A technician works on the jet engine at the laboratory. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, June 13: The state is all set to get its first modern jet lab at Indian Institute of Aeronautical Science here with two trainer engines.

Procured from New Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 6 lakh, the engines’ claim to fame is their stint with the Indian Air Force earlier. While the Hunter engine was employed with the air force, the second model, which now lies dismantled at the lab, is a Russian turbo propeller.

The Hunter will help train students through hands-on sessions at the turbo jet and turbo propeller laboratory, the dismantled Russian model would be used to teach students the technical nitty-gritty of flying and familiarise them with the various parts of an aircraft.

Brought to the city after getting official clearance from the director-general of civil aviation, the lab would be open for use by students enrolling for a course at the institute this academic session.

“This was long overdue. An official delegation visited us recently and thereafter we got the approval to set it up,” said J.K. Srivastav, the principal of the institute, which churns out aircraft engineers through various licence courses.

He added that Rs 8 lakh was pumped into setting up the infrastructure for the technically equipped library.

With the setting up of the state-of-the-art jet lab, the institute has got formal sanction to introduce a three-year course — the jet engine and piston engine course, alongside the ongoing light airframe and jet engine course and avionics.

If this is not enough, there are talks of obtaining a helicopter to start a fourth course of rotary wings with the current courses designed on fixed wings. The institute is now awaiting a final nod from the DGCA to to procure them.

Also to come up in a big way is a radio navigation laboratory on the premises. “The presence of a radio navigation laboratory has been made mandatory by the DGCA for institutes to offer a course in avionics. We will soon hold a meeting to obtain official permission,” Srivastav added.

Another investment of about Rs 10 lakh is expected for setting up the navigation lab.