Dassault Rafale at Aero India 2019

Selfie with Rafale displayed at Aero India 2019 air show

The Rafale fighter jet shown in the above image belongs to the French Air Force (Armée de l'air) was displayed during Aero India 2019 (February) Air show held at Bangalore's Yelahanka Air Force Station.

The Dassault Rafale is a twin engine, canard delta wing fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale is fitted with two Snecma M88 engines, each capable of providing up to 50 kilonewtons (11,000 pounds-force) of dry thrust and 75 kN (17,000 lbf) with afterburners. The first prototype of Rafale (also known as Rafale A) which was powered by 2 General Electric F404 engines made it's first flight on 4 July 1986. The Rafale A was used until January 1994, and was retired after 867 sorties

Rafale B is two-seater version for the French Air and Space Force. Rafale C is same as Rafale B but single-seat version for the French Air and Space Force. Rafale M is similar to Rafale C, but with modifications to allow operations from CATOBAR – equipped aircraft carriers. For carrier operations, the M model has a strengthened airframe, longer nose gear leg to provide a more nose-up attitude, larger tailhook between the engines, and a built-in boarding ladder. Consequently, the Rafale M weighs about 500 kg (1,100 lb) more than the Rafale C. It is the only non-US fighter type cleared to operate from the decks of US carriers, using catapults and their arresting gear, as demonstrated in 2008 when 6 Rafales from Flottille 12F integrated into the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Air Wing interoperability exercise.

In December 2000, the French Naval Aviation received its first two Rafale M fighters. In April 2005, the French Air Force received its first three F2 standard Rafale Bs. 

The other operators of this aircraft are India, Croatia, Egypt, Qatar, and Greece.

Video of the France Air Force Rafale jet on display at Aero India 2019

Rafale and India

 As of June 2022, 36 Rafale fighters are in service with the Indian Air Force. The Rafale DH is the two-seater version for the Indian Air Force and Rafale EH is the single-seat version for the Indian Air Force. 

The No. 17 Squadron (Golden Arrows) stationed at the Ambala Air Force Station and the No. 101 Squadron (Falcons) based at the Hasimara Air Force Station operates the Dassault Rafale. 

In July 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defence revealed that the Defence Acquisition Council had granted Acceptance of Necessity for 22 Dassault Rafale M fighters and 4 Dassault Rafale DH conversion trainers for the Indian Navy.

NAL Hansa

 

NAL Hansa aircraft registration VT-XIW at HAL Museum, Bangalore (Year-2021)

The Hansa is a 2 seater aircraft designed by India with a low wing and tricycle landing gear configuration constructed using composite materials. The first prototype based on Hansa-2 made its initial flight on 23 November 1993. On 11 May 1998, a second prototype, based on the Hansa-3 design, joined the flight test programme; it featured various refinements, including the use of a variable-pitch propeller instead of a fixed counterpart, and a more powerful Rotax 914-F3 powerplant. 

The initial design was Hansa-1 that adopted a pusher configuration, but was discontinued as severe problems were revealed during wind tunnel testing.

On 3 September 2021, the prototype Hansa-NG (Next generation) performed its maiden flight. This aircraft featured various improvements and changes, including the addition of a glass cockpit, digitally-controlled Rotax 912 ISC engine, electrically-operated flaps, and greater endurance.

The Hansa aircraft has been displayed frequently at Aero India Air shows held at Bangalore. The Hansa has been marketed to various sectors, including flight training, coastal surveillance, and private owner-pilots. Multiple specialised variants, including unmanned models, have also been worked on.

General characteristics of the Hansa-NG Aircraft:- 

1. Length: 7.658 m 
2. Height: 2.614 m  
3. Wingspan: 10.47 m
4. Wing area: 12.47 m^2
5. Cabin width: 1.07 m
6. Gross weight: 750 kg (1,653 lb)
7. Max cruise speed: 200 km/hr (108 KTAS)
8. Range: 926 km (500 nm)
9. Endurance: 6 hours
10. Take off distance: 450 m (1476 ft)
11. Landing Distance: 600 m (1968 ft)
12. Service ceiling: 3,048 m (10,000 ft)
13. Maximum rate of climb: 198 m/min (650 ft/min)
14. Engine: Rotax 912 iSc 3 sport

Meaning of dimensions mentioned in this article:- 1 inch = 0.0254 m; 1 foot = 0.3048 m; 1 inch = 0.0833333 foot; 1 pound = 0.453592 kg; 1 nautical miles (nm) = 1.852 km

KTAS:- Knots True Airspeed/True Airspeed (TAS) of an aircraft is the speed of the aircraft relative to the air mass through which it is flying.

NAL Hansa 'VT-XIW' exhibited at HAL Museum, Bangalore (Year-2021)

According to the website Warbirds of India, the aircraft on display VT-XIW at HAL Museum, Bangalore was the first prototype of the Hansa II. It first flew in November 93 and flew a total of 128 hours of test flying before it was ‘retired’. NAL then donated the aircraft to HAL for display here. 

Video of Hansa-NG first flight on 3rd September, 2021