The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) is in the process of seeking yet another time extension from the government for Kaveri engine development.
Dr A Subhanand Rao, the director of the organisation said in an interview: 'A draft Cabinet Committee on Security note is being processed for the continuation of the Kaveri project leading to technology demonstration with flight testing for 50 hours in LCA Tejas Mk-1. It is planned to commence flight trials in three years' time.'
While this will be another handle to pillory the project more, it is a fact that for a country that did not make even a lawn mower engine till then, the government's decision to task Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1986 for developing an engine to fly the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft – in turn, still on the drawing boards - was hugely ambitious.
Last year, the Kaveri engine was flight tested in Russia on a four-engine, Illyushin-76. The flight tests went well. Dr Rao said: 'Five Kaveri engine prototypes are undergoing endurance testing in GTRE test beds. The engines are being upgraded to improve reliability based on observations from (Russian) flight trials.'
But the decision has already been made to power the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, Mark-1 and II with GE-404 and 414.
The decision to flight test on Tejas, Mark I with the engine for 50 flying hours, as Dr Rao mentioned, appears in all likelihood to be a decision guided by the sentiment of the scientific community, which crossed many hurdles to reach the stage.
The real Kaveri engine that would fly an indigenous aircraft will be the one that is being developed in collaboration with the French company, Snecma. Dr Rao said on the status of that engine, 'The engine design was planned for 90 kilo Newton thrust class to meet the operational requirements of single engine powered Tejas aircraft.'
But the real test for the engine will be when the new engine of Kaveri and Snecma flies the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. 'A variant of the [Kaveri] was planned to be used for the twin engine configuration Indian Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for which feasibility study is under progress in Aeronautics Development Administration (ADA). However, initial study of AMCA design shows that it requires higher engine thrust. Details are being worked out in this respect.'
The DRDO's hackles are up when the talk veers to the development of an engine, which has been in the making for 22 years now. So they have developed a rough and ready background note about how the engine development saga have been stalled in many respects at various stages.
Some of the points are really telling: for example, low priority from foreign manufacturing agencies in view of Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) vis-à-vis the production order quantity from other engine houses; lack of manufacturing infrastructure available at Indian vendor’s facilities; and of course, US sanctions imposed during 1998 affected the delivery of critical systems & components.
Dr A Subhanand Rao, the director of the organisation said in an interview: 'A draft Cabinet Committee on Security note is being processed for the continuation of the Kaveri project leading to technology demonstration with flight testing for 50 hours in LCA Tejas Mk-1. It is planned to commence flight trials in three years' time.'
While this will be another handle to pillory the project more, it is a fact that for a country that did not make even a lawn mower engine till then, the government's decision to task Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1986 for developing an engine to fly the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft – in turn, still on the drawing boards - was hugely ambitious.
Last year, the Kaveri engine was flight tested in Russia on a four-engine, Illyushin-76. The flight tests went well. Dr Rao said: 'Five Kaveri engine prototypes are undergoing endurance testing in GTRE test beds. The engines are being upgraded to improve reliability based on observations from (Russian) flight trials.'
But the decision has already been made to power the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, Mark-1 and II with GE-404 and 414.
The decision to flight test on Tejas, Mark I with the engine for 50 flying hours, as Dr Rao mentioned, appears in all likelihood to be a decision guided by the sentiment of the scientific community, which crossed many hurdles to reach the stage.
The real Kaveri engine that would fly an indigenous aircraft will be the one that is being developed in collaboration with the French company, Snecma. Dr Rao said on the status of that engine, 'The engine design was planned for 90 kilo Newton thrust class to meet the operational requirements of single engine powered Tejas aircraft.'
But the real test for the engine will be when the new engine of Kaveri and Snecma flies the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. 'A variant of the [Kaveri] was planned to be used for the twin engine configuration Indian Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for which feasibility study is under progress in Aeronautics Development Administration (ADA). However, initial study of AMCA design shows that it requires higher engine thrust. Details are being worked out in this respect.'
The DRDO's hackles are up when the talk veers to the development of an engine, which has been in the making for 22 years now. So they have developed a rough and ready background note about how the engine development saga have been stalled in many respects at various stages.
Some of the points are really telling: for example, low priority from foreign manufacturing agencies in view of Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) vis-à-vis the production order quantity from other engine houses; lack of manufacturing infrastructure available at Indian vendor’s facilities; and of course, US sanctions imposed during 1998 affected the delivery of critical systems & components.