Bengaluru: Indigenously built light utility helicopter makes maiden flight

The indigenously developed light utility helicopter took to the Bengaluru skies for the first time on Tuesday - it is a major milestone for the project as the test were being held back due to software-related hurdle.

The helicopter lifted at 1210 hours and was in the air for 15 minutes at HAL facilities, HAL officials confirmed to Asianet Newsable. 

The 3.1-tonne helicopter being built for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force will replace the fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. 

The Indian military has a requirement for 384 helicopters of which 187 helicopters will be built by HAL. 

In a statement HAL said, the maiden flight test was an important and significant beginning for prototype testing of LUH. This is the third indigenous helicopter product from the stables of HAL after ALH and LCH. Apart from replacement of ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak, LUH is expected to capture a sizeable share both in domestic and international market.
 

The ground tests for the LUH took place in 2015, but the first flight were delayed due to certification issues in the software used in the chopper. Since the LUH is classified as a military project, the developers were required to put up special encrypted software. 

HAL will start manufacturing the choppers from 2018, after certifications and operational clearances are obtained. The chopper is powered by a Shakti engine made in collaboration with French company Turbomeca. 

The LUH has a maximum All-Up-Weight (AUW) of 3150 Kgs, and has a  seating capacity of six passengers plus two pilots. The helicopter is designed to carry out various utility roles such as reconnaissance, transport, cargo load and rescue operations. The helicopter can operate from sea level to high altitudes of Himalayas.

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