T-50 Golden Eagle

infobox Aircraft
name = T-50 Golden Eagle
type = Advanced trainer
Light attack
manufacturer = Korean Aerospace Industries
Lockheed Martin



caption =
designer =
first flight =20 August 2002 [http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRTypen/FRKTX-2.htm Korean Aerospace T-50 Golden Eagle] , Flug Revue, 8 July 2004.]
introduced = 22 February 2005 [http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/478296 First T-50 Golden Eagles Delivered to Korean Air Force; Only Supersonic Trainer in Production Today] , Lockheed Martin, 22 February 2006.]
retired =
number built = 100+ [http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/korea/kai/t-50/T-50.htm Korean Aerospace Industries T-50 Golden Eagle] , Aeroflight ]
status = Operational
unit cost = US$21 million as of 2008 [http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3693392 "S. Korea To Tout T-50 Trainer to Singapore"] , Defense News, 26 August 2008.]
primary user =Republic of Korea Air Force
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The T-50 Golden Eagle is an early 21st century Korean-American supersonic trainer. It has been developed by Korean Aerospace Industries in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. [http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200701/kt2007010720311111990.htm Korea, US to confer on surveillance plan sales] , Korea Times ] The program includes the A-50, or T-50 LIFT, as a light attack aircraft variant.

Development

The T/A-50 program is the replacement for a variety of trainer and light attack aircraft. This includes the T-38 and F-5B in training and the CAS Cessna A-37B; in service with the South Korean Air Force.Fact|date=March 2007 The program was originally intended to develop an indigenous trainer aircraft capable of supersonic flight in order to train and prepare pilots for the KF-16s. [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/04/south-korea-to-show-off-t50-trainer/index.php Defense Industry Daily 04/05 article on T-50] ] The T-50 makes South Korea the 12th nation to produce a complete jet fighter aircraft. [http://news.empas.com/show.tsp/cp_kt/20021030n04111/?kw=wingspan%20%3Cb%3E%26%3C%2Fb%3E Empas News article] ] Some of the South-Korean aircraft include the propeller-driven KT-1 basic trainer produced by Samsung Aerospace (now part of KAI), and license-manufactured KF-16s. Most of the core systems and technology were provided by Lockheed Martin, however, and in general the T/A-50 is said to closely resemble the KF-16 configuration.

The development of the aircraft was funded 13% by Lockheed Martin, 17% by Korea Aerospace Industries, and 70% by the government of South Korea. [http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/t-50/ T-50 Golden Eagle Jet Trainer and Light Attack Aircraft, South Korea] , Air Force Technology.] KAI and Lockheed Martin are currently pursuing a joint marketing program for the T-50 variant internationally.

The mother program, code-named KTX-2, began in 1992, but the Ministry of Finance and Economy suspended KTX-2 in 1995 due to financial matters. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/ktx-2.htm Global Security article on KTX-2 program] ] with the initial design of the aircraft, in 1999. It was renamed "T-50 Golden Eagle" in February 2000, with the final assembly of the first T-50 taking place between 15 January 2001.Fact|date=March 2007 The first flight of the T-50 took place in August 2002, and initial operational assessment from July 28 to August 14, 2003. The South Korean air force placed a production contract for 25 T-50s in December 2003, with aircraft scheduled to be delivered between 2005 and 2009.

The Golden Eagle was reserved the official T-50A designation by the U.S. military, although it currently has no plans to procure the aircraft. The designation was reserved to prevent to it from being inadvertently assigned to another aircraft model. [ [http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/412015-L(addendum).html#_Note_T50A DOD 4120.15-L - Addendum, MDS Designators] , Designation-Systems.net.]

Other variants of the T-50 Golden Eagle include the light-attack A-50, and the more-advanced F/A-50. The A-50 variant is an armed version of the T-50 as a stable platform for both free-fall and precision-guided weapons. FA-50 is an A-50 modified with an AESA radar and a tactical datalink which are not yet specified.Fact|date=March 2007 As part of the A-37 retirement-out program to be completed by 2015, sixty A-50's will be in service for the South Korean air force by 2011. [http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=LOD&office_id=023&article_id=0000225486&secion_id=001&menu_id=001 국산 공격기‘A-50’ 2011년 실전 배치] Naver News]

Design

The T-50 Golden Eagle design is mainly derived from the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, [http://www.vectorsite.net/avf16_4.html F-16 Derivatives: Ching Kuo / F-2 / Golden Eagle] , VectorSite.net ] and they are similar in their economic use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons. The program initially focused on developing trainer jets for the F-16 pilots, since many air forces around the world, including the Republic of Korea Air Force, use the F-16 as main constituents of their fighter population.

The T-50 is equipped with a Honeywell H-764G embedded global positioning/inertial navigation system and HG9550 radar altimeter. The A-50 variant uses APG-67 radar from Lockheed Martin. The aircraft is the first trainer to feature the digital fly-by-wire control interface (triple redundant). [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/t-50.htm Global Security review] ] The aircraft can carry up to two pilots, and the high-mounted canopy and the tandem seating allow the pilots superior visibility, vital to successful lock-on of enemy targets. The cockpit holds the On Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS).

The altitude limit is 48,000 ft, and the airframe is designed to last 8,000 hours of service. There are seven internal fuel tanks with capacity of 2,655 litres, five in the fuselage and two in the wings. An additional 1,710 litres of fuel can be carried in the three external fuel tanks.

The T-50 Golden Eagle uses a single General Electric F404 turbofan engine with Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The engine consists of three-staged fans, seven axial stage arrangement, and an afterburner. The aircraft can supercruise at the speed of Mach 1.05, and with maximum 78.7 kN (17,700 lbs) of thrust with the afterburner, and has a maximum speed of Mach 1.4.

Weapon systems

A 20 mm General Dynamics M61 Vulcan cannon with 205 rounds of linkless linear feed can be mounted internally behind the cockpit. An AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile can be attached at each of the wingtip rails, and more missiles can be carried on the underwing hardpoints. Compatible air-to-surface weapons include the AGM-65 Maverick missile, LAU-3 and LAU-68 rocket launchers, CBU-58 and Mk-20 cluster bombs, and Mk-82, -83, and -84 general purpose bombs. Three external fuel tanks can also be carried.

pecifications

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet

ref=Korea Aerospace data [ [https://www.koreaaero.com/english/major/fixed01_2.php T-50/TA-50 Specification & Performance] , Korea Aerospace.]
crew=2
length main=42 ft 7 in
length alt=12.98 m
span main=30 ft 1 in
span alt=9.17 m
height main=15 ft 8.25 in
height alt=4.78 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=14,000 lb
empty weight alt=6,350 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=29,700 lb
max takeoff weight alt=13,470 kg
more general=

engine (jet)=General Electric F404
type of jet=afterburning turbofan
number of jets=1
thrust main= 11,925 lbf
thrust alt=53.07 kN
afterburning thrust main= 17,700 lbf
afterburning thrust alt= 79.1 kN
max speed main=Mach 1.4
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
combat radius main=
combat radius alt=
combat radius more=
range main=1,150 mi
range alt=1,851 km
ceiling main=48,000 ft
ceiling alt=14,630 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
more performance=

guns= 1× M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling gun
bombs= 5× CBU-58 cluster, 9× Mk 82, 3× Mk 83/MK 84, and 9× Mk 20
rockets= LAU-3/68
missiles=
** Air-to-air: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
** Air-to-ground: 6× AGM-65 Maverick
hardpoints=
hardpoint capacity=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* F-16 Fighting Falcon
* AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo
* Mitsubishi F-2

similar aircraft=
* AMX International AMX
* T-38 Talon
* Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
* BAE Hawk
* HAIG L-15

lists=
* KT-1
* Trainer (aircraft)

see also=
* Military of South Korea
* List of Korea-related topics

References

External links

* [http://www.koreaaero.com/ KAI page] ko icon
* [https://www.koreaaero.com/english/major/fixed01.php KAI T-50 page]
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/t50/ Lockheed Martin T-50 product page]
* [http://www.deagel.com/pandora/?p=pm00081001 T-50 page on Deagel.com]
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/10/22/218742/fa-50-light-combat-aiarcraft-project-still-on-holdflightglobal.comt-5.html "F/A-50 light combat aircraft project still on hold"] , Flight International, 22 October 2007.
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/03/19/222344/pictures-south-koreas-black-eagles-to-fly-kai-t-50.html "South Korea's Black Eagles to fly KAI T-50"] , Flightglobal.com, 19 March 2008.