KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle

Korea Aerospace Industries · South Korea · first flew 2011 · fighter

A supersonic light combat aircraft from the Korean T-50 family, developed with Lockheed Martin and powered by a single GE F404 turbofan.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.14 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Strong F-16 resemblance but noticeably smaller at roughly 80 percent scale
Side-mounted cheek intakes either side below the cockpit, not a chin intake
Long tandem two-seat bubble canopy with clean wingtip missile rails

Look for an F-16-like shape that is clearly too small, with bifurcated cheek intakes rather than a single chin intake, and a long tandem canopy.

Specifications

The KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle has a length of 13.14 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.45 m (31 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1837 km/h (1141 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (pilot, WSO).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The FA-50 is the full light-combat member of the T-50 Golden Eagle lineage, whose parent trainer first flew in 2002; the combat variant flew in 2011. It is South Korea's first domestically developed supersonic-capable combat aircraft.

Variants

Beyond the baseline FA-50, the Block 20/70 family adds AESA radar, aerial refuelling and AIM-120 capability, in versions for Poland, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Where you'll see it

Operated by South Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Malaysia and Iraq. Not seen in UK skies.

Related aircraft

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