How can we Improve Tejas Mark I? Your suggestions and ideas.

[Babloo Singh]

@Babloo Singh
This was almost 11 years back, now what happened to it, no idea. These guys might have already left India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...-technology/story-lCRAiAM2JfITcoU4ahCRBI.html
Materials scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee (IIT-R) have developed microwave absorbing nanocomposite coatings that could make aircraft almost invisible to radar.

The technology for building invisible, or stealth aircraft, is a closely guarded secret of developed countries and a handful of laboratories in India are doing research in this area.

Radars that emit pulses of microwave radiation identify flying aircraft by detecting the radiation reflected by the aircraft's metallic body.

The nanocomposite coatings developed by Rahul Sharma, RC Agarwala and Vijaya Agarwala at IIT-R absorb most of the incident radiation and reflect very little.

Sharma, who revealed his team's work at an international nanomaterials conference held recently at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, believes their nano-product is a significant step in developing a technology to enable aircraft escape radar surveillance and protect its equipment from electronic "jamming".

Nanoparticles - so called because of their very small size - are known to exhibit unique physical and chemical properties. The IIT team found that crystals of "barium hexaferrite" with particle size of 10-15 nanometres have the ability to absorb microwaves. (Human hair, for comparison, is 100,000 nanometres thick).

They developed special processes for synthesising the nanopowder and formulating it as a coating.

Sharma said that the nanocomposite coating on the aluminium sheet absorbed 89 per cent of incident microwaves at 15 giga hertz - the frequency normally used by radars - reflecting only 11 per cent. A stealth aircraft should ideally absorb all the incident radiation and reflect nothing.

Knowingly or Unknowingly we have allowed foreign agencies play havoc with our defense R&D in past.
From poaching, to framing to killing our talent. A batchmate of my brother from IIT-R who joined DRDO was murdered long back.... Hope this has changed and we are able to retain & protect our talent.

 

[Kay]

Knowingly or Unknowingly we have allowed foreign agencies play havoc with our defense R&D in past.
From poaching, to framing to killing our talent. A batchmate of my brother from IIT-R who joined DRDO was murdered long back.... Hope this has changed and we are able to retain & protect our talent.

That's terrible.
..
.. murdered?

 

[Babloo Singh]

That's terrible.
..
.. murdered?

Yes !! worst part is there is no significant compensation, my brother's batch mates collected some significant money to insure that his kids study is taken care of.
Biggest fear of defense scientists is being blamed for spying.... and it is used in internal politics too, that fear is so big that they are OK with delays.

 

[Kay]

Without airframe changes,
update cockpit - panoramic cockpit display, bubble canopy, wires replaced by optical fibres, conformal fuel tanks, better access panels

With airframe changes, in addition to the above-
DSI Intakes, stealthier nosecone, twin tail, frontal stealth, conformal weapon pods, lerx or levcons, retractable fuel intake

 

[Kay]

Yes !! worst part is there is no significant compensation, my brother's batch mates collected some significant money to insure that his kids study is taken care of.
Biggest fear of defense scientists is being blamed for spying.... and it is used in internal politics too, that fear is so big that they are OK with delays.

I guess the fear of spying exists everywhere, in relation to defence affairs, but we need to take better care of our scientists and soldiers -
143 scientists quit DRDO since 2014, says Arun Jaitley

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/YW...s-quit-DRDO-since-2014-says-Arun-Jaitley.html

Sahayak system is still not completely removed, OROP not completely implemented

 

[Saichand K]

My take:

1) Multi ejector racks (This should be the top priority)
2) Supersonic drop tanks (This research is already done by ADA)
3) fuselage hugging centerline drop tank which increases the fuel capacity and improves aerodynamics unlike current drop tank.
4) LEVECONs just like Naval LCA (This research is already done by ADA)
5) Raised Canopy (like in Naval LCA).

Weight can always be reduced with improved technologies gradually with time.

 

[Babloo Singh]

My take:

1) Multi ejector racks (This should be the top priority)
2) Supersonic drop tanks (This research is already done by ADA)
3) fuselage hugging centerline drop tank which increases the fuel capacity and improves aerodynamics unlike current drop tank.
4) LEVECONs just like Naval LCA (This research is already done by ADA)
5) Raised Canopy (like in Naval LCA).

Weight can always be reduced with improved technologies gradually with time.

Why Levecon's ? Air force doesn't have landing speed issue... and levecon's will add weight to already heavy LCA.

 

[pmaitra]

Some of the objections of the IAF have been incorporated in the IA model, which is to be built post 40 initially ordered by the Air Force. There is no more room for any further changes and improvements. All internal layout changes are part of the 1A program. Better radar and avionics can be retrofitted as and when these are built and made available.

As for the IAF consistently rejecting the LCA, it is mainly not based on lack of its performance but on IAF's penchant for imported planes. They have eye on most expensive Rafale. They compare LCA's performance to Rafale and then reject it.

Moreover the clever marketeers of the foreign suppliers consistently invite the top and mid level brass to their manufacturing and training locations and sort of induct a sense of inferior product status in the local brand. Same is true when this top brass goes to air shows which are also marketing ships. Hence when this top brass comeback, they make noises about newer developments elsewhere and hence once again reject the local product.

There may be nothing wrong with 1A, but constant rebuke by the Air Force via a bunch of defence related journalists, who make their living via singing the foreign marketeer's tune is mainly responsible for a sense of inferiority, hence all the discussion on how to improve the LCA is born.

No Airforce in the neighbourhood has a fighter as capable as 1A in its class but it is the sense of inferiority which constantly dodge this pride of the nation, which ruins morale of the engineers and labour building it.

Shame on them........

You mentioned Rafale and foreign suppliers. I would use the carrot and stick policy and tell the French that they might get more Rafale orders if SNECMA can help Kaveri meet the requirements.

without foreign help you cannot improve it.
India does not posses skills and technology to develop high grade engine and material + building modules to enhance Tejas's capability.

We already got General Electric to supply us with turbines for the LCA. Even after this, I would expect a more favourable attitude towards the LCA. It is a light fighter, so it cannot be expected to perform a large numbers of tasks. It was meant to be a high-altitude interceptor, and it should do that job well. That is good enough for me.

I guess the fear of spying exists everywhere, in relation to defence affairs, but we need to take better care of our scientists and soldiers -
143 scientists quit DRDO since 2014, says Arun Jaitley

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/YW...s-quit-DRDO-since-2014-says-Arun-Jaitley.html

Sahayak system is still not completely removed, OROP not completely implemented

A lot of the research is done by university students. Many universities contributed towards the Mars Orbiter Mission. I hope the same is being done with other projects, especially the LCA. Not all the scientists contributing to the project have to be full time employees of DRDO.

P.S.: Batman/OROP are better discussed in their dedicated threads.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

without foreign help you cannot improve it.
India does not posses skills and technology to develop high grade engine and material + building modules to enhance Tejas's capability.

Wrong. Certainly we need some AESA and EW at this stage but we are very much capable of improving platform itself.

 

[Saichand K]

Why Levecon's ? Air force doesn't have landing speed issue... and levecon's will add weight to already heavy LCA.

LEVECON's act like canards in some regard, they improve lift making LCA a more potent interceptor.

 

[WolfPack86]

Better aesa radar, avionics, and uprated kaveri engines will be great addition to tejas.

 

[Steven Rogers]

@Babloo Singh
This was almost 11 years back, now what happened to it, no idea. These guys might have already left India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...-technology/story-lCRAiAM2JfITcoU4ahCRBI.html
Materials scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee (IIT-R) have developed microwave absorbing nanocomposite coatings that could make aircraft almost invisible to radar.

The technology for building invisible, or stealth aircraft, is a closely guarded secret of developed countries and a handful of laboratories in India are doing research in this area.

Radars that emit pulses of microwave radiation identify flying aircraft by detecting the radiation reflected by the aircraft's metallic body.

The nanocomposite coatings developed by Rahul Sharma, RC Agarwala and Vijaya Agarwala at IIT-R absorb most of the incident radiation and reflect very little.

Sharma, who revealed his team's work at an international nanomaterials conference held recently at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, believes their nano-product is a significant step in developing a technology to enable aircraft escape radar surveillance and protect its equipment from electronic "jamming".

Nanoparticles - so called because of their very small size - are known to exhibit unique physical and chemical properties. The IIT team found that crystals of "barium hexaferrite" with particle size of 10-15 nanometres have the ability to absorb microwaves. (Human hair, for comparison, is 100,000 nanometres thick).

They developed special processes for synthesising the nanopowder and formulating it as a coating.

Sharma said that the nanocomposite coating on the aluminium sheet absorbed 89 per cent of incident microwaves at 15 giga hertz - the frequency normally used by radars - reflecting only 11 per cent. A stealth aircraft should ideally absorb all the incident radiation and reflect nothing.

That was found a decade ago in 2006....

 

[Screambowl]

That was found a decade ago in 2006....

yeeah
and then there after they got stuck what to do.
No money..

 

[Kay]

Thrust vectoring nozzles, distributed aperture system, active cancellation system.....

Now I get it....why RFP writing is fun :biggrin2:

 

[Babloo Singh]

Thrust vectoring nozzles, distributed aperture system, active cancellation system.....

Now I get it....why RFP writing is fun :biggrin2:

I will go through F-22 specs to add few more points....

 

[kstriya]

I will go through F-22 specs to add few more points....

If LCA MK2 is going to have a redesigned structure with increasing dimensions why not use the designs of stealth aircraft for MK2 and make it near 5th gen with all the goodies mentioned above.. All I wish is increased range, more sorties and more payload to bomb the hell out of the porkies and chinks...

 

[Babloo Singh]

If LCA MK2 is going to have a redesigned structure with increasing dimensions why not use the designs of stealth aircraft for MK2 and make it near 5th gen with all the goodies mentioned above.. All I wish is increased range, more sorties and more payload to bomb the hell out of the porkies and chinks...

It will become single engine AMCA won't it..... and to do that best way will be to get AMCA flying and then convert it to single engine version.
My above comment was in lighter note as to how RPF's are written :bounce:

 

[pmaitra]

A strike aircraft must have two engines. It is better to have two engines with x kN thrust than to have one engine with 2x kN thrust. The idea is that since it is a strike aircraft, if for any reason one engine is disabled, the aircraft can limp back to its base.

Majority of the strike aircraft have two engines. In the list below, 7 out of 10 aircraft have two engines.

Here is a list: Top 10 Attack Aircraft

I think AMCA must have two engines. LCA can be improved to carry more fuel and if that happens, it can do a decent job in the strike role. However, one must keep in mind it was meant to be a replacement for the MiG-21 and it must do that job well. Everything else is secondary.

 

[G10]

I think we should try a hand ar swept wing too. Maybe asking for too much. But just a prototype to learn.

 

[pmaitra]

I think we should try a hand ar swept wing too. Maybe asking for too much. But just a prototype to learn.

What do you mean by "we should try our hand at swept wing" aircraft?

We've already done that, albeit with some foreign help.

HF-24

Did you mean variable-geometry aircraft aka swing-wing aircraft?