HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter)

Multirole Lightweight Single-Engine Utility Helicopter

India | 2018

"The HAL LUH completed its first flight on September 6th, 2016 - it was meant to go airborne sometime in 2015."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/31/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) of India is developing the "Light Utility Helicopter" (LUH) to fulfill a joint-service requirement for its Army and Air Force calling for a light-class multi-role utility platform. A first-flight was recorded on September 6th, 2016 and the product remains in development with a single example completed. It was originally expected to take to the air during 2015 but delays in the program have seen mounting delays in project goals.

At its core, the helicopter is a traditionally-arranged, rotary-winged aircraft seating the single engine installation over the passenger cabin roof. In the cockpit is seating for two in a side-by-side arrangement. The cabin seats an additional six. Automobile-style doors grant access to the cockpit with sliding doors giving entry/exit to the passenger space. Power is from a HAL (French Turbomeca) "Shakti" Model 1U turboshaft engine delivering 1,706 horsepower to a four-bladed main rotor over the fuselage and a four-bladed tail rotor offset to starboard. Vertical tail fins straddle the tail stem along its midway point and a sole vertical fin sits atop the extreme aft portion of the stem proper. The undercarriage is of a fixed skid-type arrangement, reducing the maintenance commitment, simplifying production and limiting per-unit procurement costs.

To date (2016), the Indian military is contracted for 384 total LUH systems with 187 set to be manufactured by HAL beginning in 2018. Further production will stem from elsewhere.

The LUH is one of several indigenous Indian aviation ventures, showcasing a desire to become more self-sufficient in the field of military equipment. Considering India is one of the top global importers of such goods, it behooves the nation to invest heavily into its own defense.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) Multirole Lightweight Single-Engine Utility Helicopter.

1 x HAL (Turbomeca) "Shakti" 1U turboshaft engine developing 1,706 horsepower and driving four-blade main rotor and four-blade tail rotor.
Propulsion

155 mph
250 kph | 135 kts
Max Speed

21,325 ft
6,500 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling

217 miles
350 km | 189 nm
Operational Range

1,500 ft/min
457 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) Multirole Lightweight Single-Engine Utility Helicopter.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

52.5 ft
16.00 m
O/A Length

43.3 ft
(13.20 m)
O/A Width

16.4 ft
(5.00 m)
O/A Height

4,211 lb
(1,910 kg)
Empty Weight

6,945 lb
(3,150 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) family line.

LUH ("Light Utility Helicopter") - Base Series Name

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) - India

[ India (projected) ]

1 / 1

Image of the HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter)

Image from official HAL press release.

Going Further...
The HAL LUH (Light Utility Helicopter) Multirole Lightweight Single-Engine Utility Helicopter appears in the following collections:

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