Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle - damn so nice looking!

[The Watcher]

Theres news that Korea started production of its T-50 Golden Eagle. It looks like golden Eagle too, just so nice looking maybe because it resembles F-16 a some ways.

I uploaded some article scans on the jet in the GALLERY-scanned articles section (http://www.defencetalk.com/pictures/thumbnails.php?album=179):

http://www.defencetalk.com/pictures/albums/userpics/thumb_KAI_t-50-2.jpg (http://www.defencetalk.com/pictures/albums/userpics/normal_KAI_t-50-2.jpg)

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle

Crew: Two
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Dimensions: Length 42 ft 7 in (12.98 m); Height 15 ft 8.25 in (4.78 m); Wing Span 30 ft 1 in (9.17 m); Wing Area TBA sq ft (TBA sq m)
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Engines: One General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofan rated at 11,925 lb st dry (53.07 kN) and 17,775 lb st (79.1 kN) with reheat
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Weights: Empty Equipped 14,200 lb (6,441 kg); Maximum Take-off 26,400 lb (11,975 kg)
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Armament: (A-50 only) 20-mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon in port LERX with 208 rounds, wingtip launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinder or similar missiles, four underwing hardpoints and one under-fuselage centre-line pylon.
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Performance: Maximum level speed 'clean' Mach 1.4; Maximum rate of climb at sea level 27,000 ft/min (8225 m/min); Service ceiling 48,000 ft (14,630 m); Range with full fuel 1,000 nm (1,150 mls, 1,850 km)
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More scans:
http://www.defencetalk.com/pictures/albums/userpics/thumb_KAI_t-50-3.jpg (http://www.defencetalk.com/pictures/displayimage.php?album=179&pos=11)

One more scan in the gallery, plus another one coming that shows it going under tough testing.

The news about Korea starting its production can be found HERE (http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_535.shtml)

:)

[Red aRRow]

Cool article Watcher. Thanks for uploading it. But man its weird that nobody makes decent aircraft engines except a handful of companies in the world. I think they can be counted on your fingertips. So everyone ends up either using American or Russian engines.

[corsair7772]

Hey dudes!!
its good but not that good!
how about those MIG and Sukhoi trainers Russia has and the K-8 we have?

[ullu]

Israelis are considering buy this jet... must be good thats why they are thinking about it! It does have that f16 look!

[eagle]

Well, it is only a trainer, and Isrealis capable of building real Lavi fighters so I don't see why Isreal wants to buy it.

[The Watcher]

Well, it is only a trainer, and Isrealis capable of building real Lavi fighters so I don't see why Isreal wants to buy it.

Israel discountinued that project... I hope i'm not wrong. :D

[corsair7772]

Maybe they want 2 get their hands on some cool avionic or engine part it has...

i mean the israelis scrapped the lavi. And the dont sell aircraft anymore, they only upgrade them 4 other countries besides the recent phalcon deal

[The Watcher]

And the latest-greatest F-16Is they just got from Lockheed!

[corsair7772]

yea but the F-16 hasnt got everything, it has 2 be something fishy....
how about this:
South Koreas probably got some enemy whose a friend of israel so israel's just takin th trainer and send it over to its buddy 4 evaluation?
OR
South korea's trainer got some avoinic that israel wants but cant get and so its gettin the jet?

Hey man! its a good trainer and a beautifull aircraft! Why all the suspicion?

[corsair7772]

Maybe the t-50s got a good engine israel wants 2 copy or it doesnt want 2 bother with all the RandD and all that long work and expenditure 4 its own aircraft so it just indigenizing other aircraft like it did 2 the F-16s

[The Watcher]

Well, Israel can get the latest greatest avionics from the company that made this trainer. LockHeed Martin... so why buy it from SK, when there is a possibility to get it as AID package? :p

[corsair7772]

Dude, i said the t-50 engine configuration maybe good which is why israel is trying 2 get it