Nope. China is a different culture with different values. The West has no right to look at China or any other nation and say “adopt our values or else”.

Does China have the right to systematically eradicate Tibetan culture? If China has that right, why doesn’t the West have its rights?

Checking out the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) at HAL, Bangalore

Go read up the links I provided in the thread where Kota harharan, proclaiming to all and sundry that first prototype will fly in 1992 and inducted in 1995/6. Again who is he to know about FSDE ? But I do like the effort of you guys to re-write history, with little jargon and choosing the opinions of few interested parties.

I know that technical jargon can get intimidating but bear with it a little.

The question is when did KH make those predictions? If metal cutting on the prototype began in 91, and FSED was authorized in 93, how can first flight be in 92?

Whether one wants to believe 78, 83, or 90 as the “real” start dates is mostly immaterial. The program will not only deliver a relevant aircraft for IAF, it is already preparing the Indian aero industry to mature and be able to take on follow on projects.

Of course all these achievements pail in comparison to being able to assemble and paint frames with most likely imported paint but hey, everyone starts out somewhere.

Added later:
Note that starting a study to find a suitable platform is not the begining of a design phase. It’s basically a survey to find the desirable qualities and capabilities the new platform should have. It’s generally accepted that the begining of a major project coincides with the “detailed design” phase.

YF-22 First Flight – 1990
F-22 First Flight – 1997
F/A-22 IOC – 2006

US had none of the workforce, technical lag, money, lack of production technology,etc issues that Russia is and will have to deal with for the PAK-FA. That is not to say that the US had no problems in the F-22 development program.

Yet, if people want to believe that Russia will buck the historical trend and pop out an operational fighter within a couple of years of its first flight, that’s fine. If people want to believe that Russia can pop out its first real stealth aircraft with its first real production AESA radar and immediately occupy the top slot in the fighter pantheon, then that’s fine too. Life’s of disappointments though…

The case to support the indigenous LCA programme

(Ashok Parthasarathi was Science Adviser to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Vice- Admiral (retired) Raman Puri was Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Committee of Service Chiefs, remaining closely involved with the inter-service weapons acquisition process from October 2003 to February 2006).

Reference :-

http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/09/stories/2008030955051000.htm

A long long time ago and in a galaxy far far away, I had written this:
Clicky

Operating costs depend on the number of deployments. I am willing to bet that the MGT powered Cavour will generate a lot more deployments than the boiler powered Vik. So, yeah, the Cavour could cost more to operate than the Vik but then the Cavour would be doing what it was built for.