Light Observation Helicopter
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has announced that preliminary work is underway on a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). It will be in the 3 tonne all-up weight class, and will have a rather high useful load of 1,500 kg. LOH will be designed for operation at high altitudes of up to 6 km. It will differ from the present Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) in having an all-composite fuselage structure. While the ALH main rotor has elastomeric bearings, that of the LOH will be bearingless. Torque will be countered by a "Fenestron" type ducted tail rotor. All these three technologies will be applied for the first time on an Indian designed helicopter.

Among other features of the LOH will be a glass cockpit, and a Health and Usage Monitoring System. In other respects, LOH will have considerable commonality with ALH, particularly in systems and instrumentation. No mention is made of whether LOH will have a single or twin-engined layout. However, its high-altitude requirement would indicate the use of two engines. That means there will not be any engine commonality. LOH will be in roughly the same category as the 2.7 tonne EC 135. Unlike the ALH, which had technical collaboration from Eurocopter-Germany, LOH may be entirely indigenous. By the time LOH production begins, the line for Chetak (Alouette III) and Cheetah (Lama) will have finally come to an end.

HAL's LOH

Interestingly, a number of advanced technologies on the LOH are to be integrated into the ALH. The latter is to have a higher percentage of composites in its structure, notably in the bulkheads. Like the LOH, ALH will also have a glass cockpit, a Health and Usage Monitoring System, a bearingless main rotor and a ducted tail rotor. Additionally, the designs of its mast bearing, transmission system and landing gear are being simplified. Sextant Avionique is known to be among those to have offered a complete glass cockpit for the ALH. Efforts are being made to reduce the ALH's weight, as well as production, operation anb maintenance costs, and to improve overall efficiency. While ALH is already the "most advanced helicopter in the 4.5 to 5.5 tonne class", these improvements should make it that much better.


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