Aero L-29 Delfin
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| Aero L-29 Delfin | |
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| An Aero L-29 Delfin on the tarmac. | |
| Type | Military trainer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aero Vodochody |
| Designed by | Z. Rublič and K. Tomáš |
| Maiden flight | 1959-05-05 |
| Introduced | 1961 |
| Status | Retired; popular civilian warbird |
| Primary users | Soviet Air Force Czech Air Force |
| Produced | 1963-1974 |
| Number built | 3,500 |
The Aero L-29 Delfin (Czech: "Dolphin", NATO reporting name: Maya) was a military jet trainer aircraft that became the standard jet trainer for the air forces Warsaw Pact nations in the 1960s. It was Czechoslovakia's first locally designed and built jet aircraft.
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[edit] Development
In the late 1950s, the Soviet Air Force was seeking a jet-powered replacement for its fleet of piston-engined trainers, and this requirement was soon broadened to finding a trainer aircraft that could be adopted in common by Eastern Bloc air forces. Aero's response, the prototype XL-29 designed by Z. Rublič and K. Tomáš first flew on April 5 1959, powered by a British Bristol Siddeley Viper engine.
In 1961, the L-29 was evaluated against the PZL TS-11 Iskra and Yakovlev Yak-30 and emerged the winner. Poland chose to pursue the development of the TS-11 Iskra anyway, but all other Warsaw Pact countries adopted the Delfin.
Production began April 1963 and continued for 11 years, with 3,500 eventually built. A dedicated, single-seat acrobatic version was developed as the L-29A Akrobat. A reconnaissance version with nose-mounted cameras was built as the L-29R.
[edit] Operational history
L-29s served in basic, intermediate, and weapons training capacities. For this latter role, they were equipped with hardpoints to carry gunpods, bombs, or rockets, and thus armed, Egyptian L-29s were sent into combat against Israeli tanks during the Yom Kippur War. The L-29 was supplanted in the inventory of many of its operators by the Aero L-39 Albatros
[edit] Operators
Afghanistan: The Afghan Air Force operated as many as 24 from 1978 to as late as 1999.
Soviet Union: The Soviet Air Force operated as many as 2,000
Czechoslovakia: The Czech Air Force operated as many as 400
Bulgaria: Bulgarian Air Force
East Germany: East German Air Force
Hungary: Hungarian Air Force
Romania: Romanian Air Force
Egypt: Egyptian Air Force
Syria: Syrian Air Force
Nigeria: Nigerian Air Force
Uganda: Ugandan Air Force
Iraq: Iraqi Air Force
Indonesia: Indonesian Air Force
Guinea: Guinea
Mali: Mali
Vietnam: Vietnam
Ghana: Ghana Air Force
Ex-military L-29s are proving popular on the civil warbird market. [1]
[edit] Specifications (L-29)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2: student and instructor
- Length: 10.81 m (35 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 10.29 m (33 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.13 m (10 ft 3 in)
- Wing area: 19.8 m² (213 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2,280 kg (5,030 lb)
- Loaded weight: 3,286 kg (7,244 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,540 kg (7,800 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Motorlet M-701C , 8.7 kN (1,960 lbf)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 655 km/h (354 knots, 407 mph)
- Range: 900 km (486 nm, 560 mi)
- Service ceiling: 11,500 m (37,700 ft)
- Rate of climb: 14 m/s (2,800 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 166 kg/m² (34.3 lb/ft²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.25
Armament
- 200 kg (440 lb) of various guns, bombs, rockets, and missiles on external hardpoints
[edit] External links
[edit] Related content
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Related lists
- List of military trainer aircraft
Timeline of aviation
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