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| The KF-21 Boramae Fighter Made in South Korea and Indonesia Successfully First Fly |
The KF-21 Boramae made by South Korea and Indonesia has a width of 11.2 m, a length of 16.9 m and a height of 4.7 m. The KF-21 Boramae's maximum speed is Mach 1.81 (2,200 km per hour) and a range of 2,900 km. South Korea's military authorities aim to complete development by 2026 and plan to deploy a total of 120 units by 2032.
Quoted from Hankookilbo, the first flight of the KF-21 Boramae was successful for 33 minutes at Sacheon Base, South Korea. The first domestic supersonic fighter KF-21 (aka Boramae) finally took to the skies on the 19th.
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the KF-21 took off from the runway of the Air Force's 3rd Training Wing at Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do at around 3:40 p.m. the same day and successfully made its first flight. This is where the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) developer KF-21 is located.
The first flight, originally scheduled for the morning, was delayed until the afternoon due to weather conditions, but the mission was completed as scheduled.
Previously, Indonesia and South Korea were made anxious by the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet which is scheduled to fly for the first time today, July 19, 2022. The KF-21 Boramae, which is a South Korean joint project with Indonesia, set a record because it will fly for the first time faster. from the previously scheduled time of July 22, 2022.
Although scheduled to fly for the first time sooner than previously estimated, apparently there is still one thing that can prevent the Indonesian and South Korean KF-21 Boramae from flapping their wings on July 19, 2022.
However, as rain is expected on the 19th in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, where the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is located, it is possible that the schedule of the first flight there may change.
DAPA explained that as this was the first test flight, the decision on which option to choose could not be confirmed until the day the KF-21 took off. If the weather is bad next week in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, where there is a runway, flights will be delayed for a week.
Then, the first flight will take place in the last week of this month. After the flight Prototype No. 1, Prototype No. 2 will start test flights no later than September.
Meanwhile, No. 3 and 4 will also start test flights within this year, and the remaining No. 5 and 6 will start flying in the first half of next year. The flight test was a successful or unsuccessful procedure for the KF-21, in which six prototypes flew more than 2,200 times to check the fighter's performance and find defects. If it passes the four-year test flight, South Korea plans to mass-produce 120 units from 2026, supply them to the Air Force, and challenge the global market.
Previously, it was informed that the KF-21 Boramae was explained about the time of the flight test in the air. “Starting with a 40-minute test flight expected for this month, KAI said the six KF-21 prototypes would conduct 2,000 combined sorties in western and southern waters until 2026.
From this explanation, the KF-21 Boramae will undergo a test flight in the air for 40 minutes. That means the KF-21 Boramae's flight test in the air is less than 1 hour. Quoted from Hankyung, During the first flight of the KF-21 for 30 to 40 minutes, the basic performance of the aircraft, etc. will be checked.
According to officials from the company, the military, and DAPA, on the first flight, the plane will not reach supersonic speeds, and will only fly at a speed of about 400 km (200 knots), which is the speed of light an airplane is flying.
Although the weather was a stumbling block in the inaugural test flight of the KF-21 Boramae, a good news came from South Korea.
Quoted from ytn.co.kr, it is known that the first domestic fighter aircraft KF-21 Boramae will conduct its first flight test this afternoon (19/7/2022). "According to a military official, it is reported that the first test flight of the KF-21 will be held for about 30 minutes privately this afternoon, when the clouds begin to clear, considering the weather conditions in Sacheon, Gyeongnam.
However, the schedule may change if the weather does not improve even in the afternoon, the official added. If this test flight is successful, Korea will become the 8th country to develop a supersonic fighter in the world," wrote ytn.co.kr in its article on July 19, 2022.
In fact, quoted by Chosun.com on July 10, 2022, the KF-21 Boramae is said to be able to fly 3 times faster than sound. It can fly at high speeds of Mach 3 or higher and can fly low over the surface of the water, making it difficult to intercept.