AERO VODOCHODY L-39 "ALBARTOS"

1972’Present

Plane & Pilot

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipović

Key Takeaways:

The Czechoslovakian L-39 served as the primary advanced jet trainer for Soviet Bloc countries for over two decades, evolving from the L-29 Delfin.
Beyond its training role, variants of the L-39 were utilized for close-support and ground-attack missions, with a modernized L-59 version currently in production.
Post-Cold War, the L-39 found new life as a popular private aircraft, with hundreds being exported and flown in countries like the United States.

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The Czechoslovakian L-39 was an evolved improvement over the L-29 Delfin, and was the primary advanced jet trainer in Soviet Block countries for more than twenty years. Variants of the L-39 were also flown as close-support and ground-attack aircraft. A modernized version, the L-59 is now in production. After the end of the Cold War, a number of the trainers have been exported, with hundreds flying as private aircraft in the United States alone.