T-50 Golden Eagle

Korea Aerospace Industries · South Korea · first flew 2002 · fighter

A South Korean supersonic advanced jet trainer and light fighter developed with Lockheed Martin.

Recognition (WEFT)

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

Spot it by:

• Fighter-like fuselage with leading-edge wing root extensions
• Single afterburning turbofan with side-mounted intakes
• Stepped tandem canopy and swept tapered wings

Its F-16-like fuselage, wing-root leading-edge extensions and single afterburning turbofan give it a true fighter look. Side intakes and swept tapered wings distinguish it from subsonic trainers.

Specifications

• The T-50 Golden Eagle has a length of 13.14 m (43 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 9.45 m (31 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 1640 km/h (1019 mph).
• Typical crew: 2 (instructor and student).

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

History

KAI flew the T-50 in 2002, drawing on F-16 technology through its partnership with Lockheed Martin. A single General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan makes it supersonic, suiting it to lead-in fighter training. It entered Republic of Korea Air Force service from 2005.

Variants

The T-50 trainer spawned the TA-50 light attack version and the FA-50 light combat fighter, plus the T-50B used by the Black Eagles display team.

Where you'll see it

The T-50 is not an RAF type, but it serves South Korea and export customers including Indonesia, the Philippines and Poland. It was a contender in the US T-X programme that the RAF-relevant Hawk family did not win.

Related aircraft

• KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle
• Korea Aerospace Industries KC-100 Naraon
• Korea Aerospace Industries RQ-101 Songgolmae
• KT-1 Woong-Bi
• X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing
• BAE Systems Harrier GR.9
• British Aerospace Harrier II GR.9
• CAC FC-1 Xiaolong (JF-17 Thunder)

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