""" Aircraft parts if not built to ICY standards, then every time it needs a pipe or panel, a standalone one will need to be manufactured. It will cause serious maintenance headache.
The video showing first forward fuselage built to ICY standards indicates aircraft built and inducted before are not to ICY standards. They will either require stand alone maintenance or need retrofit with ICY standard parts at a later date.
Achieving ICY was a gradual process.
So to summarize from these news reports -
SP3 - 50 Panels and 340 pipelines are achieving ICY
SP4 - Around 100 Panels and 700+ pipelines are achieving ICY
by SP7 - All 147 panels and for 830 pipelines out of 934 pipelines are achieving ICY
SPXX onwards - forward fuselage achieving ICY (October 2020)
This is the reason why the first two squadrons are based at Sulur, Coimbatore, close to HAL Bangalore, so that non-unique parts can be custom built at HAL Bangalore for repairs/maintenance.
Those doing rona dhona on large orders being not placed need to track when ICY is completely achieved so that proper mass production can commence and aircraft maintenance can be standardized at IAF bases.
BTW this is normal growth profile for an aircraft, just like a baby takes 18 years to become a voting adult.
Just like a human doesnt get a job unless he reaches a certain age and maturity.
Reason I am highlighting this is to counter the rona dhona and fake conspiracy theories of IAF not ordering/inducting Tejas."""
I wrote that ??? There was a time when I used to remember what SP number meant what. Now I have lost track of everything.
Also the analogies !!!! Eeesh ! baby-adult, human-job. What was I thinking ?!?!