Aero L-29 Delfin Slovak Air Forces military trainer aircraft. GAV 2166-205
The Aero L-29 Delfin (Czech: "Dolphin", NATO reporting name: Maya) was a military jet trainer aircraft that became the standard jet trainer for the air forces Warsaw Pact nations in the 1960s. It was Czechoslovakia's first locally designed and built jet aircraft. L-29s served in basic, intermediate, and weapons training capacities. For this latter role, they were equipped with hardpoints to carry gunpods, bombs, or rockets, and thus armed, Egyptian L-29s were sent into combat against Israeli tanks during the Yom Kippur War. The L-29 was supplanted in the inventory of many of its operators by the Aero L-39 Albatros In the late 1950s, the Soviet Air Force was seeking a jet-powered replacement for its fleet of piston-engined trainers, and this requirement was soon broadened to finding a trainer aircraft that could be adopted in common by Eastern Bloc air forces. Aero's response, the prototype XL-29 designed by Z. Rublič and K. Tomáš first flew on 5 April 1959, powered by a British Bristol Siddeley Viper engine. The second prototype was powered by the Czech-designed M701 engine, which was used in all subsequent aircraft. The basic design concept was to produce a straightforward, easy-to-build and operate aircraft. Simplicity and ruggedness were stressed with manual flight controls, large flaps and the incorporation of perforated airbrakes on the fuselage sides providing stable and docile flight characteristics, leading to an enviable safety record for the type. The sturdy L-29 was able to operate from grass, sand or unprepared fields. Both student pilot and instructor had ejection seats, and were positioned in tandem, under separate canopies with a slightly raised instructor position. On October 2, 2007, an unmodified L-29 was used for the world’s first jet flight powered solely by 100% biodiesel fuel. Pilots Carol Sugars and Douglas Rodante flew their Delphin Jet at Stead Airport, Reno, Nevada in order to promote environmentally friendly fuels in aviation.
Size: 6189px × 3937px
Location: Cumbernauld Airport, Strathclyde. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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