The light combat helicopter (LCH) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics has attained a milestone by successfully completing hot weather flight trials. “Test flights were carried out in the temperature range of 39°C – 42°C. These were done with the involvement of customer pilots from Indian Air Force and Army in the presence of representatives from RCMA and DGAQA,” explained T Suvarana Raju, CMD, HAL. The LCH prototype, TD-3, was ferried from Bengaluru to Jodhpur to achieve the successful trials. The flight testing covered: temperature survey of engine bay and hydraulic system; assessment of performance; handling qualities and loads at different ‘all up weights’; low-speed handling; and height-velocity diagram establishment.
Jodhpur, India
