Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) comes under the
Department of
Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence of the
Indian government. The aims and objectives of the ADA are to
undertake, aid, promote, guide, manage, co-ordinate and execute
research in aeronautical science, which includes the design
and development of various types of aircraft and rotorcraft.
Facilities: ADA has a number of major facilities like
computing system facility, cockpit environment facility,
lightning test facility, Wind Tunnel testing facility, Iron
Bird and LCA Hanger in order to make the LCA fly successfully.
With the increasing use of modern sensitive electronics and
also of non-metallic
composites, modern aircrafts are highly vulnerable to lightning.
A Lightning Test Facility helps in achieving the lightning-worthiness
of aircraft through well-designed experiments. ASMS is an
ergonomic verbo-visual interactive training simulator for
complex engineering applications. ASMS can also function as
'Job Performance Simulator' and 'Diagnostic Simulator'.
The other facility is the Computing System Facility.
Milestones:
Successful Low Speed Taxi Trials (LSTT) on the first Technology
Demonstrator (TD1) aircraft.
FCS software of LCA has undergone system integration checks.
FCS Software is undergoing tests on IRON-BIRD for its maiden
flight.
Successful First Flight of LCA - TD1 on January 4, 2001.
The LCA TD2 is fully equipped and undergoing system level
integration tests and will also take to
the sky soon following TD1 flight.
ADA has also carried out some international projects like
Long Range Bombers, Fighters Ground Attack, Surveillance &
Patrol, Attack helicopters, Transporters & Tankers, Training
Aircraft and Support Helicopters.
About LCA: Conceived in 1983, the LCA programme completed
its Project
Definition Phase in 1989, and the Full Scale Engineering Development
(FSED) Phase I was sanctioned in 1993. The aircraft design
is configured to match the stringent demands of modern combat
scenario, including speed, acceleration, maneuverability and
agility. It is incorporated with features such as short takeoff
and landing, excellent flight performance, safety, reliability
and maintainability. The new generation glass cockpit of the
LCA incorporates the latest avionics systems and an effective
pilot-vehicle interface.
The LCA's development effort is spearheaded by the ADA and
assisted by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
and a host of defence research and development organisations,
besides various public and private sector establishments.
Wg Cdr Rajiv Kothiyal successfully carried out the first flight
of the LCA on January 4, 2001. This milestone of ADA assumes
great importance in the entire history of the Indian Aviation
Industry.
For more details contact:
Aeronautical Development Agency
Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India,
#1718, Vimanapura Post,
Bangalore - 560 017.
Click
here for an interview with Wg Cdr Rajiv Kothiyal
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