Magazine from 1989 and 1997, Super 7 Program in Sino US Cooperation, LCA Fighter Program in India

[guangdongt]

I used a machine to translate Chinese into English, which may be the first time people learned about FC1 and LCA airplanes when they were young

 

[Deino]

Even more interesting is this from 1994!

Something very much different I stumbled across as the SDF and indeed a major surprise I did not know!

Any idea when this was proposed and where this report is from (looks like from FlightInternational)?

Imagine, if things had turned differently, a JF-17 in IAF-colors.

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[guangdongt]

Even more interesting is this from 1994!

Something very much different I stumbled across as the SDF and indeed a major surprise I did not know!

Any idea when this was proposed and where this report is from (looks like from FlightInternational)?

想象一下，如果情况有所不同，一架IAF颜色的JF-17。

【ATTACH = full】23156【/ATTACH】

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In the 1990s, there were few outstanding conventional weapon platforms in China's military. I remember military magazines at that time focused on the 052 destroyer (112 Harbin) and the legendary J-10 as their domestic selling points. Regarding the light fighter jet project for export， I was surprised that China had attempted to collaborate with India. The LCA project became well-known to the public in the late 1990s and appeared in various military magazines or books about Indian fighter jets.

 

[Guynextdoor]

Even more interesting is this from 1994!

Something very much different I stumbled across as the SDF and indeed a major surprise I did not know!

Any idea when this was proposed and where this report is from (looks like from FlightInternational)?

Imagine, if things had turned differently, a JF-17 in IAF-colors.

View attachment 23156

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it says the opposite...LCA in PAF colors.

 

[Deino]

it says the opposite...LCA in PAF colors.

But only since it had the original LCA-name does not mean it would have been Tejas as we know it today.
I think in the end we‘ll never know, but for both a fighter based on the MiG-21 and as such like the Super-7 prior to the JF-17 would be a more reasonable option to start with.

 

[Guynextdoor]

But only since it had the original LCA-name does not mean it would have been Tejas as we know it today.
I think in the end we‘ll never know, but for both a fighter based on the MiG-21 and as such like the Super-7 prior to the JF-17 would be a more reasonable option to start with.

It specifically says it met Kota Harinarayana who was the designer and head of the Tejas aircraft. By the time this delegation had met, the Tejas program prototype manufacturing had started if you look at the dates,

 

[Deino]

It specifically says it met Kota Harinarayana who was the designer and head of the Tejas aircraft. By the time this delegation had met, the Tejas program prototype manufacturing had started if you look at the dates,

Well … now I’m confused, the LCA prototype flew first on 4. Januar 2001 and was already under construction in 1994????

 

[SaadH]

Well … now I’m confused, the LCA prototype flew first on 4. Januar 2001 and was already under construction in 1994????

LCA project started in 1984, I'm sure they had some design work done, if not the prototype under construction by 1994.

 

[Deino]

LCA project started in 1984, I'm sure they had some design work done, if not the prototype under construction by 1994.

But that's the important thing: "some design work done" is surely true - but so had CAC with the Super-7, however I cannot think, that the LCA's design was already frozen, and "the prototype under construction by 1994", when it actually flew only in 2001! This makes no sense.

 

[SaadH]

But that's the important thing: "some design work done" is surely true - but so had CAC with the Super-7, however I cannot think, that the LCA's design was already frozen, and "the prototype under construction by 1994", when it actually flew only in 2001! This makes no sense.

When do you reckon they started building the prototype? I recall seeing at least the mock up pics sometime in the mid nineties.

 

[Pundit Pikachu]

LCA project started in 1984, I'm sure they had some design work done, if not the prototype under construction by 1994.

Strictly speaking 1984 was the Time when ADA was setup as a brand new design agency to develop LCA however the project actually started in 1986 when requirements were shared by the IAF

But that's the important thing: "some design work done" is surely true - but so had CAC with the Super-7, however I cannot think, that the LCA's design was already frozen, and "the prototype under construction by 1994", when it actually flew only in 2001! This makes no sense.

Here is a rough timeline of LCA till 2001

1984 ADA (LCA's design agency) was setup

1986 IAF presented it's requirements to ADA and initial funding was released to buy equipments, design software, train Indian scientists in France to use the software etc

1989 Design was completed and then NOTHING (1991 economic crisis was right around the corner and there was no money to be spared for LCA project)

1993 - funding for making an actual prototype is released 4 years later in 1993

1995 TD-1 was rolled out on November 1995 But since FCS was not ready and there were extensive structural problems in TD 1 so 1st flight kept getting postponed

1998 TD 2 was rolled out and FCS devlopment was about to be completed but Pokhran 2 nuclear test happened and the FCS development had to start from the scratch and took about 18 months (not completely sure) to completely rewrite the FCS

2001 Finally the 1st flight happened.

There is a wiki page on LCA's development timeline you can look it up, will give you a general overview