Wooden Mockups
HAL Light Combat Aircraft Mockup
The Light Combat aircraft program has been the pride of India’s Aviation industry ever since the LCA had its first flight in January 2001. The Light Combat Aircraft is the product of the Aeronautical Development Authority , also known as the ADA. The aircraft had been in development ever since the mid eighties, and in the early nineties, the wooden and metal mockup of the LCA was rolled out for an airshow. Subsequently two Technology-Demonstrators were built with one of them doing its flight last year and finishing about twelve test flights in all.
The original mockup of the LCA did find its way to the HAL Museum. Its in the similar paint scheme as the final aircraft was, but does not sport any serial number markings. The aircraft has metal Jigs designed and constructed to support the nose portion of the mockup. There are two dummy missiles under the wingtip hardpoints to give the appearance of an attack aircraft.
HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Mockup [IN-701]
Another flagship program of HAL was the Advanced Light Helicopter , the ALH as it is known. The ALH was constructed as a replacement for the workhorse Cheetah and Chetak helicopters of the Indian Armed Forces and utilised German expertise in its design and construction. The Army and Airforce versions had skids for landing, while the Naval ALH version had a tricycle undercarraige.
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| The mockup of the Advanced Light Helicopter, the ALH. The model sports the serial number IN-701 which gives impression that this is a naval variant. However it should be noted that the naval variants did not have skid landing gear. | |
The mockup of the LCA is also on display at the HAL Museum. Sporting the Navy serial number ‘IN-701’, the aircraft carries the familiar IAF insignia. A Look at the main rotor and engine inlets are the only clue that this helicopter is actually a mockup and not the real thing. Four prototypes of the LCA are still flying with HAL and the Indian Armed forces for user trials.
