Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled an indigenously built aircraft - the Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40) - at the 12th DefExpo in Gujarat's Gandhinagar. The HTT-40 is a basic trainer plane designed and developed for the Indian Air Force - as another example of the government's 'aatmanirbhar Bharat' scheme - by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
5 things to know about the HTT-40:
-The HTT-40 was developed by HAL and will replace the IAF's ageing fleet of HPT-32 Deepak trainers. Its first flight was in 2016.
-In addition to basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying, and close formation flights, the tandem-seat, fully aerobatic turbo-trainer aircraft will also be used for navigation and night flying.
-The aircraft is outfitted with the latest avionics and an air-conditioned cabin. It is powered by a turbo-prop engine that has undergone extensive testing and boasts distinctive attributes like running pilot changes, hot refuelling, and quick turnaround times.
-The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) issued a provisional clearance for the aircraft's airworthiness after all system tests, PSQR performances, hot weather, sea level, cross-wind, and user-assisted technical trials were completed.
{{/usCountry}}-The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) issued a provisional clearance for the aircraft's airworthiness after all system tests, PSQR performances, hot weather, sea level, cross-wind, and user-assisted technical trials were completed.
{{/usCountry}}-The HTT-40 has a steerable nose wheel, a retractable tricycle landing gear system, a bubble canopy, and a T-tail configuration. It is a fixed-wing aircraft incorporating an all-metal airframe design and has state-of-the-art systems designed with pilot-friendly features.