Kaveri on track...

Asian Aerospace 2006: Kaveri K9 on track for testing

India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) plans to deliver a Kaveri K9 turbofan to Russia for flight tests by mid-year in the run-up to the engine’s installation in the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) by the end of 2006.

Indian LCA Kaveri K9 W445
© FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
A model of the naval LCA debuted in Singapore

The long-awaited Kaveri test move comes as Snecma wins an ADA contract to assist in its final development phase. “It’s more of a peer review contract,” says ADA propulsion systems group director Swaminathan Ratnam, who adds the upcoming Russian tests are scheduled to run from June through September on an Ilyushin Il-76 testbed.

Following the completion of tests, the engine will be returned to Bangalore for the start of installation work on PV1 (prototype vehicle), one of four LCAs currently engaged in flight tests. The indigenously developed Kaveri, originally planned as the baseline engine for the LCA, will replace the General Electric F404-IN20, 11 of which have now been supplied to the indigenous Indian fighter programme. The integration effort will involve replacing sections of the fuselage as well as an inlet design optimised for the Kaveri. Flight tests are not expected to start until well into 2007. Meanwhile, the ADA displayed at Asian Aerospace a model of the naval version of LCA (see below).

I believe that this is a final attempt by DRDO to continue on the Kaveri project on its own.

If the engine fails in Russia, then it will go ahead with the contract inviting companies like SNECMA, Pratt & Whitney, Saturn etc. to co-develop the Kaveri.

But if it succeeds in Russia, it will get a reason to postpone the tender and continue on its own for some time. I think that it is likely that it will succeed in Russia after the lessons they learnt 2 years ago when it failed there.

Also the "final development phase" which shall be developed with SNECMA/PW etc. (if the contract is awarded) is nothing but System-Integration. The engine by itself is complete, but its components do not synchronize when it is tested at extreme limits like the high-altitude tests in Russia.

I hope that it succeeds this time in Russia.

Also, LCA has now completed 500 test-flights, so I think things are moving urgently towards completion in the engine department also.