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 L-39 Albatros was the primary Czechoslovakian advanced jet trainer for Soviet Block countries for over two decades, evolving from the L-29 Delfin.
Beyond its training role, L-39 variants were also utilized for close-support and ground-attack missions, with a modernized L-59 version currently in production.
Post-Cold War, numerous L-39s were exported and have become popular as private aircraft, with hundreds flying in the United States alone.

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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.