Aero Vodochody L 39ZA

Type (Muster)
Jet trainer and light-attack aircraft (Strahltrainer und leichtes Kampfflugzeug)

Country (Land)
Czech Republic

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Aero Vodochody
25070 Odolena Voda
Czech Republic

Phone: 0042-2/688-0041
Fax: 0042-2/823172

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2

Weapons (Bewaffnung): The L 39 features four underwing hardpoints and a load station under the fuselage. External stores options include:

gun pod under the fuselage
rocket pods (up to 4)
350 liter drop tanks (up to 2)
IR-guided air-to-air missiles (2)
250 kg bombs (4)
450 kg bombs (2)
125 kg bombs (6)
recce pod

Power plant (Antrieb): 1 x Progress AI-25TL turbofan
Max. thrust (Schub): 1 x 16,87 kN (3792 lbs)
Specific fuel consumption (spezifischer Kraftstoffverbrauch): 56,9 kg/kN/h

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 12,13 m
Height (Höhe): 4,77 m
Span (Spannweite): 9,46 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 18,8 sq m

Weights (Massen)
Basic empty weight (Leermasse): 3400 - 3580 kg
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 980 kg (1255 litres)
External fuel (vier Zusatztanks): 562 kg
Max. external stores load (max. Außenlast): 1290 kg
Maximum ramp weight (max. Rollmasse): 5670 kg
Clean aircraft ramp weight: 4540 -4720 kg
Clean aircraft take-off weight (Startmasse ohne Außenlasten): 4470 - 4650 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Never-exceed speed (max. Geschwindigkeit): 910 km/h
Max. speed (max. Fluggeschwindigkeit): 750 km/h at sea level
Stalling speed (Überziehgeschwindigkeit): 158 km/h
Max. rate of climb (Steigrate): 21 m/s
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 11000 m
Take-off run (Startrollstrecke): 540 m at sea level
Landing run (Landerollstreck): 550 m at sea level, 50% fuel
Max. range(Max. Reichweite)
internal fuel only (10% reserve): 1350 km
Max. endurance (max. Flugdauer): 2 h 45 min
Maximum load factor (max. Belastung): +8/-4 g

Customers (Kunden)
At the beginning of 1998, Aero Vodochody statistics listed the following customers which received new aircraft from the factory near Prague:

Afghanistan: 26 x L 39C
Bangladesh: 8 x L 39ZA
Bulgaria: 36 x L 39ZA
Cuba: 30 x L 39C
Czechoslovakia: 33 x L 39C, 30 x L 39ZA, 8 x L 39V, 5 x L 39MS
DDR: 52 x L 39ZO
Ethiopia: 24 x L 39C
Iraq: 22 x L 39C, 59 x L 39ZO
Libya: 181 x L 39ZO
Nigeria: 24 x L 39ZA
Romania: 32 x L 39ZA
Syria: 55 x L 39ZO, 44 x L 39ZA
Thailand: 40 x L 39ZA/ART
USA (private buyers): 5 x L 39C
USSR (Sowjetunion): 2080 x L 39C
Vietnam: 24 x L 39C

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
British Aerospace Hawk

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
With over 2800 aircraft built, the L 39 is the most widely used jet-trainer of the world. It was designed as a successor to the L 29 Delfin in the flight training schools of the former Warsaw pact countries, including the USSR. First flight took place on 4. November 1968, with 10 preproduction examples following from 1971. Production started in 1972 after final official approval. Service trials were conducted in Czechoslovakia and the USSR in 1973, before the trainer finally was built in large numbers from 1974.
Over the years, different versions were built:

L 39C: Standard aircraft for basic and advanced training
L 39V: Single-seat aircraft for target towing. Used by Czech and East German Air Forces. Only eight built.
L 39ZO: Training and multipurpose light attack aircraft with underfuselage gun pod and four hardpoints und reinforced wing. first flown on 25. August 1975.
L 39ZA: Trainer and light attack aircraft with impoved avionics. First flown in September 1976. This version remains on offer.
L 39ZA/ART: Version for Thailand with avionics supplied by Elbit of Israel.

While production of 100 to 250 aircraft per year was commonplace in the late 70s to the collape of the Warsaw Pact in the early 90s, Aero is now struggling to sell on the world market. Latest customers were Thailand and Bangladesh, with a few sales also to US private individuals.
On the basis of the L 39, Aero has developed the L 139 trainer with AlliedSignal TFE731 engine and digital avionics as well as the L 59 with the DV-2 powerplant. Latest extrapolation is the L 159 light attack aircraft for the Czech air force, which flew in August 1997.

Last updated March 25, 1998

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