HAL's first HTT-40 trainer aircraft takes to the skies

New Delhi, October 24 (IANS). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said the first Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) series production aircraft, TH 4001, which will train the next generation of air warriors, took off from the HAL facility in Bengaluru on Friday. “The HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft is a fully aerobatic, tandem seat, turboprop aircraft designed to provide basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and night flying,” HAL said in a post on ‘X’. Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT)-40 is an ab-initio trainer aircraft designed to meet primary training requirements. This fully aerobatic, tandem-seat turbo trainer will feature an air-conditioned cockpit, state-of-the-art avionics, hot refueling, quick pilot change and zero-zero ejection seats. Built with a proven turboprop engine, the aircraft is designed to demonstrate good handling capabilities at low speeds and improve training efficiency. This aircraft will be certified to FAR-23 standard. The maximum speed of this training aircraft is 450 kilometers per hour and the maximum service range is six kilometers. The HTT-40 first flew on May 31, 2016, and achieved system level certification on June 6, 2022. Earlier, the Indian Air Force signed a contract with HAL for the supply of 70 aircraft, the arrival of which was initially scheduled to begin from September 15, 2025, and will continue until March 24015 training will improve. initial pilots of the Indian Army. The purchase will also include a full mission simulator for the aircraft, which will supplement aerial training and give pilots an opportunity to practice a variety of training on the ground before flying, an official said. HTT-40 is another important step towards greater self-reliance in the defense and aerospace sector in line with the government’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Let us tell you that on October 17, while talking about the importance of self-reliance in the defense sector, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “We can no longer be limited to just LCA Tejas or HTT-40. Now the time has come for us to establish our identity in the field of next generation aircraft, unmanned systems and civil aviation as well.” The Defense Minister further said, “And I am confident that HAL Nashik will play an important role in all these areas in times to come. Today we are emphasizing on the latest, indigenous technologies. I am very happy to see that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is representing India strongly in this direction.” –IANS DKP/