Bangalore: After two decades of research and
development, India is all set to flight-test its first
indigenously developed jet engine next month, an official said
Wednesday.
"Kaveri engine will be flight-tested in one-and-half
months... Should be after middle of May," Director of
Bangalore-based Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a
DRDO lab, T Mohana Rao, told a news agency.
It would be flight-tested using the IL-76 aircraft in
Russia, he said.
The Kaveri engine, meant for India`s fighter jet, the
Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, has completed all simulation and
altitude tests. The altitude tests in Russia in February were
a "grand success", he said.
GTRE officials said around Rs 3,000 crore has been spent
on the Kaveri project.
Rao said GTRE is now looking to reduce the weight of the
Kaveri engine to 50 kg from 60 kg. "It has to be fine-tuned.
We will go in for lot of optimisation in future".
GTRE, which is engaged in research and development of gas
turbines for military aircraft, has so far developed nine
Kaveri engines and four Kabini (core of Kaveri). "All engines
have been tested to full potential," he added.
PTI
