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3D-printed scale model of Indian-built attack helicopter named Prachand

21st December 2023, 13:36 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

The lack of a suitable attack helicopter to operate in the mountainous heights during the 1999 Kargil War led to its development.

BHPian skanchan95 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

1:50 HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) प्रचंड (Prachand) IA-6101, 351 Army Aviation Squadron, Indian Army (sewing3d)

The HAL Prachand (meaning Fierce) is an Indian-built light attack helicopter designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Project LCH. It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army. Its flight ceiling is the highest among all attack helicopters in the world.

What led to the requirement and development of the LCH Prachand was the lack of a suitable attack helicopter to operate in the mountainous heights during the 1999 Kargil War. The Mi-25/35 could not operate at those heights and the Mi-17 used in a gunship role was operating at the limits of its capabilities in that role. It revealed to the Indian armed forces the lack of suitable armed attack helicopters capable of operating unrestricted in high-altitude areas. The LCH was built precisely to address that deficiency.

The LCH Prachand was built on the success of the indigenous helicopter developed and manufactured by HAL - the HAL Dhruv ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter). The Dhruv was used as a starting point for the LCH.

In October 2022, the LCH was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force and was officially named "Prachand" (Fierce). By November, the Indian army had begun to move its LCH helicopters on LAC near the Chinese border.

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (Gunner & Pilot)
Length: 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
Height: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Empty weight: 2,250 kg (4,960 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 5,800 kg (12,787 lb)
Payload: 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) weapons
Powerplant: 2 × HAL/Turbomeca Shakti-1H1 turboshaft, 1,032 kW (1,384 hp) each
Main rotor diameter: 13.2 m (43 ft 4 in)

Performance

Maximum speed: 268 km/h (167 mph, 145 kn)
Never exceed speed: 330 km/h (205 mph, 178 kn)
Range: 550 km (340 mi, 300 nmi) with weapons
Endurance: 3 hours 10 minutes
Service ceiling: 6,500 m (21,300 ft)
Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2,400 ft/min)

Armament

Guns:

1 x 20 mm M621 cannon on Nexter THL-20 turret

Hardpoints: 4, with provisions to carry combinations of:

Rockets:

4 × 12 FZ275 LGR

Missiles:

Air-to-air missiles:

4 × 2 Mistral
Anti-tank guided missile
4 × 4 Dhruvastra (planned)

Bombs:

Precision-guided munition
2 × HSLD-250 (planned)
Cluster munition
Unguided bomb
2 × Prefragmented Bomb 250 (planned)

The Model

This is a 3D-printed and hand-painted model by an Indian enterprise that goes by the name Sewing3d.

As most of us are aware, diecast models of Indian military models are rare and a diecast model of a truly Made in India helicopter like the Prachand, would be nearly impossible to get. So a 3D printed one like this one is our best choice. Don't expect it to be close to a diecast model in terms of detailing or features. It is heavier than an equivalent plastic model of a similar or slightly bigger scale. But it is certainly a well-made model and the makers need to be commended for their efforts.

I liked the fact that they tried to give some of the features of a diecast model on this 3D printed model - the main rotor blades are removable and can be easily inserted in the very strong and nicely designed rotor hub. The cannon turret on the nose, tail rotor and a couple of probes on the nose are removable. While the attachments fit in quite easily, using a little bit of blue tack to hold them in place is recommended. Also, unlike attachments of diecast models which can be quite flimsy and easily breakable, these attachments are quite strong and will not break easily.

The stand too is 3D printed and quite sturdy.