Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Test Pilots have conducted the last of the developmental sorties of the home-build HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft. These sorties mark an end to the developmental flight certification sorties that had started from its first flight in 2016.
State-owned HAL confirmed last month that HTT-40 has already demonstrated ten turn spins and is ready for operational clearance. TSR001 prototype made its last developmental sortie that clear most of the certification process that is needed before HAL begins limited scale production of the aircraft from next year.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has also cleared the purchase of 106 basic trainer aircraft HTT-40 from HAL after the Indian Air Force strongly backed the indigenous project and scrapped plans to buy any more trainer aircraft from Swiss firm Pilatus.
The IAF will start a mandatory user trial soon to verify if HTT-40 has completed all major test points and meets the Preliminary Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) issued by Air Headquarters for the BTA program, the irdw.org has found out.
