HAL Prachand - Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

[Defencearts]

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It seems those are Mistrals

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I love this skin!! Are they going to use this skin for a group of choppers?

 

[manindra]

I love this skin!! Are they going to use this skin for a group of choppers?

No

Please enter a message with at least 30 characters.

 

[sorcerer]

Comparison Of India's LCH Against Other Attack Choppers

 

[Punya Pratap]

Just saw LCH at Jodhpur IAF Base.... Look forward to more trial runs

 

[blueblood]

Just saw LCH at Jodhpur IAF Base.... Look forward to more trial runs

Desert trials it seems.

Do report if you see anything.

 

[Pulkit]

Desert trials it seems.

Do report if you see anything.

Wat stage is the testing at any idea?

 

[blueblood]

Wat stage is the testing at any idea?

No clue, but IIRC high altitude and plains trails are already done. So this could be the final trails before the advent of TD-4. Fingers crossed.

 

[pmaitra]

Just saw LCH at Jodhpur IAF Base.... Look forward to more trial runs

Man, you should have taken a picture with your phone.

 

[Shaitan]

Wat stage is the testing at any idea?

When TD4 is ready, all prototypes will enter weapons trials.

 

[Pulkit]

When TD4 is ready, all prototypes will enter weapons trials.

If I am not wrong it was supposed to be ready by Feb-March this year 2015 when HAL said they will be releasing funds from its own budget.

But is there any update on the tentative dates for TD4 and TD5?

 

[Shaitan]

If I am not wrong it was supposed to be ready by Feb-March this year 2015 when HAL said they will be releasing funds from its own budget.

But is there any update on the tentative dates for TD4 and TD5?

I think there is a TD4 prototype fleshed out already. Not sure of it's first official flight, I didnt know of a TD5 actually.

 

[Punya Pratap]

Sorry guys I dint take any pictures from the Camera as the Jodhpur base is very sensitive but below is what I saw:

1) LCH was indeed going through its straps since it was doing all the flight tests including hovering over the airbase as well as fly outs!

2) The LCH was sporting its double tone camo colour tone and by its looks I can say the colour scheme was pretty shiny and new..... Dare I hope that its the latest prototype TD 4??

3) I can confirm that it was sporting the under the chin cannon as well as rocket pods but whether they were loaded is something I cannot say!

Shall update here if I see anything more .... I did get a video on the phone of a Su-30 MKI doing all it can days before the 26th Jan. I swear it did all the stunts you can imagine but I lost the video when my F*&^%king data card crashed

 

[Chinmoy]

As far as I came to know through news channels, the cold and hot weather trial of LCH has been completed. Just not sure whether the weapon testing has been completed or not. The notable thing is also that HELINA has been tested recently. Hope to see both of these in a single package soon enough.

 

[cobra commando]

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[cobra commando]

^One more pic:

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[jackprince]

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Sure looks badass!!! I like this camo much more than previous one.

 

[cobra commando]

LCH becomes first attack helicopter to land at Siachen

 

[Chinmoy]

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SIMPLY AWESOME. Waiting to see more and more of it.
YEH DIL MAANGE MORE

 

[blueblood]

LCH becomes first attack helicopter to land at Siachen

Uh oh.... Pakis are in big trouble.

 

[Punya Pratap]

HAL Completes Hot & High Altitude Trials of LCH at Leh; First Attack Helicopter to Land at Forward Base
Published September 3, 2015 | By admin
SOURCE: HAL PR

HAL successfully carried out the hot and the high-altitude trials of indigenously designed, developed attack chopper Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at Leh recently. “These seasonal trials – including cold weather trials carried out at Leh during February this year – have been completed as part of the certification process. The flight trials at Leh have established hover performance and low speed handling characteristics of the helicopter under extreme weather conditions at different altitudes (3200 to 4800 m). During the trials, the helicopter and systems performed satisfactorily. LCH also has proven its capability to land and take off at Forward Landing Base in Siachen. LCH is the first attack helicopter to land in Forward Bases at Siachen”, says Mr.T. Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL.

The trials were carried out on the third prototype of LCH (TD3) at Leh at the temperatures ranging from 13 to 27 degree centigrade with the participation of user pilots from Air Force, Army and representatives from CEMILAC and DGAQA. Various tests included assessment and validation of flight envelope in ‘Hot-and-High’ conditions, culminating in landing at forward bases at geographic elevations of 13,600 feet to 15,800 feet. These landings and take-offs were demonstrated with reasonable amount of weapon load and fuel.

The upper reaches of the Indus river and its tributaries, Nubra and Shyok are home to the mighty Ladakh and Eastern Karakorum Ranges, with multiple lofty peaks over 25,000 feet and an average ridgeline elevation of 20,000 feet. It is also home to the largest glaciated area outside the Polar Regions and is sometimes called the ‘Third Pole’. The Siachen is the largest glacier here and is central to this region. The area experiences a period of summer during July-August in which temperatures soar to 30 degrees above standard atmosphere conditions. This mix of extreme altitudes and relatively high temperatures (‘Hot-and-High’) saps helicopter performance and as such, a few types of helicopters are able to operate effectively all year around.

LCH Progress:

With the extensive trials carried out on three prototypes at Bengaluru, sea level at Chennai in November 2013, cold weather at Leh during January/February 2015, hot weather at Jodhpur in July 2015 and hot and high altitude trials at a few days ago at Leh, the performance and handling qualities of the helicopter have been established for basic configuration (with EO Pod, Rocket launchers, Turret Gun and Air-to-Air missile launchers). The system functionalities have been assessed and found satisfactory during the trials and long-duration ferry across India. Further development activities are under progress and the weapon firing trials are planned during in the middle of 2016.

The advantage of indigenous development of helicopters such as ALH, LCH and LUH at HAL is that the users’ requirement are well captured right from early design stage and are fine-tuned as the project progresses with the involvement of users so that the product complies to the stringent operational requirements at high altitudes (Himalayan and North Eastern terrains)