The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) T-5 Brave Eagle, a supersonic advanced jet trainer, performed its very first flight. On June 10, the first prototype of the Brave Eagle took off from the Ching Chuan Kang air base near the city of Taichung, Taiwan. The sortie lasted 20 minutes, in which, as Taiwanese media reports, the T-5 did not raise its landing gear.
The official first flight of the aircraft is expected to be carried out on June 22 this year, thus the flight testing will be continued until then.
Should the operation of the aircraft be as expected, the pre-production of it is to begin in November 2021. 3 years after the full production begins in 2023, it is predicted that 66 copies of AIDC T-5 will be delivered either to the Taiwanese Air Force or to the ROCAF.
The jet is inspired by the twin-set version of the F-CK-1 and shares the same engine; however, it does have its own unique genesis. Comparing to the F-CK-1, among other changes, the T-5 is a little larger, has an increased fuel capacity and thicker wings to ensure better stability at low speed and altitude.