韩国航空航天公司
An airline’s factory became South Korea’s first aircraft builder, assembling 200 MD 500s, 68 Tiger II fighters and some 150 Black Hawks before designing the country’s first home-grown aeroplane.
Korean Air Aerospace Division: the company and the aircraft that made its name
An airline that builds aircraft
Most airlines buy aircraft. Korean Air started building them. In 1976 its aerospace division began licence production of the Hughes, later McDonnell Douglas, 500MD helicopter, and by 1984 it had delivered 200 to the Republic of Korea forces, 50 of them armed with TOW anti-tank missiles. It also took on maintenance of US military aircraft in Asia, and still runs a depot business for the US Department of Defense.
Tigers and Black Hawks
Fighters came next. Between 1982 and 1986 the division built 68 Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs under licence, 48 single-seat KF-5Es and 20 two-seat KF-5Fs. From the 1990s it produced the UH-60P Black Hawk, an improved UH-60L for the Korean Army; around 150 were built. It also makes the wings and aft fuselage of the KF-16 and parts for Boeing and Airbus airliners from the 737 to the A380.
Blue Sky 91 and unmanned helicopters
In 1991 the division flew the Chang-Gong 91, Blue Sky 91, a four-seat light aircraft designed with the Korea Institute of Aeronautical Technology and billed as the first aircraft designed, built and tested in Korea. In October 2015 it showed a mock-up of an unmanned, armed MD 500, a way to reuse up to 175 ageing helicopters, and it has since concentrated on drones and military upgrades alongside its airliner parts.
Korean Air Aerospace Division in numbers
公司
- 简而言之
- Founded 1976
- Aerospace arm of the airline Korean Air
- Based in Busan
- Military depot maintenance since 1978
生产
- 最出名的是
- 500MD、KF-5、UH-60P
- 200 500MD helicopters, 1976–1984
- 68 KF-5E/F fighters, 1982–1986
- About 150 UH-60P Black Hawks
- Chang-Gong 91 light aircraft, 1991
- Airliner parts for Boeing and Airbus
今天
- 现在
- Parts, upgrades and drones
- KF-16 wings and fuselage sections
- Boeing 787 and Airbus components
- Unmanned helicopter and UAV programmes
这些数字
- 500MD helicopters built
- 2001976–1984
- F-5E/F built under licence
- 681982–1986
- UH-60P built
- about 130–150 (sources differ)
Every notable Korean Air Aerospace Division aircraft
Photos: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Greg Johnson / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
| 飞机 | 角色 | 首航 | 建造 | 地位 | 笔记 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Air 500MD | Light military helicopter | 200 | 在服役 | 50 armed with TOW missiles | |
| Korean Air KF-5E/F Jegongho | Light fighter (licence-built F-5E/F) | 68 | 在服役 | 48 KF-5E, 20 KF-5F; ROKAF plans to retire F-5s by 2027 | |
| Korean Air UH-60P Black Hawk | 通用直升机 | 大约150 | 在服役 | Based on the UH-60L for the ROK Army | |
| Korean Air Chang-Gong 91 | 四座轻型飞机 | 1991 | 已退休 | Designed with the Korea Institute of Aeronautical Technology | |
| KUS-VH | Unmanned armed helicopter concept (MD 500 based) | Mock-up unveiled October 2015 |
Korean Air Aerospace Division aircraft in the world’s air forces
2 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Korean Air Aerospace Division types. 其中两辆车目前还有一辆在服役。.
| 空军 | 在服役 | 以前飞过 |
|---|---|---|
| 韩国陆军航空兵 | Hughes/Korean Air 500MD and 500MD/TOW Defender, Sikorsky/Korean Air UH-60P Black Hawk | |
| 韩国海军航空兵（海军航空司令部） | Sikorsky/Korean Air UH-60P Black Hawk |
Where Korean Air Aerospace Division built, who led it, what it achieved
工厂
- Busan / Gimhae · Gimhae International Airport area, Busan — Maintenance facilities at Gimhae
Korean Air Aerospace Division, year by year
Aerospace division begins 500MD licence production
Military aircraft depot maintenance begins
First Korean-built F-5E/F enters service
500MD production ends after 200
KF-5 production completed
Chang-Gong 91 designed and flown
Boeing Supplier of the Year award
KUS-VH unmanned MD 500 shown
Everything people ask about Korean Air Aerospace Division
Does Korean Air build aircraft?
How many F-5s did Korean Air build?
What was the Chang-Gong 91?
Is Korean Air Aerospace the same as KAI?