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HAL HJT-36 Sitara

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HJT-36 Sitara
Role Trainer
Manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
First flight 7 March 2003
Status Under production
Primary user Indian Air Force
Indian Navy
Number built 2

The HAL Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) Sitara (Hindi: सितारा, Sitārā, "star")[1][2] is an Intermediate Jet trainer aircraft (IJT) under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) ARDC (Aircraft Research and Design Center) for the Indian Air Force. The HJT-36 will replace the HJT-16 Kiran in its role as a trainer (Stage-2) in the Indian Air Force. It has a conventional jet trainer design, with a low, swept wing, staggered cockpits and small air intakes on either side of its fuselage.

Development

Prototype in its hangar.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) started design work on the intermediate jet trainer in 1997. The concept was initially developed as a successor for the Indian Air Force and Navy's HAL Kiran. HAL was awarded a contract in 1999 by the Government of India for the completion of development, testing and certification of two prototype IJT aircraft.

The Indian Air Force has placed an order for 73 aircraft, of which the first 12 are in production.[3] The order by the Indian Air Force could eventually grow to 250 aircraft. Two prototype aircraft have been built. These aircraft have undergone 280 test flights. The HJT-36 is scheduled to enter service with the Indian Air Force in June, 2010.

Initial prototypes have flown with the Snecma Larzac engine, while the production models will fly with the more powerful Saturn AL-55I engine with about 16.9 kN of thrust (thrust-to-weight ratio of .559). There was delay in the program due to the new air staff requirements opted in 2005 by the Indian Air Force, which stipulated the new and more powerful engine.

The AL-55I engine arrived from Russia on 28 December 2008. The first engine was fitted in PT-1, which has not been flown since the accident in Aero India 2007. One ground run has been undertaken on PT-1 after fitting the new engine.[4][5]

The aircraft made its maiden flight with the Russian AL-55I engine on 9 May 2009.[6]

Design

The aircraft is built from light alloy and composites, using a conventional low wing design with a sweptback wing of 9.8m span and 18° leading edge sweepback. About a quarter of the aircraft's line replaceable units are common with the HAL Tejas trainer aircraft.

The aircraft features a hydraulically retractable tricycle-type landing gear. The single-wheeled main units retract inward and the twin nose wheel unit retracts forward.[7]

Cockpit

The cockpit uses a conventional tandem two-seat configuration with the trainee pilot forward and the instructor in the raised seat to the rear. The single-piece canopy gives the pilots good, all-round vision. The seats are lightweight zero-zero ejection seats, model K-36LT manufactured by Zvesda. The pilots have both conventional and manual flight controls. It is learnt that apart from powerplant all future aircrafts will be fitted with Martin Baker Mk.16 IN16S ejection seats[8], instead of the earlier K-36 seats, owing to a dramatic price escalation of the later. These ejection seats are same as the ones used in Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.[9]

GE Aviation, Digital & Electrical Power will provide the Cockpit Video Displays - 5" multi-function display; Head-Up Displays - Multi-mode HUD; Electronic Flight Instrument Systems - Integrated standby instrument system.[8]

Weapons

The aircraft can also be used in light-attack role. It has five external hardpoints for carrying weapon systems. There is one centre-line hardpoint under the fuselage and two weapon pylons under each wing for carrying rocket and gun pods and bombs. The maximum external payload is 1,000 kg.

Engine

The prototype aircraft are powered by a Snecma Larzac 04-H-20 turbofan non-afterburning engine developing 14.12 kN. The production models will fly with the more powerful Saturn AL-55I engine with about 16.9 kN of thrust (thrust-to-weight ratio of 5.59) as the new air staff requirements opted in 2005 by the Indian Air Force, stipulated a new and more powerful engine.

The AL-55I engine arrived from Russia on 28 December 2008. The aircraft made its maiden flight with Russian AL-55I engine on 9 May 2009.[6]

Incidents

In February 2007, during takeoff from Yelahanka airbase near Bangalore, the first prototype aircraft built by HAL suffered serious damage after its canopy flew open, causing the aircraft to veer to the right, shattering an oleo strut, bursting a tyre, snapping the port wing tip and major damage to the starboard wing. The aircraft finally collapsed in a heap of dust and smoke, but there was no injury to pilot Sqn Ldr Baldev Singh, the aircraft programme's chief test pilot. The aircraft was participating in the Aero India 2007 air show. There were no casualties in the incident.[10]

On February 4, 2009 PT-2 landed on its belly after a routine aerobatic sortie. The aircraft was piloted by HAL’s Executive Director - Chief Test Pilot (Fixed Wing) Squadron Leader Baldev Singh (retd.) and Wing Commander C. Subramaniam, an Indian Air Force fighter pilot on deputation to HAL. There was structural damage to the undercarriage and belly, the doors and one of the wing tips.[5]

Specifications (HJT-36, prototypes)

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General characteristics

  • Crew: two, student and instructor

Performance

  • Endurance: 3 hours
  • Maximum Dive Speed: 950 km/h
  • Maximum Load Factor: +7.0/-2.5 g

Armament

  • 5 X hardpoints with up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of a variety of guns, bombs, rockets, and missiles
  • 1 × 23 mm cannon (optional)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

  1. ^ Sanskrit, Tamil and Pahlavi Dictionaries
  2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=jPR2OlbTbdkC&pg=PA275&lpg=PA275&dq=sitara+indo-aryan&source=web&ots=o2bDBqfAS0&sig=6aQASAn3YVQhgUEybLBV9braoio&hl=en
  3. ^ Vayu aerospace article
  4. ^ Russian engines coming today for intermediate jet trainer
  5. ^ a b http://theasiandefence.blogspot.com/2009/02/intermediate-jet-trainer-lands-on-belly.html
  6. ^ a b "HAL's intermediate jet trainer HJT-36 makes maiden flight with Russian engine". 14 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  7. ^ http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/hjttrainer/
  8. ^ a b Major suppliers to the HAL HJT-36 Sitara aircraft program
  9. ^ http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/1378/hal3.jpg
  10. ^ Report in The Hindu
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