In early January 2023, the Bulgarian Air Force awarded a contract to the Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero.
The contract states that Aello will provide overhaul and upgrade services for two L-39 Albatross trainers of the Bulgarian Air Force. The focus is on the overhaul of the AI-25TL engine and auxiliary power APU, and the upgrading and replacement of the original Soviet/Russian equipment with Western avionics.
The news comes two months after Aello was related to the delivery of four of its latest L-39NG advanced trainers to the Czech Air Force.
It can be found that the common denominator of these two news stories is that they both point to a generation of classic L-39 Albatrosses - even if the L-39NG is different from the L-39.
As a classic L-39 "Albatross" of the generation
The L-39 was born half a century ago.
As the main trainer of the former Warsaw Pact Group, its brilliance and glory need not be said - it has even been praised by some pilots as "the best jet trainer aircraft ever".
By the end of the 20th century, more than 2,800 L-39 Albatrosses were in service with the air forces of more than 30 countries and regions, including some "civilian" L-39s. Some of these L-39s became aircraft for flight display teams, and some became the vehicles of some private fighter aircraft owners in Europe and the United States, fulfilling the "dream of owning a jet military aircraft" for many moderately wealthy pilots.
As the largest folk aerobatic team in Europe, the Breitling air display team uses 7 L-39 demonstration aircraft. However, the legend of "Breitling" has come to an end in 2019.
The popularity of these civilian versions of the L-39 lies in its high cost performance, in addition to its comprehensive performance.
From the mid-70s to the 80s of the 20th century, the price of L-39 on the second-hand market was about $400,000 to $1 million.
The large number of L-39s has also allowed manufacturers including the original Aello and Israel Elbit to rely on it to do a series of "long tail" business: including demilitarized treatment of retired second-hand models, registration and certification support, ground crew/flight personnel training, professional knowledge consultation, general maintenance and repair, routine inspection, modernization, life extension upgrade, logistics maintenance support, etc.
从L-39到L-59、L-139、L-39NG
After the classic L-39 "Albatross", in the 80s of the 20th century, Aello developed the L-59 "Super Albatross".
The enhanced fuselage, longer nose, greatly updated cockpit, upgraded engine, etc., make the L-59 also very popular, in addition to its own use, it is also exported (Egypt, Tunisia and other countries), and has been shown in actual combat.
In the 90s of the 20th century, Aello developed the L-159 "Alka", the original intention was to replace various old Soviet-era models with modern Czech fighters. This is another step towards modernization and a move by the Albatross family towards Western suppliers.
On the L-159, from avionics equipment supplied by Western manufacturers, Honeywell/ITEC's F124 turbofan engines, to AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, GBU series laser-guided bombs, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles and other American weapons and equipment. In addition to the Iraqi Air Force, the overseas users of the L-159 include companies such as Air Combat Training Contractor Draken International.
The L-39 was developed on the basis of the L-29 "Dolphin". In the bidding of the late 50s of the 20th century, the L-29 beat the Soviet Union's Yak-30 and Poland's TS-11 to win the bid.
The L-159 of the Czech Air Force carries "Sidewinder" Airbus missiles under the aircraft and "Maverick" air-to-surface missiles on the ground.
In general, the L-59 and L-159 did not break out of the "albatross" trap, or rather, they inherited their classic design and paid homage to the classic. The production scale of the two models is only seventy or eighty aircraft, which is not worth mentioning in front of the predecessor L-39.
But this was enough for Aello to maintain the modified design and manufacturing capabilities of the Albatross, until 2014, when Aero once again started the development of a new model.
The L-39NG, which is called "NG" (NextGeneration), gives everyone's first impression of a familiar taste. A significant change in its exterior features is the use of an in-wing fuel tank, a change from the classic wingtip tank design on the L-39 Albatross.
The L-39NG adopts an in-wing fuel tank design, a change from the classic wingtip tank design on the L-39 Albatross.
Inside the fuselage, the L-39NG is equipped with an avionics kit provided by Moog's Genesis Aviation Systems and Williams' FJ44-4M turbofan engine.
Even if the L-39 series has been using the Czech domestic VS-2B ejection seat, it finally gave up the last stubbornness and replaced it with Martin Baker's Mk16 ejection seat.
One price that the L-39NG can't avoid while taking a leap in performance is the price increase, which is said to be between $15 million and $20 million per aircraft.
This may become a stumbling block for the L-39NG in the market development in the future, after all, this price is millions cheaper than M-436, T-50 and other similar Western popular models, but the advantages are not obvious, can not highlight the L-39 series of the past high quality, low price, cost-effective characteristics.
Designed primarily as a basic and advanced jet trainer, the L-39NG can also perform a variety of other missions, including light combat, close air support, counterinsurgency, and reconnaissance. Vietnam is the launch user of the L-39NG. In the future, Aello also has plans to cooperate with American partners to develop the North American market.
In August 2022, the L-39NG received type certification. This is good news not only for Aello, but also for the Czech aerospace industry as a whole, since most enterprises in the Czech aviation industry are involved in the development and production of the L-39NG.
Aello as a representative of Czech manufacturing
The Czech L-39 "Albatross" family has come all the way, inseparable from its old trees and new flowers, and the route of the former Warsaw Pact countries constantly "to the west", which also reflects the fate of the Czech aviation industry represented by Airo.
The Czech Republic has a long history of designing and manufacturing aircraft. Soon after the invention of the aircraft at the beginning of the 20th century, the Czech Republic had an aircraft factory and engine factory and has been manufacturing products to this day, which is rare in the world.
According to the Czech Business and Investment Development Agency, the Czech aviation industry has built 32,000 aircraft and 37,000 engines in more than 100 years.
Aello, as the most important Czech shipping company, was founded in 1919, the year after the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
During World War II, Czech aircraft manufacturers became factories of Nazi Germany, and they absorbed the technology and experience in the design and manufacture of the most advanced all-metal aircraft at that time.
After World War II, the Czechoslovak Republic reorganized several aviation manufacturing enterprises into the state-owned Aello aircraft factory.
In the division of labor in the Warsaw Pact system, Aello produced Soviet MiG-19 and MiG-21 fighters under license on the one hand, and on the other hand, focused his autonomy on trainers, light transport aircraft, and light sports aircraft.
As a result, Aello has achieved "unparalleled scenery" in the field of jet trainers, from the L-29 "Dolphin" to the L-39 "Albatross".
According to official figures from Aello, it has built more than 3,000 L-39s, L-59s, L-159s, a fleet of more than 5 million flight hours, and 45 military operators and civilian operators in 15 countries operating its aircraft.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Czech aviation industry, including Aello, was greatly affected, and Aero's business came to a standstill.
Under the chaos, its previous dominant position in the jet trainer market has gradually been eroded. In addition, due to the mismanagement of the Czech government and the inability of local bank capital to support, Aello once chose to reach a strategic cooperation with Boeing in the United States.
Finally, after post-privatization reforms, in 2007 the Czech-Slovak investment group Penta became Aello's largest shareholder.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Aello's business has shifted to cooperation with global aircraft manufacturers, undertaking subcontracting production of parts in the field of aerostructures, and becoming a Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier to aviation manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Sikorsky, Safran, Saab, Alenia and so on.
Czech achievements in the field of aviation manufacturing
In the more than 100 years of aviation development history of the Czech aviation industry, in addition to accumulating "brand" manufacturers such as Aello and their products, another representative model is the light twin-engine multi-purpose aircraft L-410 manufactured by Jean Kunovice (now Aircraft Industries).
More than 1,300 of this model were produced, and more than 350 L-410s are still active in more than 50 countries and regions around the world.
In addition, the Czech Republic remains one of the largest producers of ultralight and light sport aircraft for civilian flying enthusiasts, with thousands of productions.
The L-410 also has a long product cycle, and a new version of the L-410NG was introduced a few years ago.
Products such as light sport aircraft for civilian flight enthusiasts are often sold flexibly in the form of kits and profiles.
Although for the current Czech aviation industry, the development of large military and civilian aircraft with complex structures and huge financial and human resources investment is already out of reach, and even the development of the L-39NG is close to the upper limit of its capabilities.
However, through flexible foreign cooperation, subcontracting production and other businesses, the Czech Republic, the "small country" known by the public, has become an important player in the global aviation manufacturing industry chain. This result comes from the accumulation and precipitation of the Czech Republic in the field of aviation manufacturing for a hundred years.
Due to the small land area and small domestic market capacity in the Czech Republic, whether it is government investment or the enterprises themselves, the ability to bear risks is very limited, and some enterprises have been repeatedly changed hands, shut down and restored, reform and reorganization... Therefore, accepting investment from international manufacturers and cooperating widely has become the survival of these Czech airlines.
Investment and cooperation of international aviation manufacturers such as Honeywell, GE Aviation, and Bell Helicopter in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic has formed a certain scale of aviation industry clusters.
According to the official Czech propaganda materials, the Czech Republic has a constantly improving aviation manufacturing system, with tens of thousands of aviation practitioners with scientific research background or skilled skills in colleges and universities, research and development and talent training capabilities of science and engineering colleges, supporting testing facilities, as well as investment support and stable external environment from the Czech government...
The Czech Republic has formed a large-scale aviation industry cluster with more than 120 aviation-related enterprises, and in recent years, the aviation business has continuously turned to pioneer fields such as drones and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.