A lot of KF-X media floating around is fan made. I’d like to clear up some stuff about the KF-X’s development and timeline.
The c103 design was a very basic one meant to compare configurations. Now that the F-22 like low-risk configuration was selected, further development and engineering is ongoing.
c103>c104>c105(underwent 1/13 model wind tunnel tests)>c106(current)>c107~9(Final, to be finished by mid 2018).
After c109 there will hopefully not be any major changes and will be the basis of the 8 prototypes that are to make up the test fleet. First flight is to be in 2022 but that may be optimistic. The production of the first 8 airframes will then move into LRIP production of Blk1s by 2025.
Block 1 and Block 2 will not have any internal weapons bay. The difference between Blk1 and Blk2 is closer to LRIP/IOC to FOC, similarly to the F-35 it’s not about physical changes but software and testing/verification of capabilities. They are aiming for Blk2 capability to be declared operational by 2028 and Blk2s rolling off the production lines to Air Force squadrons. They will aim to fulfil the delivery of 200 some jets by 2030. After that, further orders of Blk2 or Blk3 aircraft may be forthcoming, who knows?
As a side note, the external Targeting Pods and Jammers seen on the KF-X will be external on the Blk3 as well. Logic being, those are only needed for serious AtG work, and in that use-case (unlike the F-35 which would be the main perpetrator of the ROKAF) the KF-X would only be able to carry a meaningful AtG loadout externally. So there’s no need to worry about stealth.
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