HTT – 40 Ready or Operational Clearance And Go For Production
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in a statement confirmed that it has already demonstrated ten turn spins and is ready for operational clearance.
During the Aero India 2021 HAL received a Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Indian Air Force for their Basic Trainers requirement. The documents were handed over to R. Madhavan, CMD, HAL by Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, DCAS and V. L. Kantha Rao, DG (Acquisition), Ministry of Defence.
The RFP was for 70 aircraft with additional clauses for 38 more. The certification will be given against the PCQR.
The production will take place at HAL’s two manufacturing units at Bengaluru and Nashik. The RFP has come within six years from the first flight of HAL which is the shortest time-line in the aircraft industry. The trainer will have more than 60 percent indigenous content and is supported by agencies such as Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and others.
In 2019, HAL stated that the HTT-40 has completed all major test points and meets the Preliminary Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) issued by Air Headquarters for the BTA programme. “HTT-40 has successfully completed stalls, engine relights, inverted flying, acrobatic flying and systems testing,” HAL said in a statement.
On November 14, 2019, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria undertook his maiden flight in the Basic Trainer Aircraft HTT 40. During the sortie he assessed the aircraft flying characteristics including stall and spin. The aircraft took to the skies at 1320 hours and remained airborne for an hour. The CAS was accompanied by HAL’s Chief Test Pilot (FW), Gp Capt KK Venugopal (Retd).
