Rotorcraft
Indian airshow showcases domestic-manufacture helos
In January the Yelahanka air force base hosted the fifth Aero India show.

In January the Yelahanka air force base hosted the fifth Aero India show. The event attracted 372 exhibitors, 136 from India and 236 from foreign countries. Few of the more than 60 aircraft at the show were civil helicopters, among them the civilian version of the home-grown Dhruv.

The five-tonne Dhruv, developed under the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) program, distinguished itself as the exhibit that logged the most display flying time at Aero India 2005. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has built more than three dozen of the machines. Six were on display at the show, three of which were part of the Indian air force display group, the Sarang. So far most of the completed machines are the baseline version for army aviation and the air force. At the airshow, HAL displayed all three current versions, including the wheeled variant for shipborne operations and a civilian variant. The Dhruv series is powered by Turbomeca TM333-2B2 turboshafts.

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