Defence News
LCA-Tejas SP-7 carries out its maiden flight
The Seventh Series Production Tejas aircraft today carried out its first maiden flight from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility in Bangalore successfully.
As per company policy, each aircraft carries out initial few flights by test pilots later the aircraft will be transferred to IAF’s Flying Daggers which is the first LCA-Tejas Squadron.
LCA-Tejas-SP-6 had completed its first flight in the month of July since then HAL was not able to keep pace with schedule delivery and SP-5 which was first aircraft coming out of second production line is yet to make its maiden flight due to technical glitches.
HAL till now has delivered Tejas-SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 and SP6 and was committed to deliver six more planes by end of March 2018.
With SP-7 completing its maiden flight and SP-5’s technical issues been sorted out HAL is also making efforts to get SP-8 in the air by end of 2017 or in early 2018.
SP-9, SP-10 and SP-11 are already in various stages of the assembly and HAL officials are confident that all three remaining aircraft will be transferred by end of March 2018 and last of the aircraft will complete its maiden trial by early March.
45 squadron (Flying Daggers) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) also recently successfully completed first simulated night attack demonstration of the aircraft which was done to test the ability to carry out ground strikes in the cover of darkness.
