HAL HF-24 MARUT. [INDIA FIRST INDIGENOUS FIGHTER JET]

Did you know that LCA Tejas was not the first made in India Fighter Aircraft. India Understood the need of a homemade Fighter Jets Aircraft as far back as the early 50's and went so far as to bring in a team of top Combat Plane Designers from Former Nazi,Germany.

Nehru wanted India To be The First Country In Asia To Produced The Own Fighter Plane. HAL, Bangalore was assigned for the project but at that point India Lack The Talent, Experience, Technology and Necessary Materials. A Half Century Before Outsourcing Became Fashionable, Nehru and his Advisor did Something Daring for those Times. They Choose A German Aerospace Scientist , It was Legendary Engineer Kurt Tank, who had Desinged The Focke-Wulf FW-190 One of the most Successful Fighter-jets In the World War II. 

1.The Plane Was Designed For The Indian Airforce HF-24 Marut Is The Only Indian Made Combat Plane To become Operational Yet Though With Pachy Results.

2.HF(Hindustan Fighter) - Marut -The Spirit Of The Wind God(Tempest).

3. It's First Flight Took Place On 17th June 1961,Within Six Years Of The Specifications For the Fighter Being Drawn Up. Things moved Quite Fast Back Then.

4. A Total Of 147 Aircrafts Were Produced, Including 18 Two Seater Trainers.

5. Although Originally intended to have a top speed of mach 2 (twice the speed of sound),the Marut Could not even managed to do half that. It wasn't for the lack of trying ,but the lack of a suitable Engine and Also the Sanctions after India's First Nuclear Test.

6.Since it's speed was limited, it was mainly used in the ground attack role.

7.It Took Part In the 1971 war and though none were lost in the dogfights, a few were lost on the ground. The Marut even had a kill to it's name Sqd. Ldr. K.K. BAKSHI recorded the only arieal victory when he shot down the Pakistani F-86 Sabre on       7th December 1971.

8.After the War Was Over Three Marut Pilots Were Awarded the VIR CHAKRA For Bravery.

9. Although it never got a powerful Engine for itself, the Marut was used as a Testbed by Eygpt for its own Engine Development Programme.

10.The Marut Served With Three Squadrons of the Indian Airforce, The No. 10 Squadron, No. 31 Squadron, No. 220 Squadron.Unlike Today, where the Airforce shot of Aircraft , each Marut Squadron had more than the Sanctioned Strength of the Aircraft.

11. HAL Marut was Retired in Year 1990.