Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
DAEWOO HEAVY Industries of South Korea is looking for an international partner to help market and sell its KTX-1 turboprop basic trainer to potential foreign buyers.
The KTX-1 has been under development for several years by Daewoo, in conjunction with the Government's agency for defence development (ADD). The tandem-seat aircraft is designed to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF) fleet of Cessna T-37 and T-41 trainers.
The air force is thought unlikely to order more than 100 aircraft and Daewoo is keen to extend production by exporting the KTX-1, says programme director Duck-joo Ra. Initial South Korean efforts to market the aircraft overseas have not met with any results.
Two prototypes have already been completed and been flown on 270 test sorties since the aircraft's maiden flight in late 1991. The programme has suffered delays because of early technical difficulties (Flight International, 20-26 July, 1994).
A third much-improved KTX-1 prototype was recently rolled out by Daewoo and is now under ground testing. The aircraft is scheduled to have its first flight in August from the RoKAF's Saechon AB. It will be followed three months later by a fourth and final prototype.
The new KTX-1 flight test programme is expected to be completed by the end of 1996, by which time Daewoo hopes to have been given a production go-ahead for the RoKAF from the South Korean Government.
The new prototype incorporates major design improvements on the first two aircraft, including an up-rated 710kW (950shp) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-62 turboprop. The original 410kW PT6A-25 engine, fitted to the first two aircraft was found to be under-powered. The more powerful engine allows for the addition of a cockpit environmental control system.
Installation of the larger PT6A-62 has required a 300mm extension of the KTX-1's forward fuselage. The aircraft's maximum take-off weight has increased by approximately 25% to 2,270kg. The heavier loading is still within the limits of the aircraft's original Fairey Hydraulics tricycle undercarriage.
The aircraft's aerodynamics has also been refined and its handling and manoeuvrability characteristics improved with the addition of larger re-designed flight-control surfaces.
Source: Flight International
