“The first flight of an Il-76LL (Flying Lab) aircraft with a Kaveri engine set in place of one of the plane’s engines continued for 45 minutes and confirmed the results of ground tests,” state arms export firm Rosoboronexport Corporation said.
The Kaveri engine has been designed by India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment for the Tejas fighter developed under the Indian national programme Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
About 50 in-flight tests have been scheduled for the next few months by Russia’s top aviation institute — Gromov Flight Research Institute — based in Zhukovski near here to confirm the engine’s characteristics and reliability, after which it would be tested on Tejas LCA, it said.
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