Hindustan's First Flight

Shruti Vashist

Hindustan's First Flight

A wise man once said that the progress of a country can be measured by its ability to be self-sufficient. The Hindustan Trainer was yet another product of India that proved the same.

HAL's beloved aircraft - HT -2; Image Source: Twitter

Throughout World War II, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, located in Bangalore, did not belong to India. It was stocked up with fighters and airplanes of US origin. Somewhere, Young M Ghagte was toiling away as a student at the Indian Institute of Science, trying to understand the intricacies of Aeronautical Engineering. Most of the designers working at HAL are IISC alumni.

When India gained its freedom, HAL was rightfully handed over to the Indian Government from the Britishers. With the circulation of the idea of self-reliance, India sought out to build an aircraft from scratch. One such aircraft was the Hindustan Trainer 2. The aircraft got its name from its creator, HAL. But, ‘Hindustan’ represented not just the organisation, but the entire country of India.

Remember M Ghagte? He became Chief Designer of HAL and his first plan of action was to propose the design for Hindustan Trainer. The fundings for this project was immediately released by the government, and the metal cutting work began.

By October 1950 the assembly of the aircraft’s parts was well on its way. Piece by piece, from the wings to the seat, the Hindustani Trainer was put together like a jigsaw puzzle. Several tests later, the Hindustani Trainer became all set to take off.

The first formal public launch of the Hindustani Trainer was a big affair. The day was August 13, 1951. The sky seemed to be overcast with clouds but Captain Jimmy Mushi was confident that the demonstration would go on well. The senior-most Indian Officer of the Indian Air Force was to witness it as the chief guest. All the workers and managers at HAL gathered around to watch the Hindustan Trainer. Capt Munshi took off perfectly, and when he took steep turns and loops mid-air, the whole crowd rejoiced and cheered.

The Hindustan Trainer was eventually delivered to Hyderabad’s Begumpet airfield, where it served in the air force. HAL decided it wanted to showcase the aircraft outside India as well. It was then taken to Australia. This is where a very interesting incident took place. The pilot who was driving the Hindustan Trainer in Australia was greeted with a lot of cheer.

He took it to his head and while driving the aircraft, the pilot ended up hurling it down towards the ground. He was ready to have escaped with a few face injuries but India’s dream of selling the Hindustan Trainer crashed there along with the aircraft, even after India sent a replacement of the same without a pilot to Australia.

The great overall success of this aircraft worked as an excellent morale booster for the designers at HAL. India must carry forward the legacy of the Hindustan Trainer to inch closer to being self-sufficient in the aerospace industry.