Light Combat Helicopter Sea-level Trials Successful

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Exclusive photos of the ongoing sea-level trials of the second prototype of India’s Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) on the outskirts of the Chennai. Check out that sexy cockpit shot as the pilots near the East coast. The last photo, also taken from the LCH, shows the IAF chase Mi-8 from Yelahanka air force station that’s flying with and observing/recording the LCH during the current round of sea-level trials. The trials will continue for another 7-9 days.

Photos / LCH Test Team

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45 thoughts on “Light Combat Helicopter Sea-level Trials Successful”

  3. Sudhir Pratap

    Project costs for the LCH is pegged at INR8.76 billion (US$174.8 million)

    Even a single F-22 fighter costs more than entire production development cost of LCH.

    And HAL is delivering amazingly. LCH was announced just in 2007 and now its already going through rigorous tests. They are doing it all with a tiny budget. Anyone who really pays attention can see that DRDO, HAL are significantly improving their performance be it taking out LCA out of a rut, creating LCH, Prahaar (within a year or two), Agni-V, Anti-Ballistic missiles and so on. Remember it is easy to bark about this they could have done better or that but in realty these are amazingly complex devices.

    My congratulations to our hard working scientists. Jai Hind.

    PS: Since some people think China is somehow better at development here are some facts about Chinese WZ-10

    By the mid-1980s, the Chinese decided a dedicated attack helicopter was required. At the time, they used civilian helicopters converted for the military; these were no longer adequate in the attack role, and suitable only as scouts. Following this, China evaluated the Agusta A129 Mangusta, and in 1988 secured an agreement with the USA to purchase AH-1 Cobras and a license to produce BGM-71 TOW missiles; the latter was cancelled following the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the resulting arms embargo. The colour revolutions prevented the purchase of attack helicopters from Eastern Europe in 1990 and 1991; Bulgaria and Russia rejected Chinese offers to purchase the Mil Mi-24.

    At least three type of turboshaft engines have been successfully tested for WZ-10, all of them foreign built. Russian Klimov VK-2500 turboshaft engine that powers Mil Mi-17s sold to China is among the ones used, and so are the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C that powers civilian helicopters of western origin in Chinese service. Ukrainian Motor-Sich TV3-117 that powers Mil Mi-28 has also successfully tested, and Ukrainians are helping Chinese to develop its own indigenous turboshaft engine. It’s rumored that European MTR390 that powers Eurocopter Tiger has also been selected, but this cannot be confirmed. Due to the delay in the developing of Chinese domestic engines, all prototypes and pre-production series of WZ-10 are powered by foreign engines.Pratt & Whitney Canada has admitted to providing the software to convert their engines for military use, in violation of U.S. export control law. They started testing in 2001 and got it inducted after 8 YEARS of testing at around 2009.(no proof of induction)

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    Looks neat. Military machines need lot of finesse. It is not like some IT techies who comment here , who write some crappy piece of code and get away with it. IT techies ever wondered why they never needed to use math beyond their 7th grade at work bcos the work that needs to do math well beyond that is done elsewhere and that is in Space & Military applications. If you are smart get in there and do it for your country and stop ranting. I am techie – an average one – just like most of you.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    Yep! keep whining about DRDO,HAL not being Succesfull producing good stuff 'porkis' cause you know Rudra is Kick @ss! & you're way Dumb! and incapable to come up with something Even close to this Amazing piece, 😀 Cheers!

    Reply
  14. Anonymous

    Even before testing of sea-level trials, it has achieved an milestone of flying long distance of more than 350kms to tambaram…Hip hip hurrayyyy…!!!Heard that 3rd prototype will come by mid 2013 will be more sleeker and light than the two flying…

    Reply
  15. Anonymous

    Hey shiv ndtv has done a program on dhruv why don't u do similar kind of programs on lch ,lca or even on aridaman or any isro drdo nal Hal projects

    Reply
  18. Anonymous

    Good! this has to be a first! A DPSU with COOL SHOTS of its own product.

    Keep it up! good marketing and PR is 1/4 the battle, the other 3/4 is obviously hard work. And this time they really nailed it.

    Reply
  19. ArkAngel

    They've done well to get it up in the air this quickly. Still maybe needs to trim a little fat around the edges.
    Prefer the color scheme i saw at Aero India.

    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    wow….do we actually did this???
    see 1st and 3rd pics—STUNNING BEAUTY-MADE-IN-INDIA…
    THREE LETTER WORD THAT MAKES ME CRAZY-IS–>(MADE IN INDIA)

    Reply
  25. Anonymous

    you said:

    … I am also a techie …… but an varage techei…

    But still in DRDO…..

    Ha Ha Ha … that says all….

    Reply
  27. Anonymous

    This is one project which has been executed by the book at HAL/DRDO. Weight reduction is happening as per laid out milestone. Testing for capabilities is on schedule. And obviously, the customer is super happy with the way this project is rolling.This has to be one of the biggest achievements by HAL/DRDO in recent times.

    Congrats to HAL/DRDO. And here's hoping that the IJT/LCA/AMCA program is able to learn from the LCH project management.

    Given that we are making Dhruv and the LCH from 2014 with the LOH following soon (2015?), wouldn't it be better if HAL/DRDO try to develop a turbine ala, the Turbomeca Shakti on its own? We will have volumes to support an engine production and we will obviously improve our engineering base. Thoughts?

    Tats

    Reply
  28. Anonymous

    @Anon 1.53 PM, buddy pls cut racial slurs. Correct term is Pakistanis and the people questioning DRDO's capabilities are Indians.

    Reply
  30. Anonymous

    Cool this one appears good look-wise.. i pray the capability is equally good as well…what about the engine? but lol do DRDO/HAL pay money to their employess for posting commets on defence sites/blogs as this? I sincerly hope we privatise defence sector to a greater extent in the welfare of the nation….

    @Anon 11:34 AM, do you know that IT technies get fired if they don't do their work… do you know that they get fired if they are not able to deliver a project in time… do u know that they got a job through pure talent rather than a quota system like you guys do… now dont look like a clown comparing a IT techie with a DRDO/HAL employee..

    Reply
  31. Jith

    GREAT PICS SHIV, thanks a lot for bringing us this close to the latest happenings in the defense sector…

    I believe what we could see is DRDO and HAL tightening up their shoes and start delivering for our defense. The experience gained by developing Dhruv have surely helped the guys in bringing up this awesome machine. Let us hope the same happens to AMCA.

    @Sudhir, well said man

    Reply
  39. Anonymous

    have u ever looked at recruitment process of DRDO??

    if not…pls shut up…

    It is worst than imaginable !!

    Reply
  40. guri

    do you know that IT technies get fired if they don't do their work… do you know that they get fired if they are not able to deliver a project in time… do u know that they got a job through pure talent rather than a quota system like you guys do… now dont look like a clown comparing a IT techie with a DRDO/HAL employee..

    well IT guys dont have to care about life and death of some one fighting not for himself. you might be fired from your job for delays but if any flaw goes un-noticed then some one might get FIRED from his life. i hope u know the difference. delays are always acceptable if it gives a more potent and better machine. there is no DEBUGGING in real life scenarios. cheers buddy

    good going DRDO, hope so we see a potent predator guarding our assets soon.

    Reply
  41. Anonymous

    This thing is going to be really really hard to spot with naked eye, and the digital camouflage is designed to break up heat signature, so will also be difficult to spot that way.

    Reply
  42. ?Arun?

    Saw this beauty yesterday flying over my College towards Tambaram, must be some kind of low altitude test coz i could clearly see the rear wheel at that distance . It was awesome

    Reply
  44. Anand

    Again, same question asked by lot of people here. Why the landing gear is not retractable? Also, the tail rotor can also be folded as inline assembly of the tail section.
    Update: Just saw one of the pictures closely and it seems like the landing gear column circumvents the body and can not be retracted easily. It will protrude slightly even if it is retracted.

    Reply
  45. sivbal

    For all the Guys querying about retractable landing gear: The Design of LCH is so sleek that its fuselage cannot accommodate a retractable landing gear. Most of the attack helicopters in the world don't have a retractable landing gear.

    All the Pics published here are simply awesome. The only thing needs to be taken care is the Engine that powers the LCH. If a new indigenous model is developed on the line of the HAL/Turbomeca Shakti means it will become a great asset to indian armed forces.
    Anyway we are acquaring 22 latest apache attack from Beoing US. using that we can finetune the performance of LCH!!!

    Kudos to HAL/DRDO!!!

    Reply

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