T-50 Completes 100th
Test Flight
21 May 2003
FORT WORTH,
Texas - The T-50
Golden Eagle, an
advanced
supersonic
trainer
developed by
Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI)
with the
assistance of
Lockheed Martin
[NYSE: LMT], has
completed its
100th test
flight.
“The T-50
development
program
continues right
on track, and we
are beginning to
accelerate our
flight test
program with our
two aircraft,”
said No Sun
Park, director &
plant manager of
KAI’s Sachon
plant. “We
successfully
accomplished
three flights on
the day we flew
the 100th
flight. On one
of those
flights, we
reached a speed
of Mach 1.2 [1.2
times the speed
of sound] for
the first time.
These are both
important
milestones for
the Republic of
Korea’s
consideration of
the Initial
Production
Authorization
later this
year.”
The T-50
completed its
100th test
flight on April
28. On the same
date the two
test aircraft
flew three
flights for the
first time,
including
testing at Mach
1.2, the fastest
the aircraft had
flown to date.
The flight test
program
continues on
track, preparing
the way for an
initial
production
authorization by
the government
of Korea later
this year.
The ground
testing program
is also on
schedule. On
April 25, the
airframe
durability
vehicle
completed one
lifetime of
testing,
equivalent to
8,334 flight
hours. The 100th
test flight was
completed on
April 28.
Durability
testing is being
conducted at the
Agency for
Defense
Development
testing
laboratory in
Taejon, South
Korea, and began
on schedule July
22 of last year.
Testing
continues on a
second lifetime,
which is
expected to be
completed in
April 2004.
The T-50
Golden Eagle is
being developed
by KAI for the
Republic of
Korea Air Force.
Lockheed Martin,
as principal
subcontractor to
KAI, is
providing
technical
expertise for
the program and
is responsible
for developing
the T-50
avionics system,
flight control
system and
wings. The two
companies are
cooperatively
marketing the
T-50
internationally.
The T-50
Full-Scale
Development
program began in
1997 and will
continue through
2005. Initial
production
authorization is
planned for the
latter part of
2003 with
production
deliveries to
begin in 2005.
The T-50 will
have the
manoeuvrability,
endurance and
advanced systems
to prepare
future pilots to
fly current and
next-generation
fighters like
advanced F-16s,
the F/A-22 and
the F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter.
These same
characteristics
give it an
excellent
capability as a
lead-in fighter
trainer and
potential
light-combat
aircraft
derivative in
many air forces.
Korea
Aerospace
Industries Ltd.
is the Republic
of Korea’s
national
aerospace
company
established in
1999 with the
consolidation of
Samsung
Aerospace,
Daewoo Heavy
Industries and
Hyundai Space
and Aircraft Co.
KAI lines of
business include
fixed-wing
aircraft,
helicopter
aircraft and
satellites. Its
major products
are the KF-16,
KT-1 basic
trainer, T-50,
SB427
helicopters,
UAVs, aerostructures
and KOMPSAT
satellite
program.
Lockheed
Martin
Aeronautics Co.,
a business area
of Lockheed
Martin, is a
leader in the
design,
development,
systems
integration,
production and
support of
advanced
military
aircraft and
related
technologies.
Its customers
include the
military
services of the
United States
and allied
countries
throughout the
world. Products
include the
F-16, F/A-22,
F-35 JSF, F-117,
T-50, C-5,
C-130, C-130J,
P-3, S-3 and
U-2.
Contact:
Mark Douglas
on
+44(0)20-7798-2850
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