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| STANDARD DATA: Seats: 2; Gross weight: 11,618 lbs.; Empty weight: 7,340 lbs.; Engine: one 3,792 lb. Ivchenko AI- 25TL turbofan. PERFORMANCE: Max speed: 485 mph; Ceiling: 37,730 ft. Range 528-995 nm. |
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.
