The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) announced that safety certification
application has been received and inspections launched for certification of airframe structure,
engine, navigation equipment, and flight performance of 4-seater KC-100, an aircraft whose basic
design has been completed and is under development by Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI).
Safety certification of an aircraft is conducted in accordance with international standards from
development stages and the developer must obtain in advance certification from all countries
where it wishes to sell the aircraft. MLTM will use the certification of KC-100 as test case for
evaluation of Korea??s certification capabilities in the conclusion of Bilateral Aviation Safety
Agreement (BASA) on small aircraft with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which will
facilitate certification of Korean manufactured aircraft by the US.
Current plan is to have KC-100 certified by both countries together with signing of BASA to enable
its exports to the US. The US does not take aircraft certification applications from non-BASA partner countries. However, once BASA is signed following evaluation and recognition of a country??s
certification systems and capabilities, an aircraft that has been issued certification from a BASA signed country is easily issued US certification making exports to the US possible.
In addition, many countries also use US certification as import requirements and this means that Korean manufactured small aircraft can be exported to other countries more easily.
For test certification of KC-100, MLTM adopted new technical standards and certification inspection
procedures and also legislated/amended 51 regulations to prepare a certification system matching
that of developed countries. Further, a certification team made up of 10 experts from MLTM and 20
aerospace researchers has been formed while the US FAA has formed a 7-member team of its own
for evaluation of Korea??s certification systems and certification inspections.
The safety certification inspections will verify compliance with approximately 1,900 items related
to flight performance, structural design, fuel system, safety equipment, and flight safety that are
listed the technical standards of both Korea and the US and cover all processes from aircraft
designing to manufacturing. Four pilot aircraft will be manufactured. Two will be tested for
take-off/landing, piloting, and flight safety through 500 to 700 hours of actual flight.
The other two will be tested for vibration tests, airframe strength tests, and other certification
inspections that are estimated to take about 3 years until completion. KAI will have invested about 72 billion won in the development of the 4-seater KC-100 to have development and all certification
finished by 2012 to begin by 2013 manufacturing of aircraft for exports. The success of
KC-100 production is expected to significantly expand KAI??s small aircraft manufacturing business.
Moreover, KC-100 aims to have the top performance and safety among other aircraft of its class
to distinguish itself among its class. KC-100 can be used for diverse purposes such as transports,
pilot training, search & rescue, and recreation. With its body made with new integrated material
for lightness and installed with FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) engine that will save
fuel by 10% and reduce CO2 emissions, KC-100 will be an environmentally friendly "Green Aircraft" in all aspects. In addition, instrumental equipment in the pilot??s seat will fully be LCD type
equipment (Glass Cockpit) instead of analogue type to enable safe and efficient piloting. The aircraft has also been designed for maximum comfort of the pilot and passengers through application of
side stick piloting method and human body engineered interior.
Through this project, MLTM will prove safe operation of Korea certified aircraft to the world
and to sign BASA with the US to facilitate US certification of Korean manufactured aircraft for
exports to the world. It is deemed that this will be a huge boost to Korea??s aircraft manufacturing
industry that is a relative latecomer compare to other aircraft manufacturers of the world.
?? Passenger capacity : 4 persons
?? Engine : TCM TSIOF-550K (Advanced electronic injection and fast power augmentation),
Power 315 hps
?? Maximum landing weight : 1,633 kg
?? Useful weight : 500 kg
?? Maximum operational altitude : 7,620 m
?? Maximum speed : 398 km/h
?? Maximum range : ?? 1,850 km
(e.g. from Korea to Hong Kong)
?? Pilot sea equipment : Advanced LCD-type
(Integrated operation of all instruments)
?? Navigational aids : Integrated type
(GPS and other advanced navigation possible)
?? Automatic navigation equipment : Installed
?? Other amenities & equipment
- Air conditioning
- Oxygen supplier
- De-icing device
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