WoW13 Extra: Aero L-39 Albatros Light Attack Jet

• published: 16 Nov 2015
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The Aero L-39 Albatros is a high-performance jet trainer developed in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s to replace the earlier L-29 Delfín. First flown in late 1968 the Albatros was introduced into the Czech Air Force in 1972. Since then over 2800 examples of the type have served with over 30 air forces around the world. Primarily designed for basic and advanced pilot training duties, the type has also been used as a light attack aircraft in regional conflicts. The attack variants of the L-39 feature four underwing hard points for attaching ground attack stores, and some models also included the option of an under-fuselage gun pod. As can be seen here the L-39 is a low-wing tandem seat aircraft in which the pilot and instructor sit in separate cockpits. The shoulder mounted air intakes just to the rear of the cockpit feeds air into the single Ivchenko turbo-fan engine which then exhausts just below the tailplane. Several fuel tanks are embedded in the fuselage just behind the cockpit with two additional 100 litre tanks being permanently attached to the wing tips. The aircraft has a top speed of 750 kilometres an hour, a range of 1750km and a service ceiling of 11,000 metres. The type requires 530m of runway to take off and 650m to land. With a all up weight of 4200kg the L-39 has operational limits of +8 and minus 4 g. Many L-39s remain in service today as trainers, while others such as the armed attack variants operated by the Syrian Air Force are still used in combat roles. During the Syrian Civil War, L-39s have been routinely used against rebel ground forces. Many more Albatroses are finding new homes with private warbird owners all over the world, as seen here at the Wings Over Wairarapa airshow held at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, New Zealand. -- http://www.aviationfilm.com Copyright © 2014 Historical Aviation Film Unit This video material may not be reproduced in any form (except as an embedded video on any other website), without the written permission of the Historical Aviation Film Unit.