Our success is a secret
By Anantha Krishnan M.
Posted On Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:53:32 PM
It was one flight that every aviation aficionado was waiting for for years. It was one flight that desi bloggers wrote about non-stop the willit and wont-it stuff.
And when the moment finally arrived, its makers chose to keep the matter under cover. In an era of communication revolution and RTI, heres a bunch of babus, choosing to be frogs in the well.
Literally! You are tuned into Bengaluru the Aviation Capital of India!
After months of speculation, delays and teething problems, the much-hyped version of Indias light and not-so-late flying machine kissed the skies for the first time in Bangalore on Monday (March 29).
Made by the Navaratna giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), this metal bird, christened the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), hovered around a highly restricted airspace for just under 30 minutes.
The flight also put to rest the machine’s flab-issues, at least for now.
According to insiders, the maiden flight of the trim n slim LCH was the result of untiring efforts of hundreds of engineers and designers, who ensured that the machine didn’t miss its date with this fiscal year.
HAL managed to keep all proceedings under wraps and barring one national daily, none had any clue.
Surprisingly, late on Tuesday evening, HAL issued a release which did not say anything significant about the first flight, barring the visuals.
Post-Kargil decision
The LCH project was conceived by former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Srinivasapuram Krishnaswami post-Kargil as both the Indian Army and the Air Force felt the need for a swift and sure, light and lethal flying platform tailor-made for high-altitude operations.
Krishnaswami’s signals were picked up by former HAL chairman Ashok K. Baweja, who inspired his team to hit the drawing board. Thankfully, LCH had a proven platform in ALH to emulate, barring some design and cockpit modifications.
Mondays maiden flight, according to insiders — including security staff, gate-keepers, shop-floor employees and some designers—was a perfect one. The flight lasted less than 30 minutes.
The pilot, after an extended hover session, got on to a slow-speed cyclic manoeuvre routine, at a height of around 20-25 metres. HAL’s Chief Test Pilot (Rotary Wing) Wg Cdr Unni Pillai piloted the LCH, closely watched by many in-house biggies.
He expressed happiness and felt great handling the machine. No surprises were reported and no major parameters were there to be checked,” insiders said.
More than the tension in the air, the real drama was on the ground. Close to 2,000 HAL employees were witness to this secret flight of a giant PSU.
No official photograph/video or any release was made available to the media. Those assembled close to the Helicopter Divisions exclusive tarmac area clicked at will, using their mobile phones and cameras.
Details of LCH’s secret flight was the hot topic of discussion, with the lucky ones flashing their mobiles with still and action shots.
Stand-alone achievement
Sadly, LCHs maiden flight is the only stand-alone achievement that HAL could boast in the last one year, barring some all-is-well handshake pacts and photo-ops.
If the usually-split top brass is to be believed, the health of the company is sinking with production figurers plummeting and all projects running way behind the schedule.Insiders attribute Srinivasans man-managing skills to the success of LCH flight, after the morale of the HAL chopper team hit an all-time low following ALH crashes in India and Ecuador.
For the record, HAL has already bagged an order to deliver 179 LCHs to the Army and the IAF. LCH’s armaments and sensors are already being tested on the ALH WSI version.
Time to work together
Asked to comment on LCHs maiden flight, former IAF chief S Krishnaswami said: To me, LCH is a minimal risk venture, considering the fact that it has the proven dynamics of ALH, including the weapons.
Now, everybody should work together and make it fly for the Forces at the earliest. Considering the time and cost over-runs generally associated with HAL’s programmes, it’s high time that such a proven platform is put right on the track,” he said.
Former HAL chairman Ashok Baweja felt the success of LCH would depend on the quick certification of the machine.
“The second prototype has to be made available quickly so that certification becomes faster with two machines flying.
I hope the improvised gear box will also be ready soon which will then give LCH a better control margin,” the man, credited with the success of the Dhruv chopper, said.
It’s now a billon-dollar question whether the positives from the maiden LCH flight will bring the much-needed Lady Luck to the company’s shaky state of affairs. Watch this space on more on that!
Our success is a secret
