KPC3364-3366: Korean aircraft

As the aim of aviation technology is to strengthen national defense, it therefore maintains a pivotal position in the defense industry. It also gives the Korea Post the opportunity to provide a brief introduction of three major aircrafts which rewrote the history of Korean Aerospace by being indigenously developed by Korean technology.

First, lets take a look at the KT-1 Basic Trainer named Woongbi which is a completely indigenous Korean aircraft ever developed. Its development was initiated in 1999, and the first KT-1 trainer was delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2000 for student pilots basic training purposes. Including a length of 10.26 m, a width of 10.60 m, and a height of 3.67 m, the KT-1 has the maximum speed of 574 km/h and range of 1,688 km. Boasting the best spin capability of its class in addition to a low stall speed, the KT-1 was first exported to Indonesia, followed by Turkey, Peru and Senegal.

Second on the list is the T-50 Advanced Jet Trainer known as the Golden Eagle which is Korea`s first supersonic aircraft. After the T-50, jointly developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) succeeded in its maiden flight in August 2002, and then the supersonic flight in February 2003, T-50 started to be delivered to the Republic of Korean Air Force in 2005. Together with a length of 13.4 m, a width of 9.45 m, and a height of 4.94 m, the T-50 has the maximum speed of Mach 1.5 and range of 2,592 km. This historical development made Korea as the 12th producer of a supersonic aircraft and the sixth exporter in the world by shipping the T-50 to Indonesia in 2011.

Finally, the FA-50 light combat aircraft named the Fighting Eagle which is capable for light combat mission modified by the T-50 supersonic jet trainer. Features added to the FA-50 include the digital avionics upgrades with a tactical data link to allow for joint operations, a high-performance radar, air-to-ground precision guided missiles, the Radar-Warning Receiver(RWR) to sense hostile radar and the Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) to ensure mission capability during night time. The FA-50 measures 13.14 m in length, 9.45 m in width and 4.82 m in height while the maximum speed and range are similar to those of the T-50. It has been deployed in the Republic of Korean Air Force since 2013 and has been also contributing to the air power of the Philippines, Thailand, and so on.