The Hindustan Trainer - 2 (HT-2)

HT-2
Details: Ci-1965, PTE Allahbad

This is the HT2. The HT2 was one of the first planes to roll out of the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautical Limited) production lines and was called the Hindustan Trainer 2. But of course everyone had to refer to it as the HT2. The HT2 was a trainer and dad graduated on to the planes after his 25 hours of his flying on the L-5 at the Nagpur flying club.

Dad's log book states that he was at the Pilot Training Acadamy from the 22nd of Nov 1964 to 16th March 1965. So in all probablity, this picture has been taken sometime around the end of 1964 or the begining of 1965. All the flight cadets were required to do another about 25 hours of flight training (this time under Airforce supervision!). Dad ended up doing a total of 28 hours of flying. Out of the 28, 5 hours were solo flying.

The HT-2 was already well in service by the time dad actually got to fly them. The August 9 1951 edition of The Hindu proudly proclaimed the self sufficiency of India in training their own pilots. A certain Captain Munshi is reported as follows,
"Captain Munshi, Chief Test Pilot, told TheHindu that it was easily manoeuverable and responded quickly and effectively to controls. "

But I doubt that anything can be as cut and dried. A report of the flight of the HT-2 retrived from the Bharat-Rakshak vaults warns the HAL of the follows,

" The steering seemed a shade more sensitive than the other controls (which are themselves quitesensitive) and may lend itself to coarse use in the hands of, or rather under the feet ofpupil pilots It Is understandable that an aircraft stressed as highly as the H.T.2 will have sensitive controls, but a comment at this stage may not be entirely out of place, The H,T.2 controls are much lighter than any trainer in use, and it would be Interesting to see the reactions of the instructors and the pupils to this difference."

I am not sure if a 25 hour old flight cadet also would find the sensitive controls as "interesting"! Must get a clarification form dad on that the next time I speak to him.

A most excellent write up on this beautiful plane can be found here on the BR website. It would be a shame to not go on that webpage.

The HT-2 no longer serves the Indian Airforce, but HAL did provide another plane for the Indian airforce aleed the HPT-32. If I am not mistaken, flight cadets still start flying on this plane in India. As far as the HT-2 is concerned, it still plays a very important role in many parts of India. Giving someting to fit in front of ugly building to divert attention from it.