Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 vs Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle
Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle are both trainer & light attack, compared here on public specifications. The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle leads on weapons payload (5,400 vs 950 kg). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
Compare systems side by side
Search above to add up to five systems. You’ll get a per-spec winner, relative bars, a normalized spec profile and an honest verdict, every number from public sources.
Building a fleet? Try the Force Builder →
Full data
Full spec sheet
 Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8
Wins 2/8 |  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle
Wins 6/8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 800 km/h | 1,840 km/h ✓ |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | N/A | 1.5 Mach |
| Cruise speed (km/h) | 650 km/h | N/A |
| Range (km) | 1,560 km | 1,851 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 13,000 m | 14,630 m ✓ |
| Thrust-to-weight | N/A | 0.96 |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 5 | 7 ✓ |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 950 kg | 5,400 kg ✓ |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 11.6 m | 13.14 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 2,687 kg | 6,470 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 4,330 kg | 10,722 kg |
| Crew | 2 | 2 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 17 kN | 79 kN ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $8,500,000 | N/A |
| Units built | 500 ✓ | 200 |
| Operator countries | 10 ✓ | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 1,840 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle has the longest range at 1,851 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle carries the largest weapons payload at 5,400 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 has the lower public unit-cost figure at 8,500,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher hardpoints? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle has the higher hardpoints at 7.
Which has the higher service ceiling? +
The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle has the higher service ceiling at 14,630 m.
Is the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 better than the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle? +
On the public specs we track, the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle leads on 6 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
Keep exploring
