South Korea Rolls Out First T-50 Supersonic Trainer. By AviationNow.com Staff 01-Nov-2001 10:56 AM U.S. EST

The first T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft --
an advanced, supersonic trainer designed to prepare student pilots to fly such next-generation military aircraft as the Joint Strike Fighter --
was rolled out Oct. 31 in Sachon,South Korea.
The T-50 (depicted in image) was developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with help from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, and was completed in mid-September, 100 days ahead of schedule.
"The T-50 is the first supersonic jet aircraft developed by our rapidly growing aerospace industry," South Korean President Kim Dae-jung said at the ceremony at the KAI plant.

"This aircraft is expected to not only serve the advanced training needs of the Korean Air Force, but also a number of other major air forces around the world. We fully expect to be an exporter of
advanced aerospace products.''
Korean officials expect the T-50 to be the mainstay of KAI's production operations for the next 10 years or more.
KAI is the prime contractor for the T-50, paying 70% of the aircraft's $2 billion development program costs. Lockheed Martin is the principal subcontractor, paying 30%, and is responsible for
general technical consulting, the wing, avionics and the electronic flight control system.
The T-50 that was rolled out is the first full-scale development aircraft and is scheduled for its first flight in mid-2002. In all, four
such aircraft will be test flown through 2005 with the first production T-50 expected in late 2005.
South Korea intends to acquire 94 of the advanced trainers and the derivative A-50 fighter lead-in trainer/light combat aircraft.
With a top speed of Mach 1.5 and a range of 1,400 nautical miles, the T-50 will have the maneuverability, endurance and systems to prepare future pilots to fly current and next-generation
fighters like advanced F-16s, the F-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter.
The T-50 will replace South Korea's aging T-38 trainers and TF-5B aircraft. Features on the T-50 include relaxed static stability, digital fly-by-wire flight control, side-stick controller, selectable flight control performance, triple redundant electrical system, on-board oxygen generation system and modern cockpit (head-up display,color multifunction displays, hands-on-stick and throttle).
The A-50 includes integrated armament/fire control avionics. Analysts say the world market for jet trainer and light attack aircraft could reach 3,300 aircraft, with the T-50 expected to
capture up to 25% of that.