LCA AF Mk2 program details from ADA
LCA AF Mk2
10.1 Ba ckground: LCA AF Mk2 was conceived as the performance of LCA AF Mk1 was found inadequate with GEF404-IN20 engine The scope of FSED Phase 3 as per project sanction is as follows:-
Design, develop and build two aircraft with
- New Engine
- Necessary changes in the structure and systems to integrate the new engine
- Weight reduction to improve performance
- Unified EW Suite (UEWS)
- Development of new DFCC, its test facilities and integration
- Upgrade/modification/maintenance of test facilities
10.2 Additional Scope:
Extensive studies were carried out at ADA to make suitable changes in LCA AF Mk2 to address the maintainability issues observed in LCA AF Mk1, improve the systems like fuel, landing gear and brakes, electrical, armament etc. Also a number of new/upgraded systems have been incorporated to make the aircraft more contemporary. As a result, the scope for FSED Phase 3 increased substantially due to extensive changes incorporated to have an improved aircraft with improved performance in all aspects.
Important new/ upgrades of systems are listed
below:
- Introduction of 500mm plug in fuselage
- Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar
- On Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS)
- New Cockpit with larger size smart displays
- One Mission Management and Display Computer (MMDC) in place of two Open Architecture Computers
- HMDS based on optical sensor
- Smart HUD with improved Field of Vision
- Higher power Jet Fuel Starter
- Servo controlled Airbrake under the command of DFCC control
- Pressurized Fuel System
- Unified Pylon Interface Computer (UPIC) in place of individual Pylon Interface Boxes
- Combined Interrogator Transponder (CIT)
- Indigenous Actuators
- NVG compatible lighting
Activities Carried out:
Presently, the configuration of LCA AF Mk2 has been frozen with all the design improvements and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) has been carried out in June 2014 and detail design is in progress. GE-F414 engine was selected as the higher thrust engine for LCA AF Mk2 and a contract was signed with M/s GE, USA in September 2012. The CDR of alternate engine has been completed. Engine is undergoing final qualification and lifing evaluation tests.
10.4 Milestones Achieved:
Following milestones have been
achieved:
- Configuration freeze
- Engine contract finalization
- In-board and NMG freeze
- PDR
10.5 Progress of Design and Development
Activities:
10.5.1 Configuration & NMG:
The configuration of LCA AF Mk2 has been frozen. The Numerical Master Geometry (NMG) has been revised based on recommendations of PDR Committee to improve performance. The changes in NMG have resulted in drag reduction and increase in fuel content by about 2 0Kg. These improvements are going to result in improved point and mission performance.
10.5.2 Inboards & Layout: The inboards have been finalised addressing the accessibility and maintainability issues observed in LCA Mk1.
- Layouts preparation is in progress.
- The station wise mass distribution is under finalisation.
10.5.3 Aerodynamics :
A number of aerodynamics improvements have been carried out to reduce drag and improve performance:
- Drag reduction studies have been completed. Canopy reshaping, outer cowl modification, actuator fairing extension and supersonic pylons
have resulted in approx 20 counts (8%) drag reduction in supersonic regimes.
- Wind Tunnel studies have been completed.
- Aero loads computations have been completed.
10.5.4 Airframe:
- Three door AAID finalised.
- BMI material developed for high temperature applications.
- Composite pipelines developed for ECS.
- Spine widened for providing accessibility and maintainability.
- Pilot step provided for pilot's emergency egress.
- SPS bay redesigned to improve maintainability.
10.5.5 Engine:
- Aircraft engine bay ventilation scheme has been finalised.
- Engine-Airframe Interface Control Diagram (ICD) has been prepared.
- Aircraft Qualification Tests have been completed.
- ASMET (Aircraft Simulated Mission Endurance Tests) results are under discussion.
- New JFS with higher torque GTSU-135 is under development.
10.5.6 Mechanical Systems:
- Layouts preparation and detail design is in progress.
- Feasibility to increase wheel size for increasing the capacity of brake system are in progress.
- Trials to offload one hydraulic system to reduce the load on JFS during starting are going on. This will help in cold weather high altitude operations.
- Liquid Cooling System configurations, separate for AESA and UEWS have been finalised.
- Studies to shift the Air to Air refueling probe to right are in progress to obviate probe coming in Field of View of Head Up Display (HUD).
10.5.7 Integrated Flight Control System:
- DFCC: CDR completed. Realization st of QT unit by 31 Dec 2016.
- Indigenous Actuators: Primary Actuators QT completed, Iron Bird testing completed. Being evaluated on LCA Mk1. Secondary Actuators
under development. Air worthy units will be available by December 2016.
10.5.8 Avionics:
- Avionics architecture has been finalised.
- New cockpit with bigger size (6”x8”) displays has been designed.
- Development of new LRUs is in progress.
- Avionics will be ready by Dec 2018.
- Configuration of Active Phased Array based Unified Electronic Warfare Suite (UEWS) finalised.
- The number of elements that can be incorporated with the existing geometry for the Antenna Array unit of AESA Radar has been finalised
and performance parameters like range and Effective Radiated Power (ERP) computed.
- Night Vi s ion Goggle (NVG) compatible lights for Navigation lights and Taxi / Landing Lights are being developed.
- Engineering models have been developed. Performance is being evaluated.
- Conformal antenna developed for V/UHF.
10.5.12 Interdisciplinary Studies: Following
studies are in progress to bring out
improvements in design:
- LCA AF Mk2 cockpit assessment for new anthropometric data received from IAF is in progress.
- Thermal mapping studies of aircraft are in progress.
- New installation scheme in Avionics Bay for better accessibility /maintainability is under finalisation.
- Rationalisation of drop tanks is in progress to reduce variety of drop tanks.
- Electrical modeling of LCA AF Mk2 to study indirect effect of lightning is in progress at IISc, Bangalore.
- Studies to bring out necessary changes in LRUs to have Push-fit type connectors for quick removal/fitment of the same have been completed.
- Weight reduction studies have been carried out and design improvements required to reduce weight have been identified.
this engine can be used not only on LCA but many other different platforms. Its crucial we do it properly. The market and size of the order is not only 99 but much more. 
