Narrowbody · ICAO K50

Korea Aerospace A-50 Golden Eagle

The KAI T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer developed with Lockheed Martin technology. Its F-16-like layout helps pilots transition to modern fighters, while armed versions serve as light fighters and attack aircraft. The type has been exported to Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, Thailand, and Poland, a major achievement for South Korea’s aerospace industry. The Republic of Korea Air Force’s Black Eagles display team also flies a specialised T-50 variant.

Korea Aerospace A-50 Golden Eagle, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Hunini · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The T-50 was South Korea's first indigenous supersonic jet, entering Republic of Korea Air Force service in 2005 after first flying three years earlier.

Specifications

Length13.1 m (43 ft)
Wingspan9.5 m (31 ft)
Height4.8 m (16 ft)
Persons on board2
Crew2
Maximum take-off weight13.5 t
Range1,150 NM (2,130 km)
Maximum speed1,000 kt (1,852 km/h)
Service ceiling48,000 ft (14,630 m)
Optimum ceiling40,000 ft (12,192 m)
Rate of climb39,000 ft/min (198.1 m/s)
Fuel capacity1,700 l
Engines1x General Electric F404-GE-102
Units built200

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the Korea Aerospace A-50 Golden Eagle starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.

A catch counts for the manufacturer Korea Aerospace, the A-50 Golden Eagle family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.

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