Bangalore: Crossing yet another milestone, Technology Demonstrator (TD-2) of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, attained a supersonic speed by reaching 1.15 mach at an altitude of 11 km in Bangalore today (Nov 27).

The flight was for 43 minutes duration in the evening and the aircraft was piloted by group captain R K S Bhaduria, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) sources said.

This is the 126th flight of the multi-role combat LCA aircraft since the first of the three prototypes took to the skies on January 1, 2001.

TD-1 of Tejas had broken the sound barrier and flown at supersonic speed on August 1 this year (2003) and the feat of TD-2 comes within a span of about four months.

On Tuesday last, ( Nov 18) the lighter prototype of Tejas (PV-1) took to the skies on its maiden flight flying for 43 minutes, and crossing 1.4 mach (one mach is speed of sound).

PTI