HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Light Observation Helicopter (LOH)

[Chinmoy]

Yes, I was wrong... That thing was cleared up in the following posts (also WFT MODI GOVT?!..). No need to reinvent that wheel again.

You are wrong here too.

Due to its modular approach, Ka-226 is more versatile then LUH. The same airframe could be used as an Ambulance, Cargo and Carrier. Same could not be hold true in case of LUH. For example, if you use LUH as an Air Ambulance, you have to refit it again as a carrier. Ka-226 gives you the flexibility here.

Moreover as per one past discussion, we have an immediate need of around 2k Helos in LUH category. Could you put all the eggs on HAL basket for that?
LUH and Ka-226 could be supplementary to each other here.

 

[Bleh]

Due to its modular approach, Ka-226 is more versatile then LUH. The same airframe could be used as an Ambulance, Cargo and Carrier. Same could not be hold true in case of LUH. For example, if you use LUH as an Air Ambulance, you have to refit it again as a carrier. Ka-226 gives you the flexibility here.

Moreover as per one past discussion, we have an immediate need of around 2k Helos in LUH category. Could you put all the eggs on HAL basket for that?
LUH and Ka-226 could be supplementary to each other here.

Makes sense, like the Talwar & Shivalik class...

 

[Indx TechStyle]

good morning
Lions rules land
Tigers bow in submission
Lions are bigger than any tiger.

Humans can f*ck all of them and world single-handedly. Now f*ck off to chit chat.

 

[Prashant12]

In 18 Months, HAL’s Sharp Light Utility Helicopter Will Be Ready

In 18 months, India’s most crucial helicopter program will be complete. HAL’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) has entered a vital phase of trials that will now see it speed towards service readiness by September next year. HAL’s rotorcraft test team is hunkering down to ensure that the tough deadline doesn’t slip even a little. Amidst a slew of other helicopter development programs, the LUH is seen even within HAL as crucial owing to the sheer scope of deployment of helicopters of this type in the Indian armed forces. If all goes on laid down timelines, HAL hopes to see MoD paperwork begin on an initial order of 187 LUHs by mid-2021, ahead of the FOC milestone.

An internally funded HAL program, the LUH made its first flight in September 2016, and achieved initial operational clearance earlier this month. To achieve IOC, three airframes of the LUH have demonstrated the following test points: performance and handling qualities over various terrain — sea level, hot weather, hot and high, cold weather — in all specified all-up weights of 2, 4 and 3.12 tonnes. The last few tests before IOC were among the most delicate and important — height-velocity tests and engine cutoff trials that would see the helicopter tested during emergency failures near ground. Further refinements of these tests will take place this year. Livefist has accessed the first videos of this crucial set of tests:


In September last year, the LUH demonstrated one of its key performance requirements — the ability to operate at very high altitudes with meaningful loads. Livefist has reported on those high-altitude tests at Ladakh’s Daulat Beg Oldie in detail.

The performance and handling trials across terrains also involved a detailed evaluation of all systems. Other tests cleared towards IOC include demonstration of 3.4 tonnes all-up weight at sea level, a slope landing demonstration at high altitude, a single hydraulic system failure, lifting tests of all components, break-away fuselage tests, 30 minutes of dry run of the main gear box. These were topped off with detailed cockpit evaluations throughout.

After a successful showing at the DefExpo 2020 show in Lucknow, the LUH team has dived back into test for a busy year ahead. Over the next ten months, the test crew will look to demonstrate engine relighting in air at Bengaluru and bring in pilots from the Indian Air Force and Army for the first full user trials of the helicopter. Armed forces pilots will test-fly the LUH both in Bengaluru and in Ladakh, getting their first full feel of a platform they will come in large numbers to replace the old Chetak and Cheetah fleet. The test schedule this year also includes zero speed auto rotation flights in Bengaluru and mission role evaluation trials.

In January, the LUH completed a long schedule of night flying trials successfully. The test team will be conducting more night flights in other terrain, including at high altitude in the upcoming phase.

A member of HAL’s LUH team tells Livefist, “Three prototypes are being flight tested and each of them has logged around 200 flights till date. Apart from this, one airframe was built exclusively to test the ultimate loading conditions at the ground test centre at the Rotary Wing Research & Design Centre (RWR&DC) in Bengaluru. All critical loading were tested and the airframe was found to be safe upto 3g loadings.”

The LUH will meet roughly half the requirement of about 400 light utility helicopters in the IAF and Army, with the other half to be met by the Russian Kamov Ka-226T that will be built in Tumkur near Bengaluru by Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd (IRHL) an HAL-Rostec joint venture. Stalled for months over disagreements over localisation of production, the two sides sought to find a way through the stalemate earlier this month at the DefExpo 2020 show where they signed an event roadmap towards localisation of the Ka-226T production.

https://www.livefistdefence.com/202...p-light-utility-helicopter-will-be-ready.html

 

[WolfPack86]

HAL to bring the LUH into the civilian market
The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) of India received initial operational clearance (IOC) on Feb. 7, 2020, during the DefExpo at Lucknow, India. This paves the way for the integration of mission equipment and series production of the helicopter.

And while the single-engine LUH is getting set for its military debut, highly-placed sources at HAL indicate the company plans to position the LUH for civil applications, too.

The LUH is HAL’s latest rotary product after the light twin Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). The three-ton helicopter incorporates a glass cockpit, dual controls and a single Safran Ardiden 1U1 turboshaft engine. As of January 2020, three LUH prototypes have logged over 550 flights under various environmental conditions.


The Indian forces’ requirement to operate from sea level to helipads at over 20,000 feet imposes unique challenges on rotorcraft. Successive models of light helicopters from HAL’s stable have targeted such requirements through collaboration and in-house development.

The LUH forms part of the Indian army and air force’s long-standing need for 394 light helicopters to replace ageing Cheetahs (Lama) and Chetaks (Alouette III). Of these, 187 would be the LUH (126 for the army & 61 for the air force). The remainder of the aircraft are expected to arrive through an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for 197 Ka-226T helicopters, to be manufactured by Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited (IRHL) – a HAL-Russian Helicopters joint venture company.

But the military market may just be the beginning of the LUH’s penetration in India. A video shared on Twitter quotes Unni Pillai, HAL’s chief test pilot, as saying “it (LUH) is a military aircraft right now, but it’ll be in the civil variant soon.”

The statement, made during the Defexpo, has been corroborated by senior HAL officials. Coming soon after IOC, it indicates HAL’s willingness to engage with civil customers, possibly eyeing a market outside the armed forces.

A senior member of the LUH design team, who asked for their name to be withheld, said HAL is expecting to deliver over 600 LUHs within the civil sector. The customers would be Indian “to start with,” and the target sectors are tourism, air ambulance, and utility, while the six to seven-seater aircraft can also be configured as a four-seater VIP helicopter.

“Civil certification is being progressed concurrently,” the source said, adding that the Indian regulator, DGCA, has been looped in throughout the military certification process.

“HAL aims to meet all civil certification requirements within next 4-5 years,” they added. “EASA [European Aviation Safety Agency] certification is expected to take another eight months from receipt of civil certification from DGCA.”

Large parts of hilly terrain in north and northeast India are currently serviced by single engine helicopters like the Bell 407 and Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3. If the indigenous LUH achieves civil certification and proves itself, it may offer a competing product to Indian operators in the heli-tourism and commuter roles.

HAL’s civil-certified ALH flies in limited numbers in India. Non-military customers of the ALH are limited to the Border Security Force (BSF), Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) and a few other government agencies, totalling just four to five helicopters.

There are about 350 civil helicopters flying in India today, and HAL’s plans to tap the civil market with LUH, however tentative, could mark a new chapter in Indian aerospace. The LUH will face stiff competition from proven products that Indian customers have been operating for years, with a need to prove a competitive operating cost and availability rate with these established types. HAL officials quoted their recent self-deployment of 7,000 kilometers over 17 days for ‘hot and high’ trials to reiterate that the LUH’s “reliability is proven.” After 200 to 250 hours of flight and servicing that followed, they found the three main components – gearbox, engine and rotors to be in “very good” condition.

A senior member of the LUH design team said they are targeting “over 90 percent aircraft serviceability,” having done away with the problematic Integrated Dynamic System that plagued the ALH since inception. The “two-segmented blade” adopted for the first time on the LUH rotor system offers a compact folded dimension, easy transportability and interchangeability, he said. This technology is planned to be ported on the ALH in due course, as per HAL.
https://www.defencenews.in/article/HAL-to-bring-the-LUH-into-the-civilian-market-809397

 

[Bleh]

Never realised how tiny LUH is compared to Dhuv. Such a cutie!

 

[Akula]

Can we add gun pods or rocket pods on LUH?

 

[Bleh]

Can we add gun pods or rocket pods on LUH?

Probably. It can carry 1ton load at low altitude and 500kg at high altitude.

But it will be more useful in support roles, with a side granade-launcher (we dont use gatling guns for some reason) and two rocket pods.

 

[Karthi]

Standby Instruments System for Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). It displays helicopter parameters like Altitude, Baro-Altitude, Indicated Airspeed, Vertical Speed, Roll, Pitch and Heading on color AMLCD housed in a 3ATI case. It has a built in IMU and Pressure sensor

 

[Sridhar_TN]

For The LCH They Should Replace that 20mm Gun with a 30mm or 40mm Gun like GIAT-30 or Russian Shipanov or A Indigenous Indian 30 or 40mm. Nobody Uses 20s Anymore for Ground Attacks Especially if it’s a Auto Cannon. I think We should also Integrate the Anti-Tank Missiles Such Hellfire or AT-9 along HELINA Missile. These Missiles are Produced by India Especially AT-9 but i don’t if Hellfires are made in India. I think We Should also Add More Hardpoints for Air to Air Missiles as well on the LCH.

The name of the platform is ‘LIGHT’ Combat Helicopter.

 

[Bleh]

The name of the platform is ‘LIGHT’ Combat Helicopter.

Nah, a light platform does not necessarily mean it cannot carry heavy armament.

Weight difference between 20mm M621 & 30mm GIAT 30 is 75kg only... Maybe 100kg with ammo load.

But AT-9 was used by our Mi-35. LCH is not built to take that sort of punishment to launch ATGMs from line-of-sight. SANT for it only that it can launch from 20km away by peeking above the horizon & then duck lower, to hide behind the skyline. Curved earth provides cover.

But agreed about the A2A missile too. Americans added a wing-tip pylon to their light attack helicopter. No point having those Mistral (only 20kg) occupy a hardpoint.

 

[Sridhar_TN]

Nah, a light platform does not necessarily mean it cannot carry heavy armament.

Weight difference between 20mm M621 & 30mm GIAT 30 is 75kg only... Maybe 100kg with ammo load.

But AT-9 was used by our Mi-35. LCH is not built to take that sort of punishment to launch ATGMs from line-of-sight. SANT for it only that it can launch from 20km away by peeking above the horizon & then duck lower, to hide behind the skyline. Curved earth provides cover.

But agreed about the A2A missile too. Americans added a wing-tip pylon to their light attack helicopter. No point having those Mistral (only 20kg) occupy a hardpoint. View attachment 49533

Sorry, but the first sentence in your response is the definition of contradictory.

We mean LIGHT, because we want it to reach high altitudes. As light as possible, to increase high altitude performance envelope. Getting rid of the cannons is actually better, and focus on adding guided rocket capability, and ability to launch ATGM’s.
Yeah, we can add tons of stuff to the LCH and make it a slow low flying turkey. The deployment doctrine of the LCH with the IAF and Viper with the USMC is vastly different.
A 100kg addition in weight is close to 10% additional weight for such platforms.

 

[Bleh]

We mean LIGHT, because we want it to reach high altitudes. As light as possible, to increase high altitude performance envelope.

So how about a 7.62?.. It's still a light platform with a bigger gun. 70kg weight increment is nothing, will result in barely any performance difference. A single SANT is 50kg!

At thin air of 6,500 metres (service ceiling), its effectively weapon payload of 350-500 kg. At Rajasthan (only 28 Apaches, so LCH will operate everywhere) that doubles.

Getting rid of the cannons is actually better...

...A 100kg addition in weight is close to 10% additional weight for such platforms.

Ooookk buddy. End of discussion. Lol

 

[Sridhar_TN]

It's still a light platform with a bigger gun. 70kg weight increment is nothing... Will result in barely any performance difference. A single SANT is 50kg.

At thin ait of 6,500 metres (service ceiling), its effectively weapon payload of 350-500 kg.
Ooookk buddy. End of discussion. Lol

Yeah, let’s add a mid air refueling probe as well. And some nice spanky guided Bombs. Why not add a small cargo compartment where troops can be loaded as well.
You’re talking as if these platforms are going to be fighting at sea level altitude. A small increment in weight causes major fluctuations in performance envelope at higher altitudes for a ‘helicopter’ platform. This is not the same as a jet propelled platform.
Definitely the end of discussion with you at least .

 

[Bleh]

You’re talking as if these platforms are going to be fighting at sea level altitude.

Nope. Read again.

A small increment in weight causes major fluctuations in performance.

Incorrect. It is proportional. Payload decreases from 700kg at sea level to 500 kg at service ceiling.

2250kg empty + fuel + 350kg payload ≈ 2300kg + fuel + 350kg payload.

(@IndianHawk what's the internal fuel?)

 

[Sridhar_TN]

Nope. Read again.
Incorrect. It is proportional. Payload decreases from 700kg at sea level to 500 kg at service ceiling.

2250kg empty + fuel + 350kg payload ≈ 2300kg + fuel + 350kg payload.

(@IndianHawk what's the internal fuel?)

Hold up..how did or why did your 2250kg empty become approximately equal to 2300kg?

 

[MIDKNIGHT FENERIR-00]

The name of the platform is ‘LIGHT’ Combat Helicopter.

Adding 30mm isn’t going to make the Helicopter that Heavy of Platform.

 

[IndianHawk]

Nope. Read again.
Incorrect. It is proportional. Payload decreases from 700kg at sea level to 500 kg at service ceiling.

2250kg empty + fuel + 350kg payload ≈ 2300kg + fuel + 350kg payload.

(@IndianHawk what's the internal fuel?)

Don't know !! Only that lch range on internal fuel is about 550km. With drop tanks it goes to 700+km.

 

[Sridhar_TN]

Adding 30mm isn’t going to make the Helicopter that Heavy of Platform.

Adding 30mm isn’t going to make the Helicopter that Heavy of Platform.

There should be no need to add a bigger/heavier gun on the LCH than the one currently fitted on it.
Focus should be on carrying effective ATGM’s and guided rockets if possible. In addition, countermeasures to MANPAD systems. MANPADS are the main threats that platforms like this will face and can be deadly when engaging China or pak.

 

[IndianHawk]

There should be no need to add a bigger/heavier gun on the LCH than the one currently fitted on it.
Focus should be on carrying effective ATGM’s and guided rockets if possible. In addition, countermeasures to MANPAD systems. MANPADS are the main threats that platforms like this will face and can be deadly when engaging China or pak.

The LCH is protected via an extensive electronic warfare suite which is provided by the South African division of Saab Group; this suite comprises various defensive elements to guard against several different threats, these include a radar warning receiver (RWR), laser warning receiver (LWR) and a missile approach warning (MAW) system.[5]

And it also has infrared suppressor just like Apache.

It's a very advanced helicopter. Only other iaf birds with laser warning are rafale and maybe Apache . Lol.