It is just not about machines , bug also the expensive ammunition that needs to bad bought. we'd stick to buy their heavy lift helicopters
Great news though i still think cokpit glass area is way to exposed to enemy fire.Still gr8 work by HAL on this project specially the time frame they took to develop this machine is quite satisfactory.
Why is it called a tech. demonstrator ?
time to freeze requirements and get a line of 25 per annum to manufacture this as Mark 1 .
HAL has demonstrated more than enough ability to build helicopters. All imports should be blacklisted from now on, and only indigenous equipment purchased.
Amazing view in camouflage. I think HAL has come of age, although I am very worries about Dhruv accidents. Hope they refine the platform to western standards (and beyond) We have to get HAL to deliver and arm our forces. Jai hind!
JALDI KARO BHAI
Meanwhile what are we doing to keep up the numbers ? How about a squd. of Mi. 35 with all its trappigs ? It will be a politically correct approach without being concerned about a new type.