BY : IANS

India’s indigenously developed combat jet Tejas has made its maiden flight with an improved engine, it was announced here Thursday. “During the 44-minute flight, the F404-GE-IN20 engine demonstrated full aircraft system and instrumentation functionality, climbed to numerous mission altitudes, achieved Mach 1.1 speed and established the engine performance baseline for future flight-testing,” a GE statement here said.

“The engine has performed extremely well during all phases of testing, and we look forward to delivering the benefits of -IN20 power throughout the remainder of the rigorous program,” Tony Mathis, general manager of the F404/F414 programme, said in the statement.

Delivery of initial production engines is earmarked to Tejas manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) later this year, where they will be readied for aircraft installation.

Flight-testing is expected to continue into 2009 under the direction of Bangalore’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), with three aircraft scheduled for flight in the third quarter of 2008, the statement said.

“Testing will involve approximately 250 flights to assess aircraft systems and engine functionality,” it added.

HAL ordered an additional 24 F404-GE-IN20 afterburning engines to power the first operational squadron of Tejas fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force in February 2007. This order, valued in excess of $100 million, followed an initial 2004 purchase of 17 F404-GE-IN20 engines to power a limited series of operational production aircraft and naval prototypes.

The F404-GE-IN20 engine is an improved version of the GE404-F2J3 that has been powering the previous Tejas prototypes.

Flight testing follows a rigorous series of evaluations, culminating in generation of more than 19,000 pounds of uninstalled thrust and completion of 330 hours of accelerated mission testing - the equivalent of 1,000 hours of flight operation.

“The F404 fighter engine family is one of the most successful in military aviation history,” the statement said.

More than 4,000 F404 engines power a number of combat aircraft flown by the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, plus countries throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.




link
http://www.idrw.org/2008/06/19/indigenous_...ved_engine.html

Oaey, genious, this is not the Global Forum, this thread will dissapear just like the GMF did.
And with GE Engines, it's no more Indi either.

The only Indi-Genious thing India has done, is after 25 years realized, Tejas can't fly without being Non-Indi. Now that was GE, I mean GEnious, GEez.



1.1 Machs? So your original Indi engine couldn't even do that?
GE is a trusted engine, why testing "into" 2009? I mean HAL always gave the impression that LCA was ready except for the engine, oh Comon now!

And 250 more hours to assess Tejas's @$$, you got to be kidding me!
I know well get our J-10's before that, but now my question is that, will Tejas ever fly (as in fly fly) before we retire our current and future fleet of the J's and the F's?

The planned lightest aircraft gained weight (8000 towards 10.000) with the bragging of composites blabla...

Even this plained is seen as superior to jf17 and J10 on Keymags... Sure.

This LCA is turning out to be nothing but a trainer.

First 40 to be delivered over six years (2015) will be incapable of combat !!!!
The latest AoA is 17 degrees. The minimum required by Indian Air Force is 21 degrees. Desired AoA was of 26 degrees.
Even the load out on the LCA will be limited.
STR is less then 17 degrees.
ITR is less then 20 degrees.
It has not pulled more then 6 gs to date. Even the Mushak trainer can 6+ gs !!
and did I tell you that it is overwieight by two tons ??

Seriously, This LCA is nothing but a crappy trainer. All that I have been reading since my teenage days is that LCA " WILL " do this and LCA " WILL " do that !!

LCA is nothing but in the league of basic trainers !!

what in the world are the indians thinking..... they cant match the Jf-17 and J-10 with this tiny miny Teja..... they needed so many years just to develop it..... now they think they can design the engine over night!!!!

wats the point of indigneous production wen the engine is imported??
they were saying about the "kevari" something powerplant for the lca..wat about dat??

although this is a hopeless discussion, but still FYI on some other indigenous fighter programs: -

• J-10 - AL-31FN (Russian)
• JF-17 - RD 93 (Russian)

Effective replacement of AL-31FN & RD-93 engines, with WS-10 & WS-13 engines by China. How do you like dem apples?!!!!

well they should say the idigniginiginigious "frame" is ready to fly with radar weapons and etc.

sidharth dude ,at least, for the sake of face saving, start telling your brothers to stop calling it f-16 killer.