BY : THE HINDU

Two teams from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are leaving for Russia in a bid to fast track the custom made Russian engine AL-55I (‘I’ for Indian) that will power the indigenous, but delayed Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT).

While a team will be tasked with the acceptance of three fly-worthy AL-55I engines, the other headed by HAL’s Chief test pilot (Fixed Wing) Baldev Singh will view first hand the flight operations of an AL-55I engine that is currently being flight tested on a MiG-AT.

A recent in-house review meeting of the project decided to adhere to the schedule of securing certification for the IJT by June 2010. Though the HAL have been buoyed because the AL-55I which is being developed by the NPO Saturn has at long last been brought on the “critical path,” the June 2010 schedule appears difficult. The Russian MiG-AT that has been fitted with the Al-55I has completed just six of the 30 sorties that are scheduled in the engine’s flight testing programme.

However, according to official sources from the HAL working on the IJT programme during the six sorties the engine has met some of its flight envelope, attained an altitude of 10 km., and successfully accomplished in flight relight (where the engine is cut off and restarted while in flight). But the officials do admit that certification is still some way off.

The AL-55I, which has a higher thrust rating than the French made Snecma Larzac 04H20 engine that is currently flying one of the two IJT prototypes, has been built in keeping with the Air Force’s air staff requirements and is a scaled-down version of the AL-31FP engine that flies the Su-30 MKI combat aircraft.

As per the latest schedule the HAL will receive the first of the fly-worthy AL-55I engines in October with the engine hopefully receiving Russian certification soon after. The HAL are also hoping that the first AL-55I powered IJT will take to the skies in November after certification. Thereafter a substantial number of sorties will have to be undertaken in India before the aircraft can be certified.

The HAL are also be strapped by the fact that only two IJT prototypes (PT) are available. Of them only PT1 is to be fitted with the Russian engine since PT2 (currently grounded for rectification) will continue to fly with the Larzac engine. Officials are hoping that they can adhere to the probable date of completion (PDC) of the first of the 12 limited series production (LSP) aircraft since this will allow more aircraft for flight testing. The PDC is December.

In June, albeit way behind schedule the HAL had received a prototype of the AL-55I and integrated it on the PT1. After successfully conducting ground and taxi trials the ‘yellow banded’ engine (not a fly worthy engine) was sent back to Russia for certification tests.

Meant to become the backbone of the Air Force’s stage II or combat pilot training the IJT was sanctioned by the government in 1999 with an initial budget of Rs. 180 crore. Making its first flight in March 2003 it is meant to replace the Air Force’s workhorse, the Hindustan Jet Trainer-16, or Kiran. Around 225 IJTs are to be eventually produced, serving the IAF, the Navy as well as the Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team.

As per the original schedule the first batch of IJTs was to have been delivered to the Air Force in 2005-06., now June 2010. Besides the 12 LSP aircraft HAL have received an order for 60 production aircraft.