SOURCE: TUSHKAR SHIRODKAR / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG
Indian state-owned aerospace and defense company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is running against time to achieve production of 7 aircraft in the current financial year, yet only four have made its first flight while the current fiscal year barely has just over two months left for the company to keep up its pace.
SP-10, SP-11,SP-12, and SP-14 have all made its first flight this fiscal year and first three aircraft have already been handed over to the air-force, SP-13 is presently undergoing engine ground run which will be later followed by High-speed taxi trials in about weeks time and SP-15 and SP-16 are already at advanced stages of equipping at HAL’s production line but will they make it ? its the suspense which will continue till end of March.
Bad News is that SP-15 is being readied at HAL’s second production line at the Aircraft Division which has often missed its target in the past and the good news is that SP-16 which is under assembly at the first production line is most likely to supersede SP-15 and SP-16 also will be the first aircraft to integrate Wings developed by private firm L&T.
HAL will have to face an even higher taunting task for FY 2019-2020 where it has to deliver over 10 aircraft for the next fiscal but since next batch of aircraft will only be FOC Standard ones, first aircraft SP-21 will make it to air only in October 2019 and preparations are already underway at HAL Production line and work have already started from SP-21 to SP-25 and more aircraft will be added to the assembly jigs later in the year to meet its target.