Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully conducted extreme cold weather trials on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in Leh. “The aircraft made three consecutive starts using the indigenous gas turbine starter at -15°C with 85 per cent charged battery a few days ago. Prior to the start, the aircraft was cold soaked for 18 to 20 hours (even 42 hours on one occasion) outside the hangar in Leh and no heating source was used for starting,” said HAL chairman Shri. T Suvarna Raju. According to a release issued by HAL, a team of 15 engineers and technicians from HAL worked to solve the peculiar requirement faced in starting a gas turbine engine in the rarefied and cold atmospheres found at Leh. The gas turbine starter unit of HAL, used to start the engine for the LCA, has been designed, developed and manufactured by its Aero Engine Research and Design Centre (AERDC). The rig trials with a modified starting schedule were conducted at Leh (3260 m altitude) in July and August last year. During that period, HAL had demonstrated the capability of its starter at a high altitude of 5.6 km, the release said. HAL had recently handed over the first series production aircraft to the IAF.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/
Leave Your Comment