Die L-39 Albatros: Wie Kampfpiloten das Fliegen lernen

Video from the channel Megaprojects about Aero L-39 Albatros, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 18:43. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

A documentary piece from the Megaprojects channel about the Aero L-39 Albatros, the Czechoslovak jet trainer that has trained several generations of military pilots. It covers its origins, its design conceived for training, its operators, its combat use and the new L-39NG version.

Aero Vodochody conceived it as the successor to the L-29 Delfín, the first jet designed and built in Czechoslovakia, of which more than 3,600 units were built from 1963 onward. The new aircraft, a tandem two-seater with a single engine, is presented as the world's first turbofan-powered trainer. The prototype flew in November 1968 and, after delays caused by air intake problems, entered service with the Czechoslovak Air Force. The Soviet Union was by far its largest operator.

The video gives a length of about 12 m, a wingspan of 9.5 m, an Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan, a top speed of 750 km/h, a range of 1,100 km, a ceiling of 11,000 m and up to 1,100 kg of weapons on four underwing hardpoints. It highlights its tolerance for student errors, the rear seat positioned so the instructor can see the trainee's hands, and controls that simulate malfunctions. It covers its combat use in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya, Abkhazia and Ukraine, and variants such as the Super Albatros and the L-159 ALCA. The L-39NG, with a Williams International engine and modern avionics, flew in 2018 and is advertised with 900 km/h and a 2,590 km range.