India’s HJT-36 Jet Trainer Makes International Debut at Le Bourget
Appearing for the first time outside India, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.’s HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer (IJT) is claimed by HAL to be a fast-track project, to replace about 170 aging Indian Air Force HAL HJT-16 Kirans. First flight of the prototype was achieved within 36 months from conception and 20 months from metal being cut. On show at Le Bourget is the second prototype, powered like the first with a 3,175-pound Snecma Larzac 04-H20 turbofan, with a joint background of more than 150 flight-test sorties since March 7, 2003. Its steeply stepped full digital glass cockpit accommodates two tandem Russian Zvezda K-36CT lightweight zero-zero ejection seats.
The aircraft is now planned to enter low-rate initial production in 2007. This is about three years later than originally scheduled, following a late 2004 decision to replace the HJT-36’s original Larzac powerplant with recently developed 3,750-pound Ufa Engine Building Association (UMPO)/Saturn AL-55 turbofans. Its systems include a wide variety of indigenous and imported equipment, designed with computer-aided engineering and manufacture (CAE&M) procedures. For intermediate training, the HJT-36 had an original design operating limit of some 0.7 Mach or more, which seems unlikely to change significantly with the Russian engines. Mission systems are installed to deliver up to 2,240 pounds of stores on five hardpoints for light attack or training roles. — John Fricker
