Desi trainer aircraft poised for first flight on Tuesday

May 31, 2016 08:08

On Tuesday morning, in a milestone in indigenous aircraft development, India's home-grown basic trainer aircraft, the Hindustan Turbo Trainer - 40 (HTT-40), could make its first flight.

Last week, the HTT-40 completed high-speed taxi trials, in which it accelerated to take-off speed, and even lifted its nose slightly off the runway, checking all its systems for actual flight. Next, the pilots will go through a full take-off, and then carry out basic flying manoeuvres before landing the aircraft.

The HTT-40, like the PC-7 Mark II, is a propeller-driven, turbo-prop aircraft for "Stage-1" training of rookie pilots. After 80 hours of basic training, pilots shift to "Stage-2" training on the HAL-built Kiran Mark II jet trainer. Next comes "Stage-3" training on the Hawk advanced jet trainer (AJT), which HAL builds under licence from BAE Systems.

The HTT-40 features a pressurised cockpit, "zero-zero" ejection seats, and a state-of-the-art cockpit display with "in-flight simulation" that permits an instructor in the rear cockpit to electronically simulate various system failures, training the rookie pilot in the front seat in handling emergencies.

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