HAL HF-24 Marut

Fighter and light strike aircraft and (Mk 1T) operational trainer. First and second prototypes flown on 17 June 1961 and 4 October 1962 respectively: first pre-production HF-24 Mk 1 flown in April 1963; first lull production HF -24 Mk 1 flown on 15 November 1967 Mk 1BX El-300 engine test-bed first flown 29 March 1967: Mk IA with reheat Orpheus flown September 1966. Mk IT prototype first flown on 30 April 1970 and second prototype in March 1971. Production quantities include two prototypes. l5 pre-production Mk Is apprise 100 Mt Is with production continuing Pre-production batch of four Mt 1s with production continuing Pre-production batch of four Mk1Rs with re-heart Orpheus engines ordered 1973 and delivery of 10 Mk lTs to commence 1974. The HF-24 is India’s first indigenous combat aircraft, design work having begun In June 1957 under the direction of Dr Kurt Tank. A two-seat glider representing the aerodynamic shape of the HF-24 was flown behind a C-47, making 78 flights between 1 April 1959 and 24 March 1960 help finalise the design. One pre-production HF-24 became the Mk 1 BX with a Brandner El- 300 turbojet replacing one of the Orpheus engines and three others were fitted with re-heat systems on thee Orpheus engines, one as a Mk 1A and two as Mk 1Rs. The two-seat Mk 1T entered production in 1973 and development of a Mk 2 HF-24 lighter with Adour engines and a Mt 3 with an Atar 09K-50 or M53 was projected at beginning of 1974 while production or the Mk 1 continued.