Successful Flight-test of Indigenous Power Take off Shaft

Maiden successful flight-test of Power Take off (PTO) Shaft was conducted on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited Series Production (LSP) - 3 aircraft in Bengaluru on March 14, 2023. The PTO shaft, indigenously designed and developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai is a critical component in the aircraft, and will support the requirements of future fighter aircraft & their variants and offers competitive cost & reduced time of availability.

The PTO shaft was designed with unique innovative patented ‘Frequency Spanning Technique’ which enables it to negotiate different operating engine speeds. The light weight high speed, lubrication free PTO shaft transmits higher power between aircraft engine gear box and Aircraft Mounted Accessory Gear Box while accommodating misalignments that arise in the drive line.

Aeronautical Development Agency, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited teamed along with CVRDE to achieve this feat.