[neel385]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

The unusual aircraft is not an UAV I guess. You can see that there is a pilot in the same in last pic. Image

Absolutely correct and you have me foxed here!! Sorry I missed the pic. The planform though is quite like the Rustom. Let me try and find out a bit more and come back.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

I guess there is some confusion with names. Even I was thinking Rudra and LCH are different helicopters. If I am not wrong LCH is the Apache lookalike developed for high altitude warfare after Kargil. Rudra I was thinking was ALH / Dhruv armed to the tooth. Rudra

Originally Posted by skanchan95

No, they aren't. The Rudra is nothing but a weaponised Mk.IV Dhruv ALH and hence its other monicker - Dhruv WSI(Weapons Systems Integrated).

The LCH has not been christened yet.

The Rudra has already got IOC and one of them will be handed over to the Indian Army Aviation Corps during the show. Think of the Dhruv as a mini Mi-24 with its troop carrying ability and its ability to provide Close air support to the ground troops with its front cannon and rockets/gunpods/AGMs. The LCH on the other hand is a dedicated attack chopper.

Being from the organisation which will fly the aircraft, I am quite sure that the LCH and the Rudra are the same bird. It was called the Dhruv WSI during its inception and trials before being christened the LCH and subsequently the Rudra. The DRDO has no plans of making a chopper like the Mi 24/25/35 as of now.

As far as the Dhruv is concerned, it has no weapon carrying capability as of now unlike the Mi 17s which can strap on pods/guns as per requirement. Hence it is meant only for carrying men and material as required and has no suppression fire capability.

[shajufx]

Thanks for the pics Hari. No Suryakirans and No Redbull team ? These teams made my 2011 ticket worth the time & money. If all what they have is shown through your pics, its a big let down this year. I am not around from 7th anyway

[arvindmanju]

As promised photographs from my end, not much time to process the rest, hence very few pics. Hope you like them.

[Mad Monkey]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

This was an unusual looking aircraft
Attachment 1047083

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...Contd.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

The unusual aircraft is not an UAV I guess. You can see that there is a pilot in the same in last pic. Image

Originally Posted by neel385

The unusual aircraft is the Rustom UAV that is being developed by the DRDO.

Originally Posted by neel385

Absolutely correct and you have me foxed here!! Sorry I missed the pic. The planform though is quite like the Rustom. Let me try and find out a bit more and come back.

The unusual looking aircraft is the Rutan Model 61 Long-EZ or the the Rutan VariEze.They are home-built aircraft with a canard layout designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory during the 1970-80 period

The Rustom-1 Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is based on this aircraft .
India may have obtained the production rights to the Rutan design and adapted it as a UAV.

[Koenigsegg220]

Originally Posted by HammerHead

Oh yeah. I got confused with the TD2 version of it which is still under trials

No problem, and thanks for clearing that up for me.

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

The helicopter used to ferry VIPs is the MI8 (One in Blue colour), the Black Colour Helicopter is the Light Combat Helicopter.



The helmet like thing on the nose is the sensor suite

- Source Wikipedia.

Thank You for clarifying it LukeSkyWalker.
Woah, Also came to know that MI 8 is the most produced helicopter in the world.
Source : Wikipedia.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by shajufx

No Suryakirans and No Redbull team ? These teams made my 2011 ticket worth the time & money.

Redbulls are there, Suryakirans are without Kirans (the Kiran trainers) now since IAF is in short supply of same . I guess they had just one show after 2011 Aero India. They are waiting for IJT's from HAL for starting again.
This year instead its Russian Air Forces 'Russian Knights'.

[SandyX]

Originally Posted by neel385

Being from the organisation which will fly the aircraft, I am quite sure that the LCH and the Rudra are the same bird.

I presume you are from the Army Aviation. In that case, if media reports and its pictures are anything to go by, you have a faulty idea about the names.

Let me just put here what i read and observed.

ALH(Advanced Light Helicopter) = Dhruv ~ Huey

src

ALH-WSI (Weapon Systems Integrated) = Rudra ~ Weaponized Huey (Actually, it's much more than just a weaponized Dhruv as it has almost the same systems onboard as the LCH but in a side-by-side configuration, as well as troop carrying capability unlike LCH)

LCH(Light Combat helicopter) = Attack chopper ~ AH64 Apache

Weapon systems for Rudra have been finalized except for the ATGM.

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Redbulls are there, Suryakirans are without Kirans (the Kiran trainers) now since IAF is in short supply of same . I guess they had just one show after 2011 Aero India. They are waiting for IJT's from HAL for starting again.
This year instead its Russian Air Forces 'Russian Knights'.

The Surya Kiran team has been disbanded, though the Navy's Sagar Pawan team still flies the Kiran.
The Surya Kiran will re-form on the HAL/BAe Hawk Mk.132 soon. The HJT-36 IJT is hopelessly behind schedule and is in a quagmire of problems.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by SandyX

I presume you are from the Army Aviation. In that case, if media reports and its pictures are anything to go by, you have a faulty idea about the names.

He is from IAF!! See his profile pic

@Neel there are two versions of Dhruv as many here have mentioned and adding to it, my ex- NCC Senior Under Officer is now among the first batch of pilots flying the WSI Dhruv (Rudra), so the information is confirmed.

But why only one pic of LCA? Seems this year's Aero India is hit by serious financial and some operational crunches. But good to see Rambha(MKI) and Katrina(Rafael) flying! Hey anybody saw the MiG29 KUB's (bound for the Navy - the White eagles/tigers (Wiki says its Black Panthers) Sqn???)?

Lovely capture of the Embraer Air-borne warning system.

Edit: For all who visited the AI2013, did anyone see the MCA? (Medium Combat Aircraft) a better design was set to be unveiled in AI2013. Does anyone have any info/pics on that?

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

He is from IAF!! See his profile pic

Hey anybody saw the MiG29 KUB's (bound for the Navy - the White eagles/tigers (Wiki says its Black Panthers) Sqn???)?

Edit: For all who visited the AI2013, did anyone see the MCA? (Medium Combat Aircraft) a better design was set to be unveiled in AI2013.

Even I was hoping that MiG29's will be present. However didn't find any mention of same in news till now, so guess its not going to be present. Too bad since I remember reading Navy has already got couple of them for training.
MCA scale design is displayed in HAL stall, saw the post in some forum. Guess its 1:18 scale down model.

[SandyX]

Originally Posted by AlphaKilo

He is from IAF!! See his profile pic

Army Aviation Corps of India is going to induct at least 60 Rudra choppers. First 20 Rudra helicopters are to be inducted in mid 2013 after they pass initial operational clearance, according to wiki.
So i thought he is from the AA as it is the organization which is going to fly the piece.
Alrite, now let more pics come in!!

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Even I was hoping that MiG29's will be present. However didn't find any mention of same in news till now, so guess its not going to be present. Too bad since I remember reading Navy has already got couple of them for training.
MCA scale design is displayed in HAL stall, saw the post in some forum. Guess its 1:18 scale down model.

The Air Force's MiG-29s are undergoing upgrades that has made/will make it a completely different beast(structurally similar to MiG-29SMT, but internally similar to Navy's MiG-29K standards). Atleast one them is back on Indian shores after upgrades in Russia. No.47 Sqdn is slated to be the first one to fly the upgraded MiG-29s. I expected that the upgraded Fulcrum will be present at AI'13. but sadly it looks like it isn't

Standard IAF MiG-29B


Upgraded IAF MiG-29

^^Note the refuelling probe on the port side and the "hump" behind the cockpit and the IAF roundel being painted much closer to the radome, in the upgraded IAF MiG-29s.

The Navy's MiG-29K/KUBs are already fully operational with the Navy's No. 303 "Black Panthers" squadron.

[97_Octane]

Great set of pictures guys Keep 'em coming.
BTW is SAAB taking part this year?

[nilanjanray]

Lovely photos keep them coming! Didn't know there were so many other folks interested in defence stuff (like I am) here.

If only the Russians had brought the PAK-FA (just as an eye candy)!

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

The Air Force's MiG-29s are undergoing upgrades that has made/will make it a completely different beast(structurally similar to MiG-29SMT, but internally similar to Navy's MiG-29K standards). Atleast one them is back on Indian shores after upgrades in Russia.
Note the refuelling probe on the port side and the "hump" behind the cockpit and the IAF roundel being painted much closer to the radome, in the upgraded IAF MiG-29s.

The Navy's MiG-29K/KUBs are already fully operational with the Navy's No. 303 "Black Panthers" squadron.

Thanks for the pics. I was not knowing IAF MiG 29's are returning back from upgrades already. I was of impression that the contract is still in initial stages. Suprised to see structural diffrence (hump) between old and upgraded models. I thought the changes will be only to cockpit and engine only.
Guess the refuelling probe speaks for IAF cheif's plan of having all fighters to be equipped with mid air refuelling capability.
When I was saying of MiG 29's was talking about MiG29 K's of Navy. IAF MiG 29's were part of AeroIndia before also.

Originally Posted by 97_Octane

BTW is SAAB taking part this year?

Yes, SAAB is one of the major sponsor this time.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

If only the Russians had brought the PAK-FA (just as an eye candy)!

Yes, would have been great. However its a prototype and hence they wont risk flying it down all the way. HAL is lucky in that way, their prototype's need to travel only around 20-25Kms