Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) could break into the general aviation market with a trainer powered by the Austro AE300 diesel-powered engine.

KAI is exhibiting at Oshkosh for the first time and is displaying a model of its KC-100, a four-seat piston single powered by the Teledyne Continental TSIOF-550 engine. The KC-100 was launched in June 2008 and the model at Oshkosh, which until now has never been shown outside Korea, was first unveiled at the Seoul airshow in October 2009.

The manager of KAI’s civil aircraft business development team, Sun Ho Beck, says the manufacturer aims to fly the KC-100 proof of concept aircraft in June 2011 but the original plan for the aircraft to enter service in 2013 is under review. He says KAI now plans to re-look at the design and will likely change the engine before proceeding to the certification and production phases.

KAI KC-100
 © Billypix

“We’re thinking about a cheaper training version of this aircraft, hopefully with a diesel engine not using avgas,” Beck says. “We’re thinking avgas will disappear. To stay in the market we think we’ll need a diesel engine.”

Beck says KAI in particular is looking at the AE300, which now powers the twin-engine four-seat Diamond DA42NG. The AE300 is significantly less powerful than the TSIOF-550 but Beck says there are currently no diesel-powered engines in the 300hp range.

While Beck says while the engine will likely change, he expects other suppliers from the KC-100 will remain. KAI recently finalised selections of several suppliers for the KC-100 including Hartzell for the propeller and Teledyne for the glass cockpit.

He says the new aircraft, which will not be called KC-100 but eventually be designated another number, should enter service by 2015. KAI hopes to sell the aircraft to Korean Air Force, which Beck says will require replacements for its fleet of 23 Ilyushin Il-103 trainers, used for screening pilots, from 2015. 

Government-controlled KAI currently produces military aircraft and components for commercial aircraft. The KC-100 and potential derivatives would represent its first foray into the GA market.

Source: FlightGlobal.com

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