India working on hypersonic plane, first flight planned 2007

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-01-02 12:40am

The story in the Deccan Herald, December 27

It's also notable that the Indians have developed (with Russian partnership, although more Indian involvement than in past ventures) the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-01-02 01:27am

The Brahmos is just a version of the new Russian Oniks (export name: Yakhont) anti-ship missile- it's visibly indistinguishable from it's progenitor save for the fact it's intended for vertical launch, while the Oniks is canister launched. I suspect there's little difference in performance save for a few Indian electronics and such on the Brahmos. As for hypersonic plane in 3 years time, I'll believe it when I say it. Their rather modest fighter program to replace their stocks of MiG-21s, the LCA (now named Teja), has been a complete boondoggle so far.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-01-02 03:36am

Yeah, a lot of this is nationalism and unfounded hype. It's still interesting that they're at least trying to compete with the first world countries.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-01-02 04:05am

I'll lick the sole of my left shoe if they so much as build a mockup.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-01-02 04:54am

Howedar wrote:I'll lick the sole of my left shoe if they so much as build a mockup.

Fat lot of good it'll do them- they don't have an indigenous engine industry to speak of, let alone any sort of tech that would allow to push that fancy mockup along

(they have this 'Kaveri' engine for their LCA/Teja fighter, unfortunately it's shit and they're using F404 engines)

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-01-02 08:10am

Vympel wrote:
Howedar wrote:I'll lick the sole of my left shoe if they so much as build a mockup.
Fat lot of good it'll do them- they don't have an indigenous engine industry to speak of, let alone any sort of tech that would allow to push that fancy mockup along

(they have this 'Kaveri' engine for their LCA/Teja fighter, unfortunately it's shit and they're using F404 engines)

Last I heard they built a prototype for the light combat aircraft and test flown the plane last year. The plane had an Indian engine.

The Indian indigenous aerospace industry isnt very advanced. But they have built missiles of all sorts including SAMs, anti-tank missiles of all types and many types of ballistic missiles. But except the ballistic missiles none of their missiles are known to be in active service.

The Aliens · Post by **The Aliens** » 2004-01-02 01:28pm

It's just nationalism. If they manage to build that, I'll be stunned, but for now they're trying to make India look good to the First World.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-01-02 01:30pm

At least they're trying. Even if what they build happens to stink, they'll learn a lot.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-01-02 01:37pm

They have more important things they should be spending their time and money on, like modernizing their antiquated infrastructure.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2004-01-02 04:55pm

This reminds me of the vahanas, creatures from Hindu mythology said to be the "steeds of the gods". Astro-archaeologist loonies have then went on to interpretate the Hindu deities as space aliens and the Vahanas as their starships.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-01-02 05:20pm

GrandAdmiralPrawn wrote:At least they're trying. Even if what they build happens to stink, they'll learn a lot.

No they probably wont, India has a long history of attempting to develop advanced technology (espically military), failing utterly after a few years and then ending buying a foreign production license that they could have gotten years before. As Vympel noted, there domestic aviation industry is hard pressed to design and produce what are basically armed advanced trainers. I seriously doubt this article has any grounding in reality, and if it does then it's probably an exaggeration of a program that's actually just a concept study.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-01-02 05:34pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:I seriously doubt this article has any grounding in reality, and if it does then it's probably an exaggeration of a program that's actually just a concept study.

I think the article mentioned that it actually is just a concept study at this point. After that, it says this: "Mr Prahlada is confident India will achieve the first actual flight of the engine by 2007." So it's just one guy saying that he thinks he can overcome in four years all the problems that the United States has had for the past thirty years.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-01-02 06:23pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:No they probably wont, India has a long history of attempting to develop advanced technology (espically military), failing utterly after a few years and then ending buying a foreign production license that they could have gotten years before.

Ah yes, suddenly I remember the Arjun tank...

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-01-02 08:35pm

It should be noted that the Light Combat Aircraft took sixteen years from specification layout to first flight.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-01-02 09:25pm

Peregrin Toker wrote:This reminds me of the vahanas, creatures from Hindu mythology said to be the "steeds of the gods". Astro-archaeologist loonies have then went on to interpretate the Hindu deities as space aliens and the Vahanas as their starships.

Yeah, JMS set up the Narn mythology in B5 to be a parallel of the Ramayana. It was a mythic phrasing of an interstellar war. Kinda cool.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-01-07 03:54am

Darth Wong wrote:They have more important things they should be spending their time and money on, like modernizing their antiquated infrastructure.

You should read "Vision 2020" by India's president Abu J Kalam. He advocates fission powered civilian aircraft by the year 2020. Incidently he used to be in charge of Indias nuclear program. No wonder they trasfered him to desk job.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-01-07 04:15am

evilcat4000 wrote:[Last I heard they built a prototype for the light combat aircraft and test flown the plane last year. The plane had an Indian engine.

No, it was an F404- the Kaveri engine doesn't work. It's sitting in a Tu-16 on a Russian airfield being tested.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-01-07 04:47am

Still? The last report I'd seen was from 1999.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-01-07 04:57am

Howedar wrote:Still? The last report I'd seen was from 1999.

Yup, still- in fact, I don't know if it's actually being tested, but it's still there, sitting in that Tu-16.