HAL Rudra

what is it?

The HAL Rudra (lit. 'Roaring') also known as ALH-WSI, is an armed version of the HAL Dhruv utility helicopter which is designed and produced by the Indian aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Rudra was developed in parallel to the HAL Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), a more extensive attack helicopter developed from the Dhruv. Extensive changes from the Dhruv were avoided to produce the Rudra with the express purpose of providing an indigenous armed helicopter faster than the LCH programme could do so.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 13.2 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 280 km/htop speed
• range 590 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 14passengers
• size 5,800 kgmax take-off weight
• built 91made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 19 years ago, in 2007.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Rotor of 13.2 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

2007-08-16

introduced

2012

status

still flying

number built

91

role

armed helicopter

origin

🇮🇳 India

makers

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

engines

2× HAL/Turbomeca Shakti-1H / HAL/Turbomeca Shakti

passengers

14

length

15.9 m

rotor diameter

13.2 m

height

5 m

max take-off weight

5,800 kg

top speed

280 km/h

cruise speed

245 km/h

range

590 km

ceiling

6,100 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family