Bengaluru: Ejecting out of the Rafale controversy and depleting order book concerns for now, an inspiring bit of news has finally emerged out of the hangars of plane-maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
The Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40), a Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) being designed and developed by HAL, began the most awaited phase of the 'spin test' by successfully entering in to two-turn spin and subsequent recovery, with appropriate controls, over the Bengaluru skies on Friday.
During the first ever spin entry test on Friday, the HTT-40 was piloted by Gp Capt K K Venugopal (Retd) and Gp Capt S Chaki (Retd), who was at the rear. Ahead of the spin tests, the platform had already completed the stall tests.
The spin test
Spin is when an aircraft keeps pitching up and loses speed. At this juncture, if one gives a turn input, the aircraft starts falling with a roll down viciously. If the pilots do not recover, then the aircraft crashes.
It is mandatory that every trainee has to learn to spin and recover an aircraft. Many aircraft projects have failed due to non-ability to spin or recover, including HAL’s own HJT-36, which was named as Sitara.
Engineers made math models and did very extensive wind tunnel testing to prove the aircraft, before actually taking it for the spin test. It’s a very risky test with failure rate of above 80 per cent.
A young team from HAL's Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) had conducted extensive wind tunnel testing and mathematical model analyses to arrive at the spin characteristics of the aircraft.
Extensive wind-tunnel tests
For the team, it has been hard work of five years in the dark wind tunnels and computer labs, which resulted in the HTT40 spinning right at very first test on Friday.
HAL claimed that HTT-40 exceeds the Preliminary Services Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) on most fronts and offers a technologically advanced product than its competitor. The company further claimed that the production clearance for HTT-40 is expected to be accorded by the end of this year.
Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar took keen interest in this project and monitored it on a regular basis. The young HTT-40 team lead by Prashant Bhadoria had recently won the prestigious Inspiring Indian Award, which was given away by IAF’s legendary Test Pilot Wg Cdr P Ashoka (Retd).
Secretary Defence Production Dr Ajay Kumar has congratulated the HTT-40 team. “Keep it up,” Dr Ajay tweeted.
On Friday, it was the first prototype vehicle (PT-1) from the production line that did the spin test.
HAL head R Madhavan said the tests restored the credibility of the firm in successfully designing a spin-worthy aircraft. The Defence Acquisition Council has approved procurement of 70 HTT-40s.
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