First indigenous jet engine 'Kaveri' to be flight-tested

07.04.10 Mangalore : The first indigenously built jet engine 'Kaveri' will be flight-tested using the IL-76 aircraft in Russia, next month, Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) Director T Mohan Rao said today.

''Kaveri Engine will be put to test in one-and-half months, may be after the middle of May. It took almost two decades to develop the engine, he told newspersons here.
Mr Rao said the Kaveri engine, meant for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, India's fighter jet, has completed all the simulation and altitude tests. The altitude tests in Russia in February were a ''grand success.'' GTRE officials said around Rs 3,000 crore had been spent on the project , he said, adding GTRE was now looking to reduce the weight of the Kaveri engine by 60 kg to 50 kg. ''It has to be fine-tuned.
We will go in for lot of optimisation in future'', he added.

GTRE, which is engaged in research and development of gas turbines for military aircraft, has so far developed nine Kaveri engines and four Kabini (core of Kaveri). ''All engines have been tested to full potential'', he added.