IIT-K, PEC and HAL Ozhar Trip Report

Rishi Tandon, a warbird enthusiast had visited PEC Chandigarh, IIT Kanpur and HAL Ozhar in recent days and he has sent the following trip report and warbird sightings:

HAL Museum Ozhar

At the Pragati Aerospace Museum (which is so-so.. other than the original 1962 MiG-21 pilots helmet and flightsuit)

1. MiG-27 ML  TS-539
2. MiG-21 Bis C-2836
3. MiG-21 FL C-1175

Pragati Aero Museum is open to the Public… it is open from 10 AM to 2 PM on Sundays and all HAL holidays.

There are just two rooms… one contains a pictorial representation of HAL history, flight history from birds to Shuttle, fighter tech etc.. and some models of HAL produced a/c (definately not to scale). Other room contains some cat-E components (polished up) of mainly Mig-21. Landing gears and rubber seals and other arbit stuff. Not really interesting. What is interesting are some of the photos of the HAL factory coming up, photos of visits by IAF big shots of old etc. as well as the MiG-21 Pilot’s Helmet and Flight Suit, 1962 and mint condition on a horrible mockup of the MiG-21’s cockpit. Some notice of no photos allowed.

Another interesting thing is that they have listed all 12,000+ HAL Nashik employees names since 1960.

The 5 min tour (tickets Rs 5 phor Adults, Rs 2 phor bachcha log) is conducted by a retired HAL dude, in English, Hindi or Marathi.. lots of enthu, but mainly knowledge about his of trade and limited knowledge of other stuff.

The Museum is in HAL Township (aka MiG-City) opposite HAL factory/Ojhar Airbase. Enter from Gate No.3. Its 4 KM from the runway and on the other side of NH No. 3. HAL township is 3 KM from Ohjar Village, and 20 km from Nashik proper.

Musuem utna hi

PEC Chandigarh

“These are the notes I had written on the aircraft at PEC Chandiagarh

Aircraft: Kanpur-1
In IAF Grey scheme
Reg No: BR-570

Comments: 4 seater, minor damage to fuselage, rudder pedals removed, propellor kept seperately.

Info Plate:

1. Developed at: Maintainenece Command Development Centre, IAF Kanpur
2. Designed by: Air Vice Marshall Harjinder Singh (PVSM,MBE)
3. Power Plant: 190 HP Lycoming 16-Cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled engine.
4. Dimensions: Span 11.5 m       Length 7.82 m
5. Empty Weight: 771 kg
6. MTOW; 1134 kg
7. Performance: Max-speed 181 kmph, Cruise 164 kmph, Rate of climb 247 m/min at sea level
8. Service Ceiling: 3200 m
9. T/O distance (at altitude 1525 m): 247 m
10. Range: 740 km

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Aircraft: Auster Aiglet (Red colour scheme)
Reg No: VT-DYU
Comments: 2 seater a/c, in good condition, insrument panel fine, some damage to tailplane.

Donated to PEC by Mrs Beant Kaur, w/o Late AVM Harjinder Singh on 25th October 1989.

**************************************************

Aircraft: Supermarine Spitfire XVIII
HS-674 painted near the tail end of fuselage

Comments: The wings had a further set of numbers, one painted over the other, too faint to discern. The engine had been removed, probably kept in PEC Aero Dept’s Propulsion Lab. The Spitfire was in a pretty good condition, canopy was intact (uncracked iirc). Some of the instruments are still there in the cockpit. The wings are kept near the fuselage, with the skin of one of the wings removed to expose the wing structure/skeleton. Apparently the control-wires are still in place. Damage to the skin is minimal. Wheels are not in wheel well, so Landing Gear is probably kept in the Structures Lab.

There were 3 metal info plates on the a/c, all on the flat region in front of the cockpit where the engine should have been mounted.

Not very clear, but this is what i could read:

Plate 1:  Sr No HAI/65/6769-79
              ???-RC No. 39427SHT16        3
              Passed HAI-III QCom Stamp BE-7629

Plate 2: “Spitfire Powerplant Assembled for this Nacelle, Assembly No 24 (42? 420? could not make out)

Note: Photogrophy is strictly prohibited, without express permission of HOD of Aero Dept Dr. Sharma (who happens to be a nice chap)

IIT-Kanpur

Some circumstantial evidence of the existance of Kanpur-2 at IIT-Kanpur.
Please visit http://www.aero.iitb.ac.in/userpages/garg/

HESS.jpg: The skeleton of Kanpur-2 (VT-XAL) may be observed behind the glider and the Piper Saratoga. It has been stripped so that aero students can learn about aero structures. Side note: Yes, that is a half eaten samosa on the wing of the Saratoga. HESS is the “Half Eaten Samosa Society” of IIT-Bombay Aero dept, in honour of Structures Prof. KSRK Prasad who has demonstrated the use of symmetry and anti-symmetry every year since 1971 using a half eaten samosa.

3acKanpur: This pic, taken on 5th December 2003, a very foggy morning, has all three flying a/c outside the hangar. A 4th a/c, a Cessana 182H (VT-DUM) the only such in India was grounded pending OEM repairs.

VTHNS.jpg: The very beautiful VT-HNS NAL Hansa, the 3rd manufactured, and the 1st production config prototype.

Supercub.jpg: The amazing Piper Supercub, and one of the best flights I’ve ever had. (VT-DTP)

The 3rd a/c is a Piper Saratoga-II. IITK is planning to sell the SuperCub and the Cessana and procure another Saratoga.

The Flying club also has 4 gliders.

Thank you Rishi, for an excellent Trip Report – May your tribe increase in India!