HAL Kiran

infobox Aircraft
name = HJT-16 Kiran
type = Basic Jet Trainer
manufacturer = Hindustan Aeronautics


caption = A Surya Kiran From Kiran Nair indore Digitec

HAL Kiran aircraft on the Tarmac at Bangalore during Aero India-2007. Note the two wing-mounted smoke generators. Photo by [http://www.flickr.com/people/18645779@N00 Premshree Pillai] .
designer =
first flight = 1964
introduced = 1968
retired =
produced =
number built = 190
status = In Service
unit cost =
primary user = Indian Air Force
more users = Indian Navy
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The HAL HJT-16 Kiran ("Ray of Light" in English) is an Indian two-seat basic jet trainer built by Hindustan Aeronautics. Used by the Indian Air Force for intermediate training for pilots trained on the HPT-32 Deepak. It is used by the Indian Air Force aerobatic team Surya Kiran and Indian naval acrobatic team Sagar Pawans.

Development

The Kiran was designed to meet an Indian air force requirement for a basic jet trainer. The first aircraft powered by the Rolls Royce Viper Mk 11 was flown for the first time on the 4 September 1964. The production aircraft was designated the Kiran I, and first deliveries from a pre-production batch were delivered to the Indian Air Force in March 1968. Later production aircraft were fitted with hardpoints under each wing for weapon training (as the Kiran IA. A total of 190 aircraft were built. An improved version powered by a convert|3400|lbf|abbr=on thrust Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus engine and improved weapon-carrying capability was designated the Kiran II and was delivered from 1983.

Replacement

Kiran will be replaced with the new HAL HJT-36 trainer undergoing flight trials. The Indian Air Force has already placed orders for 12 such aircraft to replace the Kiran jets used by the Surya Kiran team.

Variant

* Kiran Mk.I : Two-seat basic jet trainer powered by a Rolls Royce Viper turbo-jet engine.
* Kiran Mk.IA : Two-seat basic jet trainer with armament capability
* Kiran Mk.II : Improved version with four hardpoints and integral twin 7.62 mm machine guns in nose and a Rolls Royce Orpheus engine

Operators

;IND
* Indian Air Force
* Indian Navy

pecification (Kiran IA)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet
crew=2
length main= 34 ft 9 in
length alt= 10.60 m
span main=35 ft 1¼in
span alt= 10.70 m
height main= 11 ft 11 in
height alt= 3.63m
area main= 204.52 ft²
area alt= 19.00 m²
empty weight main= 5,644 lb
empty weight alt= 2560 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 9,336 lb
max takeoff weight= 4235 kg
engine (jet)= Rolls-Royce Viper
type of jet= turbojet
number of jets= 1
thrust main=
thrust alt=
max speed main= 695 km/h, kts, convert|432|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on
max speed alt=
max speed more=
never exceed speed main=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 30,000 ft
ceiling alt= 9145 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
armament= two 500lb (227kg) bombs or 2 7.26mm SNEB rocket pods or 2 pods with 7.62 mm machine guns, or two 50-Imp Gal (226 litre) drop tanks

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=

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