Designed by a team led by Kurt Tank, HAL produced the HF 24 Marut for the Indian Air Force as a single seat ground attack fighter with subsonic performance. Work on the project began in 1955, to meet an Indian Air Force requirement, and first flight tests of the aerodynamic envelope were made in March 1959 with a full scale wooden glider.
The prototype first flew on June 17, 1961 powered by two 4850 lb thrust Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 703 turbojets. The prototype has room for a second pilot, with dual controls, in the rear of the cockpit, but this space was to be normally occupied by armament, fuel, cameras or electronic equipment.
The airframe has sharply swept low wings, sweptback tail surfaces, and one-piece all-moving tailplane low-set on the fuselage. The fuselage is area-ruled and semi-circular engine intakes, with central shock body are on each side of the cockpit. The tricycle undercarriage has single wheels on each unit. The main units retract inward and nose-wheel retracts forward.
Production of 129 (plus 18 two-seat HF-24 Mk 1Ts two seat operational trainers) ended in 1977. Power for each production aircraft is provided by two 4,850 lb thrust Rolls Royce Bristol Orpheus 703 turbojet engines and armament comprises four 30 mm Aden cannon and 50 68 mm air to air rockets carried in a retractable pack in the lower fuselage. Underwing stations can carry the usual selection of bombs, rockets, napalm tanks, and drop tanks.
Marut Mk.1
Engine: 2 x HAL/Rolls-Royce Orpheus Mk 703, 21.6kN
Max take-off weight: 10908 kg / 24048 lb
Empty weight: 6195 kg / 13658 lb
Wingspan: 9.0 m / 29 ft 6 in
Length: 15.87 m / 52 ft 1 in
Height: 3.6 m / 11 ft 10 in
Wing area: 28.0 sq.m / 301.39 sq ft
Max speed: 1070 km/h / 665 mph
Cruising speed: 486 kts / 900 km/h
Ceiling: 12000 m / 39350 ft
Range: 800 km / 497 miles
Crew: 1
Armament: 4 x 30mm Aden cannon /120rds, 50 x 68mm missiles / 1816kg ext
Hardpoints: 4
All Aero 