Suranjan Das Road by Harshitha Kalyanaraman – SKCH

Suranjan Das Road

Road Name: Suranjan Das Road named after Suranjan Das (22^nd February 1920 - 10^th January 1970)

Road Location:  Near Tippasandra

Famous for: His service to the Indian Air Force

Summary:

Suranjan Das was born in Calcutta and was ambitious about flying at a very young age. His parents didn’t approve of his career as a pilot. But, he followed his dreams and was a pilot of the Indian Air Force who is respected and loved by the whole of India.

Detailed Description:

Suranjan Das road is very well known for its everlasting widening process. Last year, around 150 trees were felled for road widening. But we must remember Suranjan Das road for the reason that the great man on whom this road was named after. The great pilot who served the nation, Suranjan Das.

Suranjan Das was born on February 22^nd 1920 in Calcutta. As he grew, he recognized his passion for flying and aeromodelling. But his parents disapproved of his dream. They sent him to engineering college.

During his time there, the World War 2 broke out. He volunteered and was recruited as a trainee pilot for the Royal Indian Air Force. His parents continued to disapprove of his dream, but yet he grew into flying and went on to take his place firmly in the history of flight testing and development of new aircraft types.

The year 1949 was a watershed for the aviation industry in India. In that year Dr VM Ghatage started design work in Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL) on the Hindustan Trainer-2 (HT-2). At the same time, IAF felt the need of test pilots and sent two brilliant pilots to Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) in the UK. The two recruits were Lieutenants Roshan Lal Suri and Suranjan Das. On August 5, 1952, Mr. Jamshed K Munshi, HAL's Chief Test Pilot (CTP), while taxying the HT-2, got airborne in it and flew it for about 45 minutes. After he landed, he pronounced the aircraft fit for the IAF. Dr Ghatage asked him if he had spun the aircraft. Captain Munshi confirmed that the aircraft had given him no trouble in the spin. Suranjan Das left HAL soon afterwards.

At Kanpur, Das hit a blue-bull on the runway during a take-off, killing it on the Toofani. The Toofani also suffered considerable damage but was repaired for flying. Fortunately, Das was not injured.

On January 10, 1970, the brilliant career of Group Captain Suranjan Das came to an untimely and tragic end in the fatal crash of the HF-24 Mk 1R prototype. On take-off, the canopy opened and probably the right engine lost power. Unfortunately, he could not have ejected out of the aircraft unless the canopy flew off, which it didn't. At that time his father, the ex-Chief Justice of India, was the Vice Chancellor of Vishwa Bharati at Shantiniketan. He was naturally very sad at the irreparable loss and yet very proud of his son. Das's death killed the 1R project.

Contributed by: Harshitha Kalyanaraman, 8-E, Sri Kumaran Children’s Home CBSE

 

 

Suranjan Das Road by Yeshaswini. R – SKCH

Suranjan Das Road

Road Name: Suranjan Das Road named after Suranjan Das (February 22^nd, 1920 - January 10^th, 1970)

Road Location: Puttapa Layout

Famous for/ Contributions to society:

Detailed Description:

Suranjan Das may not have made himself famous among the citizens but he surely did justice to his country. Group .Captain .Suranjan Das’ name will always stand for excellence in the profession of test flying and will always be an inspiration to all those who wish to make use of their life to quench the country.

Suranjan Das was a shining test flying pilot in the IAF. He first joined the Indian royal air force where he volunteered in World War II. He was one among the very few pilots who were chosen and sent to Empire Test Pilots School [ETPS] to test pilot for IAF. He also commanded the Halwara Air Force Station Base and was the director of the Aircraft & Armament Testing Group of the Indian Air Force [1969] until his death.

They all said he was a boy whose eyes will always gaze upwards. Despite his passion towards flying and his wanting to become a pilot, Suranjan Das was forced to take up engineering. “You can never keep a good man down” they say, surely, Suranjan Das got his turn when World War II came around as he volunteered and was selected  as a trainee pilot for the Royal Indian Air Force. He learnt to fly in Canada and was admitted into RIAF in 1943.

Suranjan Das joined the No.8 fighter bomber squadron and was remembered to be a bit ropey about close formation. His engineering talent was used to solve technical problems which the squadron’s tech team could not solve!!!  ‘A man of many mysteries’ ……..  Wasn’t he?

1949 was the water shed for the aviation industry in India. That was the time when Dr.VM. Ghatage started design work in Hindustan Aircraft Limited [HAL] on Hindustan Trainer - 2 [HT-2]. That was when the IAF felt a need for their two best test pilots to go to ETPS (in UK) so, Suranjan Das and Roshan Lal Suri were sent.

The IAF acquired Ouragans, named Toofani in India, from France. The first 75 dismantled aircraft were brought to Bombay. These were taken to an allotted area at Santa Cruz airfield, which was the home of the Aircraft Erection Unit (AEU) - the first such venture by IAF.

In 1953-54 this unit was commanded by Suranjan Das and proceeded to test each aircraft and clear it as it got ready. Other pilots of AEU who assisted in the flying effort remember the commander as fun loving and yet always managed to conduct the flight tests to be of the expected standards.

IAF then decided to go in for the Gnat, at the time Sqn.Ldr Das was attached to Follands at Chilbolton in England.  During his term at Follands, Das took a very active part in the development of the aircraft. He also became the first Indian to demonstrate any aircraft at the Farnborough Air Show.

Once while practicing for the air show, he was doing an eight-point roll in the Gnat close to the ground. He then   suddenly felt a restriction in the aileron control. His first reaction was to start talking on the radio. He asked the Air Traffic Control to ensure that his comments were recorded just in case he could not recover. He said that these could help prevent a recurrence of the problem. The Orpheus engine, which powered the Gnat, had a strong tendency to flame out due to surge at high altitudes and the associated low temperatures. This was a serious behavior to be addressed to immediately.

Suranjan das was also responsible for the successful maiden flight of the HT-24 on 24^th June 1961. This aircraft served IAF in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

Das out of his many test flying ventures in his tenure also did the first flight of the HJT-16 (Kiran) on September 4, 1964……….. This man’s astounding career came to a shocking end on 10^th January 1970, because of a fatal   crash of the HT-24 ,Mk 1R prototype.

The least which could be done was administered as the 1R prototype was also killed. Also, a road in Bangalore connecting HAL's main Complex to the Engine Division also commemorates him. HAL instituted a trophy in his name for the best test pilot trainee graduating in India each year. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

Contributed by: Yeshaswini. R, 8-D, Sri Kumaran Children’s Home CBSE

References:

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Legends/314-Suranjan-Das.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suranjan_Das