HJT-16 Kiran
Type	Basic Jet Trainer
Manufacturer	Hindustan Aeronautics
Maiden flight	1964
Introduced	1968
Status	In Service
Primary users	Indian Air Force Indian Navy
Number built	190

The HAL HJT-16 Kiran 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. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x589, 212 KB) Premshree Pillais photos from wikipedia uploaded under creative commons licence. ... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a major aerospace company under the Ministry of Defence based in Bangalore, India. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1964: // Events February February 7 - The Canadian Golden Hawks aerobatic team is disbanded. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1968: Events January January 21 - a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashes in the sea near Thule AFB Greenland, carrying four nuclear weapons. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ... Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a major aerospace company under the Ministry of Defence based in Bangalore, India. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... Heart In the Sky with a Red arrow through it and the Sun in between Surya Kiran (literally meaning, Sun Rays), is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Air Force, successors to the Thunderbolts. ... The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ... Sagar Pawan (literally meaning, Winds of the Sea), is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Navys Aviation Arm. ...

History

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 3,400lb thrust Rolls Royce Orpheus engine and improved weapon-carrying capability was designated the Kiran II and was delivered from 1983. Rolls Royce Viper Turbojet from an Aermacchi MB-326 The Viper was a turbojet engine developed and produced by Armstrong Siddeley and then by its successor companies Bristol-Siddeley and Rolls-Royce Limited. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1964: // Events February February 7 - The Canadian Golden Hawks aerobatic team is disbanded. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1968: Events January January 21 - a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashes in the sea near Thule AFB Greenland, carrying four nuclear weapons. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1983: Events January January 31 - the Ayres Turbo Thrush NEEDS cropduster plane officially joins the United States war on drugs. February February 1 - Boeing announces it will stop producing Boeing 727 airliners. ...

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's used by the Surya Kiran team. The HAL Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 Sitara (Sanskrit: Morning star ) is an Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) trainer aircraft under development by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) ARDC (Aircraft Research and Design Center) for the Indian Air Force. ... The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ...

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 7.62mm machine guns in nose and a Rolls Royce Orpheus engine

Operators

• India
  • Indian Air Force,
  • Indian Navy.

The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting air-based warfare and securing Indian airspace. ... The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ...

Trivia

Kiran means Ray of Light in english

Specification (Kiran IA)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 34 ft 9 in (10.60 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 1¼in (10.70 m)
• Height: 11 ft 11 in (3.63m)
• Wing area: 204.52 ft² (19.00 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,644 lb (2560 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 9,336 lb ()
• Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet

Performance

• Maximum speed: 695 km/h, kts, 432 mph
• Service ceiling: 30,000 ft (9145 m)

Armament

two 500lb (227kg) bombs or 2 7.26mm SNEB rocket pods or 2 pods with 7.62mm machine guns, or two 50-Imp Gal (226 litre) drop tanks The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft is allowed to try to achieve flight. ... The Viper was a turbojet engine developed and produced by Armstrong-Siddeley and then by its successor companies Bristol-Siddeley and Rolls-Royce. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ...

Reference

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.