tejas launching by India

06/06/2010
Tejas fighters boost test programme
Bangalore: A small group of engineers stood tensely beside the runway on Thursday at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bangalore, peering at the sky.



As two approaching dots rapidly enlarged into the menacing delta-wing shapes of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, an animated murmur arose. Test pilot, Wing Commander Suneet Krishna was bringing in a brand new Tejas fighter from its inaugural test flight.

Krishna descended steeply, a parachute flowering as his aircraft touched down; a split second behind him, the chase aircraft, another Tejas flown by Group Captain R R Tyagi, "peeled off" into the sky with a roar.

That was the "chase aircraft", which had watched and photographed every moment of Krishna's flight. In those 40 minutes, both fighters had climbed to 36,000 feet; broken the sound barrier; turned and twisted sharply; and checked several parameters as part of the Tejas flight test
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