HAL was lucky that the investigation into the October 2009 Dhruv crash in Ecuador turned out to be a clear case of pilot error (excessive manoeuver leading to cyclic saturation), but the company has obviously drawn lessons from the mortifying episode. HAL has put out a tender to fit the ALH Dhruv with with a Control Saturation Warning System (CSWS). The system will be added to the Dhruvs operated by Ecuador and could be retrofitted on all Dhruvs so far sold to the armed forces. The system will be standard fit on all Dhruvs manufactured from the time the system is finalised.
HAL is looking for a CSWS primarily to detect control saturation and provide incipient audio and visual warnings to the pilots (the audio and visual warnings should be provided to the pilots well before the Dhruv enters into the envelope of control saturation). Secondly, to command piezoelectric actuators towards reducing airframe vibrations Third, to compute and display mast moment and generate mast moment warning on exceedance of predefined limits. And finally, to generate a warning for rotor blade stall.
According to the RFP, “The control saturation warning system (CSWS) should be a current state-of-artfully digital microprocessor based processing unit capable of interfacing various input and output sensors/systems of the helicopter, implementing linear/nonlinear control laws, built in test (BIT) facility to monitor health of the unit, in-flight monitoring, better reliability and growth capacity.” Compatibility with the conventional and glass-cockpit variants of the Dhruv is, of course, mandatory. The CSWS will of course be required to interface with the Dhruv’s Flight data recorder (FDR) to record control saturation, mast moment and blade stall warnings(discrete output signals) and the analog output of the mast moment.
Do you have any information on cannon launched guided missile of DRDO that was displayed in Defexpo 2010
why is it that HAL is not taking this up on its own???
is this system required exclisively for DHRUV or is it a common equipment on all helos because googling is leading only to livefist and HAL tender!!!
@anonymous 5.24
CLGM is JV product from DRDO with Israeli company it is modified LAHAT missile.
@anonymous 3.07
Thanks for the Info
HAL prefers to "import" even such small components.
What a shame! Why not simply outsource this component to Indian industry?
Its surprising that Defence ministry prefers foreign imports over Indian industry. One example was, TATA's samyukta system was cancelled even after it fully passed field tests and Army praised it. And, the contract for same EW system was passed to BEL who simply imported from Israel and labeled it as "indian".
There is a view that Israeli offer 30% of deal value as bribe to politicians and this is more than what Russians/French were offering.
why did HAL not do this after the first crash of Sarang? Now the international market is threatned baba…. IAf is a captive customer….chalta hai….