PHOTO: First Flight Of LCA Tejas LSP-4, Final Config Aircraft!


The first flight of Tejas Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft, LSP-4 took place at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore airport, today. The aircraft took off at 1110 hrs and landed forty minutes later. In the sortie, the Test Pilot, Gp Capt Suneet Krishna, flew the aircraft to an attitude of 11-kms and went supersonic, touching 1.1 Mach with Test Director, Gp Capt D Chakravorty, guiding him from the telemetry facility of National Flight Test Centre (NFTC). The chase aircraft was flown by the Chief Test Pilot of NFTC, Gp Capt RR Tyagi with Wg Cdr Prabhu as the Test Director. It is a standard operating procedure to have another aircraft chase the aircraft under test. The test flight was supervised by Air Cmde Rohit Varma, the Project Director (Flight Test) at NFTC. The flight was also witnessed by Cmde BS Prahar, who is the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) at Naval Headquarters.

For the first time the Tejas flew in the configuration that will be finally delivered to the Indian Air Force. Senior scientists from (Aeronautical Development Agency) ADA, National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) were involved in the development and flight test planning for the newly integrated flight control software which was used by the test aircraft. The senior management of The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, Bangalore and HAL were on hand to ensure that all activities went off as per the schedule.

Speaking on the occasion, the Programme Director of ADA, Shri PS Subramanyam said that the Tejas team is now heading to central India to carry out hot weather trials. He expressed confidence that the aircraft would soon be flown by operational pilots of the defence services.

26 thoughts on “PHOTO: First Flight Of LCA Tejas LSP-4, Final Config Aircraft!”

  1. This is Wow!

    On time I should say, they can now concentrate on the assembly line for the ones to be sent for FOC.

  2. Great to see that it is finally getting close to being inducted into the armed forces,but i am sad that the engine is not indian,hope the kaveri's defects are fixed and that it will be used on the production aircraft.

  3. maybe HAL and DRDO can still improve the overall design and airframe ….
    the vertical tail wing can be further reduced which would give it a reduced RCS ….. extra fuel tank to increase its range and some datalink features of Gripen NG would be welcome ….

  4. Its really a good news. I am sure there are millions of Indians who are eagerly waiting for the aircraft to be inducted in IAF.

    Shiv.. Do you have some idea when are they going to send them for IOC? When will they finish pre-IOC testing?

  5. Well Now I am assured it is not a bad body job as mentioned by few of the keypad commandoes in the previous post..it is BEAUTIFUL…hopefuly it does better in all weather trials

  6. Shiv ji,

    Yeh Dil Maange More! Good to see more pics of Tejas! Thanks!
    We want more.
    What about Kaveri Engine status and Naval Kaveri Engine status?
    Will there be a Tejas Mark 2 ever?
    Can you provide greater details on the specifications of the latest fully configured ready for IAF Tejas?
    Could you let us know the background profiles of all the top echelon involved in Tejas? I know their names by rote now. I am happy.
    Go Tejas!

  7. @"Indian said"-
    Those "Keypad Commandos" have standards, you, apparently do not.
    There is a thing called "constructive criticism," you should learn what it is.

  8. Foreign sales ? Impossible. The usual track record in world arms sales is if the selling country uses it in sizeable numbers , then only its sold world wide. Products that were 'great' but never found a foreign buyer – F20 togershark, F16J79 should be two examples. And we are not exactly 'hot' in the world arms trade.And please dont say Dhruv to Ecuador.

  9. Shiv do what boeing HQ is talking:-"Man,India if FDI cap is increased then we invest their.. ".They are talking of creating a BrahMos Corp of their with DRDO or some thing like that then bid for AMCA .This will end ur hope for indiansation. They are getting of US to India that good but ur industry will suffer as BrahMos made us depend on russia for engine same Boeing make us depend on US for some thing in AMCA.

  10. buddy…. your blog is more a compilation of photos' with little analysis. the stress seems to be on getting a pic in first-est. There is much room for improvement. its not trp ratings that we are looking for…

  11. Shiv, you asked for questions sometime back saying that that you will try to get answers from HAL. There has been no update on that so far. No answers to the questions posed by readers to your blog. Can you please post what you found here?

    There were so many good questions on LCA/LCH/IJT/MTA etc and frankly, I am disappointed that there has been no answers so far.

  12. being a small fighter jet what is the possibility of the pilot surviving in the event the Tejas is hit by a missile from enemy aircraft ? would the pilot have sufficient time to eject ..as smaller fighter would be dessimated instantly …. larger fighters like the Mig 29 , F15 , F14 Tomcats due to their size give a few seconds for the pilot to eject after sustaining a major hit …any thoughts on this people ?

  13. I don't think people should criticize Mr. Shiv Aroor for his blog being a mere "compilation of photos".

    As though these photos are available at every street corner or at google. One has to make the journey to Bangalore, HAL, talk to people, build networks and contacts, get access….and then only we get the luxury of viewing these photos at a click.

    Besides, Mr. Aroor routinely brings us "inside stuff" about Tejas, Arjun tank, UCAV etc. So, it is unfair to say that his blogs are only a "photo compilation"

  14. @ iambob

    I can see that…no back links left..I know you standard now..

    And what I read it is not what I call constructive criticism

    A clear word in Hindi says its "bakchodi" or saying anything..

    No since you have questioned my "standard" let me ask you tell me a single instance of criticism while comparing which is constructive. I know my standard and I apply them to, but it seems you are that dog which can only bark.

  15. IT IS STILL NOT FINAL CONFIG AIRCRAFT MANY COMPONENTS ARE NOT DISPLAYED ON THE AIRCRAFT THE LSP5 WILL HAVE IT WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE YEAR END LETS HOPE FOR THE BEST REMEMBER THIS PLANE IS WHAT THE MUSTANG WAS TO THE USAF

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