Ajit Karn
)
INS Vikrant, an aircraft carrier manufactured in India, reached a critical milestone today with the first landing of a fixed-wing aircraft following the premiere of the Tejas fighter jet on its flight deck. As part of sea trials, the indigenous fighter aircraft successfully took off and landed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier.”On a small ship, it is difficult to land because everything is constantly moving in all directions.
Today, the sea was quiet; the Arabian Sea in winter is beautiful; it like a lake. It will be designed for the turbulent monsoon sea of the Arabian Peninsula. The little aircraft must ensure that no aspect is overstressed “Commodore Maolankar remarked.
“It is comparable to threading a needle, as you must land not only at an exact location, but also with a precise attitude and speed to ensure that no portion of the aircraft is overstressed. It is difficult to avoid several cliff edges that cannot be seen when travelling at speed. The ship’s stern resembles a cliff and behaves similarly “the former test pilot said.
Commodore Maolankar described how pilots land on an aircraft carrier: “We aim to match the jet’s speed to the carrier’s, which is roughly 130 knots or 240 kilometres per hour.”
“We attempt to reduce the speed from 240 kilometres per hour to zero in approximately 2.5 seconds in exactly 90 metres, if not one metre more. This item is highly violent. When the arresting wire hooks the tail hook, you are unable to move “, he explained.
When landing on a flight deck and decelerating from 240 kilometres per hour to zero in two and a half seconds, pilots also encounter physical hurdles.
The former test pilot stated that there were times when the pilots neglected to lock their straps, resulting in minimal bleeding on their feet. The aircraft ejects you, and for two to three seconds you lose control of your limbs.
When the Tejas aircraft landed on India’s other aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, Commodore Maolankar was a member of the testing and engineering crew.
The 45,000-ton INS Vikrant was commissioned in September of last year at a cost of 20,000 crore. Admiral R Hari Kumar, chief of the navy, had stated that the integration of aircraft with INS Vikrant will likely be completed in May or June of 2023.
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In January 2020, Commodore Maolankar successfully landed the prototype of the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas on the deck of the INS Vikramaditya.
India joined a restricted group of nations in 2020 capable of designing jets that can operate from aircraft carriers with this accomplishment.
