Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Unnamed (concept design)
Unnamed (concept design)
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
www.koreaaero.com
Korea Aerospace Industries is headquartered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea and was formed on October 1, 1999 from a merger of Daewoo Heavy Industries, Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company, and Samsung Aerospace. The company is an aerospace and defense company that manufactures fixed-wing aircraft (from general aviation airplanes to military fighter jets), helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, space launch vehicles, satellites, training systems and more. The company has recently revealed a new passenger and air cargo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM). Making aircraft for AAM is part of the company's new strategy to make KAI the number one aerospace company in Asia by 2030.
Unnamed passenger eVTOL concept design aircraft
The Korea Aerospace Industries designed a passenger Unnamed concept design aircraft that holds five people. One person is the pilot and the aircraft can hold four passengers and their luggage. It is unknown if this concept design aircraft was ever made into a subscale or full scale aircraft.
The aircraft's estimated cruise speed, flight time, maximum payload weight, cruise altitude and other specifications have not been released by the company. However, the expected range of the aircraft was to be 400 km (249 miles). The aircraft has a sleek fuselage with a canopy over the cockpit and passenger compartment. The aircraft has one high main wing, five dedicated VTOL propellers, one rear pusher propeller for forward flight, a V tail and has retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear. The aircraft is made from carbon fiber composite material to provide a high strength and low weight ratio.
The concept design aircraft is a long-range aircraft making is possible for people to travel easily between two cities and to also travel from urban to rural areas. The aircraft would also be useful for rural to rural routes. The company will most likely have its production aircraft piloted at first and then will eventually change to autonomous piloting when the technology has been proven and matured.
The company has stated its growth will be driven by future air mobility (electric and hydrogen powered aircraft), crewed and uncrewed multi-function systems, satellites and space projectiles, air defense electronics, simulations and software.
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Passenger eVTOL concept design aircraft
- Piloting: 1 pilot
- Capacity: 4 passengers
- Cruise speed: Unknown
- Range (estimated): 400 km (249 miles)
- Propellers: 6 propellers (5 dedicated VTOL propellers and 1 pusher propeller)
- Electric motors: 6 electric motors
- Power source: Battery packs
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
- Window: Canopy over cockpit
- Wings: 1 main high wing with winglets
- Tail: 1 V tail
- Landing gear: Retractable tricycle wheeled landing gear
- Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.
Related Aircraft:
- Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) E2X (concept design)
- Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) E2X Air Cargo (concept design)
- Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Night Intruder (prototype)
Company Insights:
Resources:
- Korea Aerospace Industries website
- Korea Aerospace Industries Facebook
- Korea Aerospace Industries YouTube Channel
- Article: KAI sets sights on Asia No. 1 in ‘new space’ era, The Korea Herald, Apr. 4, 2021
- Article: KAI Aims to Become Asia's No. 1 General Aerospace Company by 2030, Business Korea, Apr. 5, 2021
- Article: South Korea’s KAI To Enter UAM Market, Aviation Week, Apr. 7, 2021
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