India's Tejas Mk1A Gets an Air Intake Upgrade – Here's Why It Matters

India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas continues to evolve, with the recent Mk1A variant unveiling a significant upgrade to its air intake system. This crucial modification promises to enhance the aircraft's performance characteristics, especially during crucial phases like takeoff and landing.

The Challenge and the Solution​

The engineering team behind the Tejas focused on improving pressure recovery in the Mk1A's air intake. This means ensuring the engine receives the optimal amount of air, especially at low speeds.

To achieve this, they replaced the older single-door Auxiliary Air Intake Door (AAID) with a new 3-door design. Additionally, they carefully optimized the shape of the intake itself (known as the cowl).

Details of the Redesign​

Initial attempts to improve performance focused on adjusting the shape of the 3-door system's openings and its ability to change the amount of air entering.

While this yielded some positive results at low speeds, it was also causing problems at high speeds. This is due to something called spillage drag, where extra air bypassing the engine creates unwanted resistance.

The breakthrough came from optimizing the cowl geometry to better manage airflow near the engine inlet. This, combined with the refined 3-door AAID, is expected to significantly increase pressure recovery.

The Benefit​

The net result of these design changes is a predicted 3% improvement in pressure recovery within the air intake. This translates directly into increased engine efficiency, ultimately giving the LCA Tejas Mk1A a tangible performance boost.

Conclusion​

The upgraded air intake system, initially seen on LCA Navy Mk1 prototypes, represents a key step in the Tejas program. It demonstrates a continued commitment to refining the aircraft's design.

These improvements contribute to solidifying the LCA Tejas as a capable and versatile fighter within India's defense forces.

 

[Pink Panther]

The design is still not aerodynamic. Intake should be larger and angular like F 22 Or KF 21

Why compare with 5th gen aircraft that is supposed to be aero dynamic to reflect radar waves, 4th gen jets doesn’t have to be super aerodynamic, they could be to some degree for Super-cruising, MK2 is not even aerodynamic like Gripen, this is the reason why Gripen super-cruises but MK1/MK2 doesn’t, ADA/HAL still have time to make MK2 little more aerodynamic so that it Super-cruise which reduce infra red signature and offer stealth which is otherwise emitted when after burner is used.

 

[beencensured]

Still didn’t answer the question. Desh ko fayda kya hua ab tak?

India is stuck on quality, and have no quantity. Countries like china and Iran are making despite quality issues. And Chandigarh will always have issues with local despite high qualities.

 

[Pink Panther]

No dude the bigger the inlet the greater the airflow and better the combustion as a result higher the thrust and speed. You can always use metal screens within the inlet tunnel to prevent FOD ingestion.

Tejas always had a faulty air intake design that was obscured under the wings. Check out any fighter design, be it F-16, Eurofighter, Rafale, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lighting II, MiG-29, SU-30/35 or SU-57, the inlet will always have an unobstructed air flow. Our Tejas has a inlet that's remains obscured under the wing which results in ingesting turbulent air flow thus impacting the overall speed of aircraft.

They seem to have realized this critical drawback with inlet design and this is an attempt to execute an band-aid solution to address critical design deficiency without having to redesign the whole air frame.

That was a problem in earlier designs, now they moved the inlet forward and away from the wings, we can easily see that in latest MK2 designs.

 

[Pink Panther]

Glad to know about the persistence in making our Tejas a world beater but please pay attention to aerodynamics too.

Rafale/Typhoon/Gripen and all other 4th gen jets beater.

 

[Pink Panther]

India could also start numbering jets like US, Russia, China, etc. does.

We already had HF-24 Marut designation. Could have continued with Tejas or devised a new one.

How about T1 and T2.

 

[Pink Panther]

Answer the question buddy. (For this discussion) I will agree to everything you are saying about Iran’s products. Cheap, quantity, whatever. Tell me what have they achieved with that. Tell me the results. What has the country earned?

It is normal for any Country like Ukraine to say that they have intercepted 299 missiles and drone out of 300 to self motivate themselves and encourage every time Russia fires a volley, Israel also said the same thing, facts will slowly come out, this is something that can’t be hidden during high resolution satellite age, we will know the damage shortly, many countries can point their satellite to assess the damage.

 

[Akshat]

India is stuck on quality, and have no quantity. Countries like china and Iran are making despite quality issues. And Chandigarh will always have issues with local despite high qualities.

Again skipping the question like always. Tell me the material gain Iran got with those weapons.

 

[Akshat]

It is normal for any Country like Ukraine to say that they have intercepted 299 missiles and drone out of 300 to self motivate themselves and encourage every time Russia fires a volley, Israel also said the same thing, facts will slowly come out, this is something that can’t be hidden during high resolution satellite age, we will know the damage shortly, many countries can point their satellite to assess the damage.

So in short you can’t name one thing Iran got with those weapons, right?

 

[Pink Panther]

So in short you can’t name one thing Iran got with those weapons, right?

No Country would admit their weakness to the World, that’s why they say they have intercepted 299 missiles but one out of 300 and even the one that escaped hit a empty sand dune and didn’t harm even a 🐁, this is normal, even Ukraine says the samething , but how much money they wasted to defend these projectiles is the real damage.

 

[Akshat]

No Country would admit their weakness to the World, that’s why they say they have intercepted 299 missiles but one out of 300 and even the one that escaped hit a empty sand dune and didn’t harm even a 🐁, this is normal, even Ukraine says the samething , but how much money they wasted to defend these projectiles is the real damage.

Again not answering the question. What has Iran achieved with these weapons? Answer specifically.

 

[Pink Panther]

Again not answering the question. What has Iran achieved with these weapons? Answer specifically.

Cost.

 

[beencensured]

Again skipping the question like always. Tell me the material gain Iran got with those weapons.

Vengeance, Islam say kill the infidel and go to heaven. How you argue with that? Second they ability to hit Israel is a status symbol. Now, all in Islamic world will bow to them. Do you understand or do you just act stupid.

 

[Akshat]

Vengeance, Islam say kill the infidel and go to heaven. How you argue with that? Second they ability to hit Israel is a status symbol. Now, all in Islamic world will bow to them. Do you understand or do you just act stupid.

How many Israelis got killed?

 

[Akshat]

Cost.

So is Israel bankrupt now?

 

[Hari Sud]

India could also start numbering jets like US, Russia, China, etc. does.

We already had HF-24 Marut designation. Could have continued with Tejas or devised a new one.

Why do we have to go back to 60 year old plane numbering. Can’t be get little simpler.

 

[Sai Rohith]

Again not answering the question. What has Iran achieved with these weapons? Answer specifically.

I agree with you this, Iran& other militant groups continuously fire drones & missiles since 6months but not even a single US soldier got harmed but in Jordon which not involved someone fired a drone killing 3 US soldier entire middle East burned, even now also Iran can deal with US funded militant groups in Iran & can arrest US spies but they wasted 300 drones / cruise missiles , Iran already a bankrupt country it gave US a option to strike it. Iran's 95% e onomy depend on oil, US can strike all oil fields in half day ,It is appearing like Iran leaders were US puppets ,they achieved nothing, but if US / isreal strikes oil prices will go extremely high the same thing what US wants

 

[beencensured]

How many Israelis got killed?

They say a few ballistic missile got through? You tell me?

 

[Akshat]

They say a few ballistic missile got through? You tell me?

You are the one making the claim. So you tell me. Their defense system doesn’t counter every missile but only the ones targeting the city (or residential areas). So highly possible that the missiles which were not intercepted fell on barren land. On the other hand Israel openly attacked Iranian embassy and killed multiple military generals.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

That was a problem in earlier designs, now they moved the inlet forward and away from the wings, we can easily see that in latest MK2 designs.

It's still obscured hidden under the wing and that is a huge limitation. A inlet has to be placed ahead of wing root to avoid ingestion of boundary layer turbulence.

 

[Pink Panther]

It's still obscured hidden under the wing and that is a huge limitation. A inlet has to be placed ahead of wing root to avoid ingestion of boundary layer turbulence.

I am talking about in MK2.