PRESENTED BY:
KUNDAN SINGH BORA

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Introduction
• HAL Tejas is a lightweight multirole jet fighter developed by India.
• It is a tailless, compound delta wing design powered by a single engine.
• It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
• The Tejas has the delta wing configuration, with no tailplanes or foreplanes, features a single vertical fin.
• It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, advanced digital cockpit, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, advanced composite material structures and a flat rated engine.
• The IAF is reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers, while the Indian Navy may order up to 40 single-seaters to replace its Sea Harrier FRS.51 and Harrier T.60.
HISTORY
• The LCA design was finalised in 1990 as a small tail-less delta winged machine with relaxed static stability (RSS) to enhance maneuverability performance.
• Phase 1 would focus on "proof of concept" and would comprise the design, development and testing (DDT) of two technology demonstrator aircraft (TD-1 and TD-2) and fabrication of a structural test specimen (STS) airframe; only after successful testing of the TD aircraft would the Indian government give its full support to the LCA design.
• Phase 2 would consist of the manufacturing of three more prototype vehicles (PV-3 as the production variant, PV-4 as the naval variant, and PV-5 as the trainer variant) and a fatigue test specimen, and the construction of further development and test facilities at various work centres.
LCA Programme
• The LCA programme was launched in 1983.
• The principal and most obvious goal was the development of a replacement aircraft for India's ageing MiG-21 fighters.
• The MiG-21 has been the mainstay of the Indian Air Force since the 1970s.
• The LCA programme's other main objective was to serve as the vehicle for an across-the-board advancement of India's domestic aerospace industry.
Engine and Propulsion
• Initially, it was decided to equip the prototype aircraft with the General Electric F404-GE-F2J3 afterburning turbofan engine. Simultaneously, in 1986, a parallel programme to develop an indigenous powerplant was also launched. Led by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, the GTRE GTX-35VS, named "Kaveri", was expected to replace the F404 on all production aircraft
Design
• The Tejas is single-engined multirole fighter which features a tailless, compound delta planform and is designed with "relaxed static stability" for enhanced maneuverability.
• The tailless, compound-delta planform is designed to keep the Tejas small and lightweight.
• All weapons are carried on one or more of seven hardpoints with total capacity of greater than 4,000 kg: three stations under each wing and one on the under-fuselage centreline.
Air Frame
• The LCA is constructed of aluminium-lithium alloys, carbon-fibre composites (C-FC), and titanium-alloy steels.
• The Tejas employs C-FC materials for up to 45% of its airframe by weight, including in the fuselage (doors and skins), wings (skin, spars and ribs), elevons, tailfin, rudder, air brakes and landing gear doors.
• Apart from making the plane much lighter, there are also fewer joints or rivets, which increases the aircraft's reliability and lowers its susceptibility to structural fatigue cracks.
Characteristics
• Crew: 1
• Length: 13.20 m (43 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
• Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 38.4 m² (413 ft²)
• Empty weight: 6,560 kg (14,460 lb)
• Loaded weight: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,300 kg (29,540 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× General Electric F404-GE-IN20 turbofan
• Dry thrust: 53.9 kN (11,250 lbf)
• Thrust with afterburner: 85 kN (19,000 lbf)
• Internal fuel capacity: 2458 kg
• External fuel capacity: 2x1200 litre drop tank at inboard, 1x725 litre drop tank under fuselage
Performance
• Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (2,376+ km/h at high altitude) at 15,000 m
• Range: 3,000 km (1,840 mi) without refueling
• Service ceiling: 15,000 m (49,200 ft (engine re-igniter safely capable))
• Wing loading: 221.4 kg/m² (45.35 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.91
Recent Development
• The first production variant of the 'Tejas' (LSP-1) flew on June 2008.
• Tejas completed 1000 Test Flights by January, 2009 with more than 530 hours of in-flight testing.
• By June 2010, Tejas had also completed the second phase of hot weather trials.
• Initial Operating Clearance (IOC) for the Tejas was awarded on 10 January 2011 by Defence Minister A K Antony to Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P V Naik.