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T-50 Starts High-Alpha Trials
With more than 400 test sorties logged by four development prototypes since the first began flying on August 20, 2002, the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainer being produced by Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd (KAI) and Lockheed Martin recently started a critical phase of its flight program at Korea's Sachon test facility. This involves initial high angle-of-attack trials, and includes planned departures from controlled flight, by the pilot climbing the aircraft at low power settings, and applying aggressive control inputs as it runs out of airspeed. Once departure, such as a spin, is achieved, its recoverability at all operational weights and CG positions will be assessed.
The T-50's advanced digital electronic flight-control system (FCS) is designed to be highly departure-free during normal operations, and to aid recovery from any out-of-control situation. The AOA limiter in the FCS is normally set to 25° alpha, but is disengaged for these trials to study both flight-departure prevention and recovery. A spin recovery parachute was fitted to the second development T-50 used for these trials, involving 47 flights over a four-month period. KAI received an initial transition-to-production contract last December, for first ROKAF deliveries in late 2005.
—John Fricker
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