HAL's Light Combat Helicopter successfully completes cold weather trials
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Aviation
defence equipment technology - HAL Light Combat Helicopter |
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| HAL's Light Combat Helicopter successfully completes cold weather trials | |||
The
cold weather trials of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) have been successfully
completed at Air Force Station in Leh recently, state-run Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd. (HAL) said on Monday, March 2nd. "The trials covered engine
starts with internal batteries after overnight cold soak at 3 km altitude
and 4.1 km altitude", T Suvarna Raju, Chairman, HAL said. |
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 HAL's Light Combat Helicopter during cold weather trials at Indian Air Force Station, Leh (Credit: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) |
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Suvarna
Raju said that the engine starts were "satisfactory" in the
temperature of minus 18 degree Celsius at 4.1 km.
The flights were also carried out to assess high altitude performance and low speed handling. The LCH prototype, TD2 was ferried from Bangalore to Leh and the flight trials were carried out involving pilots from Indian Air Force and Army. "LCH Technology Demonstrator TD-3 made its maiden flight in November last year and the TD-4 is likely to fly soon. The IOC is expected in the later part of this year," the HAL chief said in a statement. During recently concluded Aero India 2015, two LCHs -- one on static and another on flying display -- enthralled many. LCH
is of 5.5 ton class, powered by two Shakti engines and inherits many technical
features of the Advanced Light Helicopter. The features that are unique
to LCH are sleek and narrow fuselage, tri-cycle crashworthy landing gear,
crashworthy and self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection, nuclear, and
low visibility features which make the LCH lethal, agile and survivable.
The helicopter would have day/night targeting systems for the crew including
the Helmet pointed sight and Electro-optical pod consisting of CCD camera/FLIR/Laser
Range Finder(LRF) / Laser Designator(LD). |
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