HAL Light Combat Helicopter completes hot weather trials

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) attained a milestone by successfully completing hot weather flight trials for a nearly one week at Jodhpur recently. LCH prototype, TD-3 was ferried from Bengaluru to Jodhpur to achieve the trials.

"Test flights were carried out in the temperature range of 39 to 42 degree Celsius. These were done with the involvement of customer pilots from Indian Air Force and Army in presence of representatives from RCMA and DGAQA", said HAL's CMD T Suvarana Raju.

According to HAL, the flight testing covered 'temperature survey of engine bay and hydraulic system', 'assessment of performance', 'handling qualities and loads' at different 'all up weights', 'low speed handling' and 'height-velocity diagram establishment'.


The Light Combat Helicopter is a twin-engine, combat helicopter of 5.8-tonne class designed and developed by HAL to meet the requirements of Indian defence forces. The helicopter is designed to carry out dedicated combat roles such as Air Defence, anti-tank, scout and support combat search/rescue missions, says HAL.

LCH had completed cold weather flight testing at Leh in February 2015. The helicopter is powered by two Shakti engines.

"The indigenous design of the helicopter incorporates advanced technology features for facilitating combat operations and includes a narrow fuselage with tandem seating configuration for Pilot and Co-pilot or Weapon system operator (WSO). It incorporates a number of stealth features such as reduced visual, aural, radar and infra-red signatures and crashworthy landing gear, armour protection for better survivability," says HAL.