T-50 Supersonic
Trainer Performing Well in Development Program
17 June 2003
Officials from the Republic of
Korea Air Force (ROKAF), Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]
said today that the T-50 Golden Eagle
development program is on track and the
supersonic trainer is performing well in every
aspect.
Lt. Col. Cho Gwang Je, ROKAF T-50 chief test
pilot, gave an overview of the T-50 development
program, focusing on the flight-test activities.
Cho, a seasoned fighter pilot and test pilot,
was the first to fly the T-50 on Aug. 20, 2002,
and is the high-time T-50 pilot.
“The T-50 is a real joy to fly and handles
well throughout the flight envelop tested,” Cho
said. “It should be a very safe aircraft, and
our student pilots should adapt to it very
quickly. More importantly, our pilots will be
able to transition very quickly to our modern
fighters, the KF-16 and the F-15K, because of
the skills learned in flying the T-50. Not only
will they be familiar with the performance and
handling qualities of a fighter-type aircraft,
they will also have the experience of operating
a modern fighter cockpit and a well-integrated
avionics system.”
Cho said the T-50 will have several
high-technology features, which will enhance
pilot training compared to current trainers. One
is the full-authority digital flight control
system, which features selectable
maneuver-performance levels for phased learning
and an active side-stick controller that
provides feedback to the pilot in the other
cockpit. Another is the data-transfer system,
which has embedded training functions that,
together with audio/video recording, should
significantly aid in post-flight debriefings.
ROKAF pilots selected for fighter assignments
subsequently will receive tactical training in
the T-50 Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) version,
which also has a multimode radar, an internal 20
mm gun and an armament system for delivering a
variety of air-to-air and air-to-surface
weapons. The T-50 will reduce the number of
trainer types and transition times for fighter
pilots, plus it will reduce the initial pilot
combat qualification burden on operational
units. These factors will provide world-class
training at reduced total training costs.
“We have taken the aircraft to its
operational ceiling of 40,000 feet and flown it
supersonic to Mach 1.2 (1.2 times the speed of
sound),” Cho said. “We are using a stair-step
approach of expanding the flight envelop to the
flight-test limits. We are looking forward to
start of flight test on our two T-50 LIFT
aircraft later this summer.”
“We are very pleased with the steady progress
of the entire T-50 development program,” said
Ahn, Taek Soon, KAI’s executive vice president
for Strategic Business Development and retired
ROKAF general officer. “We have experienced no
major problems and are tracking on schedule in
all respects. We are confident we will have all
prerequisites completed soon for a favorable
Initial Production Authorization by the Korean
government later this year.”
Ahn also emphasized the importance of the
T-50 program in KAI’s national goal of
developing a world-class aerospace industry by
the end of the decade.
“We highly value our relationships with KAI
and the ROKAF that go back more than 20 years,”
said Ted Samples, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’
vice president for Special Mission and
Reconnaissance Aircraft Programs. “This
partnership has produced 160 F-16s for the
ROKAF, with 20 more now being produced. The T-50
development program is the most successful in my
experience in the aeronautics industry, and
Lockheed Martin is proud to have a significant
role on this highly successful team.”
The T-50 Golden Eagle is a supersonic
advanced jet trainer 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 late
2003 with production deliveries to begin in
2005.
The T-50 will have the maneuverability,
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.,
headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leader
in 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.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed
Martin employs about 125,000 people worldwide
and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture and integration
of advanced technology systems, products and
services. The corporation reported 2002 sales of
$26.6 billion.
Contact Lockheed Martin:
Liz Brannan, 817-935-4833 or 817-762-1441 email:
liz.brannan@lmco.com
or Sam Grizzle, 770-494-3211
email:
sam.c.grizzle@lmco.com
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