The HAL Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 Sitara (Sanskrit: "Morning star") is an Intermidiate Jet Trainer (IJT) trainer aircraft under development by HAL ARDC (Aircraft Research and Design Center) for the Airforce. The HJT-36 will replace the HAL HJT-16 Kiran in its role of as a trainer (Stage-2) in the Airforce. It has a conventional jet trainer design, with a low, swept wing, staggered cockpits, and small air intakes on either side of its fuselage.

The project began in 1999, with the first prototype flying on March 7 2003. The Limited Series Production (LSP) order of the Airforce of 12 (Suryakiran Aerobatics team) aircraft are supposed to be delivered in 2005-06. Final production could be 225+ aircraft, serving both the Airforce and the Navy.

Intial prototypes have flown with the Snecma Larzac engine, while the production models will fly with the more powerful Saturn AL-55 I engine with about 16.9 kN of thrust (Thrust to Weight Ratio of 5.59).

Specifications (HJT-36, prototypes)

General Characteristics

• Crew: two, student and instructor
• Length: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.00 m (32 ft 10 in)
• Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in)
• Empty: 3,500 kg (7,700 lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 4,500 kg (9,900 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Snecma Larzac 04-20, 14.1 kN (3,170 lbf) thrust

Performance

• Maximum speed: 825 km/h
• Range: endurance of 3 hours
• Service ceiling: 9,000 m (29,520 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Thrust-to-weight:

Armament

• Five hardpoints for up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of a variety of guns, bombs, rockets, and missiles

External Links

• Images of the two prototypes
• Bharat-Rakshak Monitor Article on HJT-36
• HAL Page on HJT-36

Related content

Related development: HAL Tejas

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: HJT-16 - HJT-36