Test Flying Our L-39 Fighter Jet

Video from the channel Matt Guthmiller about Aero L-39 Albatros, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 20:05. Language: English. Video type: Onboard.

The final stage of preparing an Aero L-39 that arrived disassembled from Estonia and that the team wanted to fly to Oshkosh. With the aircraft already assembled and the engine tested on the ground, the trip is delayed by at least a day. Matt Guthmiller flies to Crestview, Florida, to pick up Charlie, a pilot with extensive L-39 experience who will carry out the first test flights, and the video follows that first flight and a later one with Guthmiller on board.

The outstanding issue is a small oil leak in the Saphir auxiliary starter unit. The mechanics check the O-rings and compare them with parts from another unit. They conclude it doesn't compromise safety, since the Saphir only runs during start-up. Charlie explains what typically goes wrong on a first flight: brakes, trim, flaps, and gear warnings. The plan is to record the engine parameters during start-up and takeoff, check the electrical systems, and make a high-speed run down runway 24. He then takes off, climbs to 3,000 feet over the airfield, and tests the emergency gear extension and its normal retraction. After landing he confirms the emergency fuel supply, communications, air conditioning, and lights all work properly. Only the avionics update remains pending.

The video is part of a series on assembling this aircraft, registered in the experimental category in the United States. The second flight ends with the approach to the airfield under a storm with heavy rain.