The Hindu : An 'Indian' jet engine

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 17, 2003

Business

Business

An 'Indian' jet engine — still a dream

Many Indian small and medium enterprises could have made a similar entry into the aviation industry. No wonder an `Indian' aero engine is a rarity though it is never too late, in this centenary year of the discovery of man's powered `flying ability.'

THE THRUST seen in the Indian space sector is missing in the aero engine development area. This is strange since the space segment is young compared to aviation, which had been there since the British days. Indian researchers and adventurers had indulged in aviating much before the launch of sounding rockets from Thumba. Indian mythology mentions air transportation.

Very few institutions of higher education in India have an aerospace department that has aero engine study as part of the syllabus; almost none have an exclusive optional subject such as aero engine technology. Decades ago, the steel industry came up in India to lay a strong foundation near the iron ore mines. Aluminium is abundant but has been thought of mainly as an airframe material. Though alchemy is mentioned in mythology, materials to make an aero engine have not attracted much attention in India.

Metallurgy and material science are the core of aero engine technology. The higher the temperature that can be generated and handled in a jet engine combustion chamber, the higher is the thrust. The materials used need to withstand the higher temperature. Material science leads the technology, now. Despite intense efforts in the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory and the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, the Kaveri engine for Tejas, the Indian Light Combat Aircraft under development, is still a far cry. An Indian built Kaveri was taken to Russia to be evaluated at high altitudes but

success seems elusive, judging from the absence of any noise. The Chief of the Indian Air Force has announced that he is not expecting the Kaveri to be ready in the next few years.

Till the LCA programme started making news and was given a thrust, hardly any private entrepreneur had contributed to aviation technology in India. Even now, very few contribute to the aero engine development. The industry needs large investment and a long gestation period. The aerospace industry did not get support from the private sector. Aero modelling was encouraged but no supportive arm was extended to the engine. Kabini is an offshoot of Kaveri. It is a jet engine that can be used to generate electricity, a beneficial spinoff of the Kaveri.programme. But active involvement by academicians, institutions, research and development establishments and the Government has been conspicuous by its absence for aerospace programmes. We still look at modern aircraft with sophisticated engines in awe.

A missed opportunity

The Commonwealth of Independent States, created after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, provided a valuable opportunity for India but this was not grabbed. Some CIS countries that were far advanced in aero engine technology were looking for trade in exchange of technology. Joint ventures with Indian private industry could have provided a platform. When the Advanced Jet Trainer for the IAF got delayed, used MiG 21 trainer aircraft were purchased from Kyrgyzstan. Israel's Airborne Warning and Control System `Phalcon' Radar is to be integrated with Uzbekistan's Ilyushin 76 aircraft for the IAF. The neglect of the aero engine as a `possible' product of joint ventures is intriguing. Are Indian companies fighting shy?

Worldwide, 1.15 million direct employees serve the aerospace industry. The U.S. employs 531,900 people. The European Union has about 408,000 aerospace employees after shedding 27,700 last year. Canada employs 78,800 and Japan 31,000. Including China and India, others account for about 9 per cent of the total aerospace employees in the world. Though demand from civil aircraft dropped by 30 per cent last year, order intake for aero engines from non-E.U. countries went up to 150 per cent of the total turnover of E.U. aerospace Industry, About 80 per cent of the E.U. industry's turnover and employment is confined to France, Germany, Italy and the U.K

European industry's strength

Despite a downturn of 12 billion euro in 2001-02, out of a total turnover of 79.62 billion euro in the E.U. aerospace industry, exports and domestic offtake in civil aviation amount to 47 billon euro and only 21 billion euro comes from the military segment. `Civil' aero engines alone fetch 12.35 billion euro while the military aircraft engine turnover was 3.3 billion. The European aerospace industry comprises 750 companies. Of these only seven have more than 10,000 employees each, 74 employ 1,000 to 10,000, 143 between 250 and 1,000 and 526 less than 250 each.

The European Aeronautics Defence and Space Company (EADS) announced a `recent' decision to get listed on the New York Stock Exchange to raise its profile in the U.S. Because of a downturn the European Association of Aerospace Industries, AECMA, is looking for joint ventures even with India, considered backward in this industry not long ago. Many Indian small and medium enterprises could have made a similar entry into the aviation industry. No wonder an `Indian' aero engine is a rarity though it is never too late, in this centenary year of the discovery of man's powered `flying ability.'

One hundred years ago the Wright brothers put their innovative skills together to build a machine that would fly carrying a man. Warmongers saw its potential as a `flying weapon' to add punch to the war arsenal. Very soon it was realised that the engine is the heart that keeps the flying machine and the flier alive. Whither the Indian jet engine?

Sqn Ldr B. G. Prakash

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An 'Indian' jet engine — still a dream