HAL (Hindustan) Designations

[Apophenia]

Since HAL keeps popping up in other discussions (eg: MBB designations), I thought that I'd put up my Hindustan Aircraft/Hindustan Aeronautics alphanumeric designations. As always, plenty of holes to fill! Presumably, most of those 'missing' designations were assigned to unbuilt projects.

HAL was formed 24 Dec 1940 but came under the control of the US Army from 1943-Aug 1945 before returning to the Indian government. In 1964, Hindustan Aircraft Limited was dissolved and merged with MiG-21 builder, Aeronautics India Ltd, to become Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. HAL designations, in their original form, has only been sporatically applied since the merger (most designs now having generic role acronyms acting as designations).

HAL designations consist of H for Hindustan followed by role letters (the exception being HAL's very first product, the G-1 troop glider). Designations evolve over time - eg: HT for military Trainer is expanded to distinquish between piston (HPT) and turboprop (HTT) power.

HAL alphanumeric designations were only partially sequential -- eg: HF-24 Marut predates the
HJT-16 Kiran. In other cases, numbers are kept for convenience only to be changed later for marketing purposes (eg: the HF-24 Mk III project - which was only Marut-based - becomes the non-sequential HF-73 in 1973). Or, types numbers change for no obvious reason (eg: when the HPT-32 Deepak turboprop conversion becomes the HTT-34 rather than a 'HTT-32').

Know HAL designation role prefix letters are as follows"

G === Glider
HA == Hindustan Argicultural
HAC = Hindustan [Airliner, Commerical?; Airline Commuter?]
HCP = Hindustan [Cargo, Passenger?; Commerical, Passenger?]
HF == Hindustan Fighter
HSS = Hindustan Supersonic Strike
HT == Hindustan Trainer
HJT = Hindustan Jet Trainer
HPT = Hindustan Piston Trainer
HTT = Hindustan Turbo Trainer
HUL = Hindustan Utility Light
HAOP = Hindustan Aerial Observation Post
________________________________________

 

[Apophenia]

HAL (Hindustan Aircraft Limited) Designations 1940-1964 (+ Later H' Designations)

[??] -- 1940, VTOL aircraft patent by HAL engineer, Ajit Maitra

G-1 -- Aug 1941 1-seat troop glider, one prototype built

HT-2 -- 1951 military 2-seat primary trainer, 1 x 155 hp Cirrus Major III
- HT-2 prototype: 1 x 145 hp deHavilland Gipsy Major, reg'd VT-DFW
- HT-2 production: 160 for Indian Air Force, 12 for Ghanan AF
- HT-2L: 1980s conv. (eg: IX494) to 160 hp Lycoming AEIO-320-D2B
-- Design by VM Ghatge, mockup built 1949, first metal cut Feb 1950

Hxx-3 - [??]
Hxx-4 - [??]
Hxx-5 - [??]
Hxx-6 - [??]
Hxx-7 - [??]
Hxx-8 - [??]
Hxx-9 - [??]

HT-10 -- [Project] 1954 side-by-side advanced trainer, 1050 hp P&W R-1830
- HT-10 prototype construction begun 1954, abandoned 1958 [?]
-- HT-10 design begun 1948, mockup and wind tunnel models complete by 1952
-- Specs: span 44', length 33', gross weight 9500 lbs, max speed 230 mph

HT-11 -- [Project] 195? basic trainer similar in layout to advanced HT-10
- HT-11: presumably intended as a repl. for licenced Percival Prentice

Hxx-12 - [??]
Hxx-13 - [??]
Hxx-14 - [??]
Hxx-15 - [??]

HJT-16 - Kiran side-by-side basic/intermediate jet trainer for the IAF
-- Orig. engine poss: Viper, Turbomeca (or Blackburn-Turbomeca), or RB.145
- Kiran Mk I: 1964 jet trainer, 1 x 2,500 lb.st RR Viper, 118 built
- Kiran Mk IA: 'Armed Kiran', 2 x wing pylons, RR Viper, 72 built
- Kiran Mk II prototype: 1976 as per Mk IA except RR Orpheus & fixed guns
- Kiran Mk II production: 1985, 4200 lb.st Orpheus, 4 x pylons, 61 built

HJT-17 - Parallel development with Kiran as a possible alternative. Mockup built
-- HAL Chief Designer VM Ghatge considered staggered seating, this may be HJT-17

Hxx-18 - [??]
Hxx-19 - [??]
Hxx-20 - [??]
Hxx-21 - [??]
Hxx-22 - [??]
Hxx-23 - [??]

HF-24 - Marut, 1961 twin-engined jet fighter (by Kurt Tank/MV Ghatge), 147 built
- HF-24 Glider: April 1959 1-to-1 scale plywood glider for flight trials (aka X-241)
-- NB: HF-24 glider many have been desig. in that missing '18-'23 sequence
-- Glider designation was X-241 (see hesham's reply#16
- HF-24 as planned: 2 x 8170 lb.st afterburning RR Orpheus BOr 12 engines
-- Orpheus BOr 12 cancelled, alt. engines considered: RD-9F and Egyptian E-300
- HF-24 prototype: June 1961 X-24 (orig. HF-001, later BR462) 2 x Orpheus Mk.703
- HF-24 Mk I: single-seat ground attack fighter, 2 x unreheated RR Orpheus Mk.703
-- HF-24 Mk I 1963 pre-production: 18 aircraft order for IAF in 1962
-- HF-24 Mk I 1964 production aircraft: 62 ordered for IAF
- HF-24 Mk I BX: 1966 engine test airframe able to take RR Orpheus or E-300
-- NB: HF-24 Mk I BX was a conversion of one of the early pre-production Mk Is
- HF-24 Mk IT: 2-seat trainer, 1970 prototype, rocket removed to allow second seat
-- aka 'Marut Trainer', design by SC Das (after Tank leaves), 18 HF-24 Mk IT built
- HF-24 Mk 1A: 3rd pre-production a/c, 2 x 7520 lb.st afterburning RR Orpheus 703
- HF-24 Mk 1R: 1970, Orpheus afterburner dev't trials a/c, clamshell canopies
- HF-24 Mk II: sometimes applied to prototype Mk IRs with afterburning Orpheus
-- NB: confusion exists between HF-24 Mk II and Mk III/HF-73 projects, to wit:
-- Mk II/Mk III engines: 2 x Adour or 6580 lb.st RR/MAN Turbo RB.153 turbofans
- HF-24 Mk III: [Project] see HF-73 project below
-- Mk III to "have maximum [HF-24] hardware commonality", in service 1981-82

HF-25 - [Project] single-engined HF-24 strike fighter derivative
-- Duplicate designation number, see HCP-25 utility aircraft below

HCP-25 - 1960 Norseman-like 10-pax aircraft, by V.M. Ghatage, prototype only
- [Project] turboprop-powered HCP-25 planned but not proceeded with
-- NB: pax + utility, then-concept described in 1958 Flight as "2-ton truck"
-- aka LAS (Logistic Air Support), 'HCP-125' is probably a typo for HCP-25
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3161.0
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3673.0

HUL-26 - Pushpak 2-seat lightplane (infl. by Aeronca?), 1 x 85 hp Continental 4-cyl
- HUL-26 Pushpak 1st prototype: VT-XAA completed Sept 1958, wooden wings
- HUL-26 Pushpak 2nd prototype/production: metal spar, pressed aluminum ribs
-- [Project] Pushpak deriv. with HAL PE-90H 90 hp hoizontally-opposed engine

HAOP-27 - Krishak 4-seat Pushpak devel., 1 x 90 hp Continental 4-cyl
-- HAOP-27 used as liaison/observation aircraft by IAF

Hx-28 - [??]
Hx-29 - [??]
Hx-30 - [??]

HA-31 - Basant agricultural aircraft, 1 x 400 hp Lycoming IO-720-C1B
- HA-31 Mk I: prototype, Basant design begun 1968
- HA-31 Mk II: 1972, revised cockpit location, 20 pre-production a/c
- HA-31 turboprop: [Project] 8 ordered for Indian Min. of Agriculture, cancelled
-- NB: 'HAL-31' for Basant Mk I may simply be a typo

HPT-32 - Deepak, 1977 military ab-initio trainer (HT-2 repl.), 120 built
- HPT-32: 1 x 260 hp Lycoming AEO-540-D4B5, IAF deliv 1984-1995
- HTT-34: turboprop deriv. (see below)

HAC-33 - [Project] 1973, transport, 2 x 1412 shp Astazou XX turboprops
- HAC-33: 20-pax pressurized feeder airliner (no industry interest)
-- HAC-33 wind tunnel model built and tested, funding not approved
- HAC-33: 24-seat/12 litter military transport, cancelled (no mil. interest)
-- 1974, Small Passenger Aircraft Group studied scaled-down version of HAC-33

HTT-34 - turboprop deriv of HPT-32, X2335 converted to Allison turboprop
HTT-34: 420shp Allison 250-B17D, HTP-32 prototype conv. flown 1984

HTT-35 - [Project] 199?, turboprop trainer; tandem cockpit with ind. canopies
- HTT-35: powrplant - 1100 shp Garrett TPE331-12D or 950 shp P&WC PT6A-62
-- For IAF Air Staff Target 208, to replace HPT-32 and HJT-16 from late '90s

HJT-36 - Sitara, 2003 subsonic jet trainer, direct HJT-16 Kiran replacement
- HJT-36 prototypes, 1 x 14.12 kN SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac 04-H-20
-- 2008, 1st prototype, PT-1, re-engined with NPO Saturn AL-55I
- HJT-36 production, 1 x 16.9 kN NPO Saturn AL-55I turbofans
-- aka IJT (Intermediate Jet Trainer), design work begun 1997
-- 2014 update - After spending Rs 4,500 crore on the project, the 85 HJT-36 on order now face cancellation. The trainer is said to be too heavy (4,150 kg without external stores) while having poor spin and stall recovery characteristics.


HTT-38 - [Project] 1998 turboprop trainer, modernized version of HTT-34 conv.

HJT-39 - [Project] advanced jet trainer, 2 x 2200 kg NPO Saturn AL-55
-- aka CAT (Combat Attack Trainer), evolved from single-engined HJT-36
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,11371.0

HTT-40 - [Project] new turboprop trainer design to replace HPT-32
-- HAL looking for partners so HTT-40 likely based on existing tandem trainer
-- On lists: G-120TP, KT-1, M-311, PC-7, PC-21, PZL-130 Orlik, T-6C, Tucano
-- Short listed: KT-1, PC-7 (lowest bidder, June 2011), T-6C Texan II
-- Prototype HTT-40 rolled out Feb 2016, 1 x TPE331-12B
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,17384.msg272369.html#msg272369

Hxx-41 - [??] ...

HF-73 - [Project] strike fighter follow-on to the indigenous HF-24 Marut
- HF-24 Mk III: original designation for HF-73 strike fighter project
-- HF-24 Mk III to "have maximum [HF-24] hardware commonality", 1981-82
- HSS-73: 'Hindustan Supersonic Strike' aircraft less derived from Marut
- HF-73: redesignated HSS-73 various configurations, work aborted 1975
-- HF-73 concepts designed with assistance of Germany's MBB
-- HF-73 final config: single-seat, Double tail, 10 t wt., RB199 engines

___________________________________

 

[hesham]

Hi,

HF-25 :single engined version as strike fighter.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,902.msg7118.html#msg7118

 

[Apophenia]

HF-25 :single engined version as strike fighter

Thanks Hesham. So, we also have a number repetition. I'm guessing that any production plans for the HCP-25 utility transport prototype had already been abandoned by the time the HF-25 project was given its designation.

All the numbers for Marut projects are a little goofy, unsequential, and obviously marketing driven. I wonder why HAL management didn't just assign a block of number to this series of fighters in the first place?

 

[AM]

Hi all,

HAL-66-400 = MiG-21U
HAL-66-600 = MiG-21US
HAL-74 = MiG-21F
HAL-76 = MiG-21PF
HAL-77 = MiG-21FL
HAL-88 = MiG-21MA
HAL-96 = MiG-21MF

 

[Maveric]

Great find AM, thanks. Can you tell us your source

 

[Apophenia]

HAL-66-400 = MiG-21U
HAL-66-600 = MiG-21US
HAL-74 = MiG-21F
HAL-76 = MiG-21PF
HAL-77 = MiG-21FL
HAL-88 = MiG-21MA
HAL-96 = MiG-21MF

Thanks AM: do you have a source confirming these as HAL numbers? I've only ever seen those MiG numbers as being Indian Air Force 'Type Numbers' not as actual HAL designations.

Usually these are listed as Type 66-400, etc. Note that IAF Type Numbers for MiG-21s correspond to their Soviet Izdeliye number -- eg: the Soviet-built MiG-21F-13 or Izdeliye 74 = IAF Type 74; MiG-21U or Izdeliye 66-400 = IAF Type 66-400 and so on.

If HAL Nasik decided to simply adopt those Izdeliye numbers as their own designations too, that'd fill in a lot of our blanks! It would also allow us to fill in other designations for HAL-built Russian aircraft based on their Izdeliye numbers.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


it is not related to HAL,but for MiG company,also the MiG-21 was given the designation;
Type (or Tip) 15,50,68,69,72,75,92,94 and 95.

 

[AM]

Hi all

I have found these designations in the archive. A source I do not remember, but it is the book about MiG-21. Published in the Western Germany. Therefore confirm reliability I can't.

 

[Maveric]

Thanks AM.

 

[Grey Havoc]

HJT-36 - Sitara, 2003 subsonic jet trainer, direct HJT-16 Kiran replacement
- HJT-36 prototypes, 1 x 14.12 kN SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac 04-H-20
-- 2008, 1st prototype, PT-1, re-engined with NPO Saturn AL-55I
- HJT-36 production, 1 x 16.9 kN NPO Saturn AL-55I turbofans
-- aka IJT (Intermediate Jet Trainer), design work begun 1997

You might want to update the HJT-36 entry: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,11371.msg228463.html#msg228463

 

[Apophenia]

Done. Thanks Grey Havoc.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


here is an unknown project to HAL,it was four engined STOL civil and military transport
aircraft,what was its designation ?.


Flying Review 11/1967

 

[Apophenia]

Going by the practices of the time, it probably didn't have a designation other than a project acronym. HAL's Advanced Projects Group produced contemporary projects like the GAF I and GAF II (for Ground Attack Fighter). What little there is on the project in question just refer to it as 'STOL'.

"There was also a study made for a STOL transport cum freighter, as a civil airliner with a 100 seat capacity and also as a replacement for the Packet, Dakota and Caribou. The configuration was for using four Rolls Royce turbofan engines and another configuration powered by four turboprop engines."

The Lost Decade, Raj Mahindra
http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewtopic.php?t=6384&start=4280

"The Aeronautics Committee [part of the Aeronautics Research and Development Board] recommended the development of a fighter aircraft, STOL aircraft, and a helicopter."


"Development of STOL aircraft primarily to respond to civil requirements did not come through."

Rememberance of Things Past as former Director General of the NAL, Dr SR Valluri
http://yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/rememberanceofthingspastapr2004.htm

__________

Advanced Projects Group, mid-'60s

GAF I - [Project] 196? Ground Attack Fighter I powered by BSE/Snecma M45

GAF II - [Project] 1967 multi-role fighter/interceptor

STOL transport - [Project] 1967, 4 x vectored RR RB 153 or turboprop
-- Packet/Dakota/Caribou repl. Also civilian freighter or 100-seat airliner
-- Abandoned in favour of HAL combat aircraft development
_______________________________

BTW, another HAL project from this era was the HJE-2500 turbojet

HJE-2500 - [Project] 1968 indiginous turbojet, 3,000 lb.st.
- HJE-2500: Intended as a BSE Viper Mk.22/8 replacement
-- http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1967/1967%20-%200024.html
-- HJE-2500 devel. intended to be funded by HAL's own resources
-- http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1968/1968-1%20-%200058.html
_________________________________

 

[hesham]

Excellent my dear Apophenia.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

X-241 During the development phase, prior to production, HAL designed and built a full scale two-seat research glider, the HAL X-241 which replicated the production aircraft in dimensions, control configuration and aerofoil sections. The wheel-brakes, air-brakes, flaps and retractable undercarriage operated using compressed gas, with enough gas to operate them several times per flight.[3]

Launched by aero-tow behind Douglas Dakota Mk.IV BJ 449, the X-241 flew for the first time on 3 April 1959, making 86 flights before being damaged in a landing accident when the nose undercarriage failed to extend.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_HF-24_Marut

 

[cafe]

Hi all,

HAL-66-400 = MiG-21U
HAL-66-600 = MiG-21US
HAL-74 = MiG-21F
HAL-76 = MiG-21PF
HAL-77 = MiG-21FL
HAL-88 = MiG-21MA
HAL-96 = MiG-21MF

(Replying to a post from 2011.)

Surely the MiG-21US would have been called type 68 in India ? The 66-600 was the later U variant with the broad chord fin of the FL (and PFM).

India used the FL (izdeliye/type 77) instead of the PFM (izdeliye 94, like the PFS), so no need for the blown flaps of the US for training FL pilots. Not until they got the MiG-21M (izdeliye 96 if soviet-built/type 88 if license-built by HAL) and bis (izdeliye/type 75, license-built). And for those variants, there was the UM (izdeliye/type 69), also with blown flaps.