• Role: Military trainer aircraft/Light ground-attack aircraft
• Manufacturer: Aero Vodochody
• National origin: Czechoslovakia
• First flight: 4 November 1968
• Introduction: 28 March 1972 with the Czechoslovak Air Force
• Status: 2,800 still in use in various air forces
• Produced: 1971–1999
• Developed from: Aero L-29 Delfín

Variants

• Aero L-59 Super Albatros
• Aero L-159 Alca

Military Operators

• Soviet Air Force
• Czechoslovak Air Force
• Libyan Air Force
• Syrian Air Force
• Breitling Jet Team

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 12.13 m (39 ft 9½ in)
• Wingspan: 9.46 m (31 ft 0½ in)
• Height: 4.77 m (15 ft 7¾ in)
• Wing area: 18.8 m² (202 ft²)
• Airfoil: NACA 64A012 mod
• Empty weight: 3,455 kg (7,617 lb)
• Max. takeoff weight: 4,700 kg (10,362 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan, 16.87 kN (3,792 lbf)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: Mach 0.80 (609 mph, 980 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 750 km/h (405 knots, 466 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
• Range: 1,100 km (593 nmi, 683 mi) (internal fuel)
  • 1,750 km, (944 nmi, 1,087 mi) (internal and external fuel)
• Endurance: 2 hr 30 min (internal fuel), 3 hr 50 min (internal and external fuel)
• Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,100 ft)
• Rate of climb: 13.5 m/s (4,130 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 250.0 kg/m² (51.3 lb/ft²)
• Thrust/weight: 0.37
• Climb to 5,000 m (16,400 ft): 5 min

• Take-off roll: 530 m (1,740 ft)
• Landing roll: 650 m (2,140 ft)

Armament

• Up to 284 kg (626 lb) of stores on two external hardpoints
• 2× wingtip fuel tanks