The Hindu : National : Tejas aircraft complete 227 test sorties

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Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

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National

Tejas aircraft complete 227 test sorties

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JUNE 5. The three Tejas aircraft, the indigenously developed advanced jet trainers, have so far flown 227 test sorties and logged 137 flying hours, according to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) here.

On May 11, the National Technology Day, the three Tejas aircraft flew over Bangalore in a formation flight led by Group Capt. R.K.S. Bahaduria. On May 18, the Tejas Technology Demonstrator (TD-2) flew its 100th test flight with the Wing Commander, Vikram Singh, in command.

The maiden flight of this aircraft was on June 6, 2002, and after completing 103 flights and 55 flying hours, it is undergoing its scheduled servicing and maintenance checks, the ADA said.

The Tejas has several other distinctions. It has flown up to an altitude of 15 km. at a speed of Mach 1.4. It has reached sustained manoeuvres of 4.5 G and 1 G and "angle of attack" of 20 degrees, all considered significant for a fighter aircraft. It has flown roller coaster, Dutch and Cuban rolls exhibiting its agility and performed a sustained inverted flight. The pilots who have flown it so far have rated its handling characteristics as "very good," according to the ADA.

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