The second prototype of the Navy version of the Light Combat Aircraft took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd runway at 12.27 p.m. and flew for about 35 minutes.

LCA-NP2, the second prototype of the Navy version of the Light Combat Aircraft, flew for the first time on Saturday.

It took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd runway at 12.27 p.m. and flew for about 35 minutes, said HAL, the production partner in the indigenous fighter programme. Officials of HAL, the Aeronautical Development Agency, safety certifying agency CEMILAC and other DRDO officials watched the flight.

HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju said a main contribution in it was the new and complex landing gear designed for NP-2 by engineers of the Aircraft Research and Design Centre.

Navy test pilot Captain Shivnath Dahiya of the National Flight Test Centre flew the NP-2. The chase aircraft cover was provided by a limited series production aircraft (LSP2) piloted by Gp. Capt. Suneet Krishna (retd).