LCA first prototype vehicle to fly next month
Thursday, August 21 2003 21:28 Hrs (IST)
Bangalore: The maiden flight of the first prototype vehicle (PV-1) of Tejas, the indigenous Light Combat
Aircraft, will be made by September end, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister Dr V K Aatre said on
August 21.
"PV-1 will fly by either September middle or by the end," Aatre told reporters ahead of a review meeting
of the LCA to be held in Bangalore later this week.
The third aircraft in the development phase, the design of PV-1 will be the standard for the production of
the LCA.
He said the review meet would also decide on LCA's second Technology Demonstrator (TD-2)'s maiden
attempt to break the sound barrier.
It may be recalled the TD-1 reached Mach 1.2 speed on August 1, making it the country's first
indigenously built fighter aircraft to break the sound barrier.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who christened LCA as "Tejas", Aatre said, had decided on the
name and the other alternate name would have been "Sarang".
PTI
What do you think of this article ? Click here to post your views

|