KAI's New
T-50 Supersonic Jet
- The company moves its head office to Sacheon, where plants are located by March

The Korea Aerospace Industries Co.(KAI), began final assembly of its supersonic jet trainer recently with mating of the three fuselage sections, KAI officials said.
They said the Fuselage Automated Splice System, a computer-controlled laser alignment apparatus, was used to provide precise and rapid mating. This is a new technology adopted by the company that offers a 70 percent reduction in labor hours. The aircraft fuselage is formed by combining forward, center and aft sections. Wings, tails, landing gear and internal systems such as avionics and engines will be added during the coming months. "The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in the fall," said Park No-sung, managing director of KAI's Sacheon plant. "T-50 program continues to be very successful and tracking to schedule. We have finished the ground structural testing, and we are over 60 percent complete with our flight test program. The development program is validating an excellent design and this has allowed us to proceed with production with no major changes," Park continued.
He said they are bringing up quickly on T-50 production that began with their initial contract with the Air Force just two years ago. The second aircraft will enter final assembly next month, and the fifth aircraft will reach this point by June. The first aircraft is contracted to be delivered at the end of December this year; however, they are projecting it to be ready in October.
The T-50 is the first high performance aircraft designed and built by KAI. The company built KF-16s under license from Lockheed Martin, with the last delivered in August last year. The manufacturing processes learned from that program helped KAI plan an efficient manufacturing plan for the T-50.
Chung Hae-joo, president of KAI, said the company's decision to move its head office to Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, is the first step for the company's reform plan to make KAI, one of the 10 best aircraft makers in the world by 2010. He told reporters at the provincial administrative office that he will make an organizational change at the company as if the company is about to be reborn for the second take-off.
He said by the end of next month, the head office will be moved to Sacheon, where assembly lines for T-50 jets are located. By the end of the year, research staff will also join the head office in Sacheon. Chung said CEO should know what is going on at jobsites very well, adding that the head office and plants should not be separated from each other forming a two-dimensional operation system. The marketing sector should also be under the same roof with them for frequent communication between sections and departments and save expenses.
He said the company would be able to save some 20 billion won thanks to the moves which will have 150 strong manpower at the head office join some 3,000 factory hands at Changwon and Sacheon by the end of next month.
The provincial administration of South Gyeongsang Province and Sacheon City have jointly declared that the Sacheon region will be extensively developed to be a center for aviation industry with an industrial estate exclusively for the aerospace industry in the Jinsa Industrial Park. The area already has the 3rd Fighter Wing headquarter, the Sacheon airport, the Air Force Education Command, the aviation department of Gyeonsang University, the Aviation Function College and Aerospace Museum.
He said he has no political ambitions other than to serve to make KAI grow like shipbuilding and automobile industries. KAI is a national project as its growth will determine whether the country would have another economic take-off or not.
The former minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy said he is not opposed to Korean Airlines becoming A KAI shareholder.There is no way to block the sale of shares held by Daewoo Integrated Machinery, which is about to be taken over by Doosan Heavy Industry. But he said he will not agree to turning over management right of KAI to the air carrier.
He was asked by reporters whether he would run in the gubernatorial election for South Gyeongsang Province next year. He said he has no political ambitions beyond working hard to make KAI one of the 10 best aircraft makers in the world by 2010. nw