KAI / Lockheed Martin T-50 Golden Eagle Advanced Trainer / Light Attack Aircraft (2005)
The T-50 Golden Eagle is an advanced supersonic trainer that can double as a light attack strike fighter.
The T-50 family was developed to replace a slew of active, yet aging, platforms for the South Korean Air Force. More importantly, the involvement by Lockheed Martin ensured that the American company could also develop a next-generation advanced trainer capable of instructing the new crop of fighter pilots in the ways of the Lockheed F-22 Raptor, Lockheed F-35 Lightning II, French Dassault Rafale and the European consortium Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. Much like the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the T-50 features a large glass canopy, single tail rudder and a single engine of the General Electric brand (F404). The system's developmental funding was split between the two firms with the government of South Korea taking on the remaining costs and the prototype was flying by 2002. Before then, the system suffered through financial hardships before coming back on track for final prototype production.
Initial results of the prototype promising with the T-50 breaking the Mach 1.0 speed barrier, considering the platform was initially estimated to achieve speeds of up to Mach 1.5. The engine offers up supercruise performance, allowing the fighter to achieve supersonic flight without the need to engage fuel-thirsty and missile-engaging afterburners (the engine still retains afterburner capable however). Additionally, triple-redundant digital fly-by-wire technology is utilized for precision handling with equal controls through both cockpits (this also proving quite advantageous in the training role with the student in the forward cockpit and the instructor in the rear).
The "Golden Eagle" is marketed as an advanced trainer under the designation of T-50, as a "fighter lead-in" platform under the TA-50 designation and as a light strike-capable variant under the FA-50 designation. These aircraft differ from one another mostly in the types of internal systems installed to achieve the desired role. The trainer does not mount the internal cannon or radar system while the FA-50 is designed for day-and-night operations. The TA-50 is an "tweener" design fielded with applications from both aircraft. Seating provision for all Golden Eagle airframes is standardized at two personnel.
In an armed role, the Golden Eagle can mount various standard munitions depending on the sortie. A standard internal 20mm General Dynamics A-50 gatling gun (a three-barreled version of the M61 Vulcan) is provided for close-in work as are rail-launchers along each wingtip for AIM-9 Sidewinder short-ranged, air-to-air missiles. Additionally, the system can field a variety of ordnance and external fuel tanks on underwing hardpoints. Ordnance can include additional guided air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles (including the AGM-65 Maverick), unguided rocket pods, general purpose drop bombs, cluster bombs and guided drop bombs. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
KAI / Lockheed Martin T-50 Golden Eagle
Advanced Trainer / Light Attack Aircraft
Country of Origin: South Korea
Manufacturer: Korean Aerospace Industries - South Korea / Lockheed Martin - USA
Initial Year of Service: 2005
Production: 100
Focus Model: KAI T-50 / TA-50 Golden Eagle
Crew: 2
Length: 42.59ft (12.98m)
Width: 30.09ft (9.17m)
Height: 15.68ft (4.78m)
Weight (Empty): 14,200lbs (6,441kg)
Weight (MTOW): 26,422lbs (11,985kg)
Powerplant: 1 x General Electric F404-102 turbofan engine delivering 17,700lbs of thrust with afterburning.
Maximum Speed: 990mph (1,593kmh; 860kts)
Maximum Range: 1,150miles (1,851km)
Service Ceiling: 47,999ft (14,630m; 9.1miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 7 (including wingtips)
Armament Suite:
STANDARD:
1 x 20mm General Dynamics A-50 Vulcan gatling three-barrel cannon.
2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (wingtip mounts).
OPTIONAL:
6 x AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles
CBU-58 Cluster Bombs
Mk-20 Cluster Bombs
LAU-3 Rocket Pods
LAU-68 Rocket Pods
Mk 82 General Purpose Bombs
Mk 83 General Purpose Bombs
Mk 84 General Purpose Bombs
Guided Drop Bombs
Variants:
T-50 - Advanced Jet Trainer Designation; sans internal gun and radar system.
T-50B - Designation reserved for the acrobatic mount of the Black Eagles team.
TA-50 - "Fighter Lead-In" Attack Designation; internal 20mm cannon; air-to-air missile capability; external drop bomb capability; APG-67 radar.
FA-50 - Light Attack Multi-Role Model; Day/Night Mission Capability; RWR, CMDS, FLIR an Tactical Data Link.
T-50A MDS - Reserved US Military Designation should it decide to procure the T-50 platform.
A-50 - Original designation of the FA-50.
Operators: South Korea
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