Key facts
- Type
- Light combat aircraft / advanced jet trainer
- Manufacturer
- Aero Vodochody
- Status
- Operational
- Primary users
- Czech Air Force Iraqi Air Force
- Number built
- L-159A: 72
- Manufactured
- 1997–2003 and 2016–2017
- Introduction date
- April 2000
- First flight
- 4 August 1997
- Developed from
- Aero L-59 Super Albatros
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- Aero L-39 Albatros
- Operator
- Czech Air Force
- Follows
- Aero L-39 Albatros
- Developer
- AERO Vodochody Aerospace
- Manufacturer
- AERO Vodochody Aerospace
- Image
- Aero L-159 (6063) in flight (1).jpg
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Aero L-159
- total produced
- 72
- first flight
- 1997-08-04
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Aero L-159 ALCA is a subsonic light combat aircraft and advanced trainer developed in the single-seat L-159A and two-seat L-159B versions, respectively, produced in the Czech Republic by Aero Vodochody. It was derived from the Aero L-59 Super Albatros trainer, which was in turn developed from the Aero L-39 Albatros series.
Development of the L-159 started in 1993 as an initiative to replace various Soviet-era fighter aircraft with a modern Czech-built equivalent; it was decided against pursuing a clean-sheet design to avoid excessive costs. Development was supported by the Czech government, which ordered 72 L-159A single-seat aircraft for roughly 50 billion CZK to equip the Czech Air Force. In 1998, the Boeing Company became a strategic partner in both the project and Aero Vodochody itself. On 4 August 1997, the L-159 performed its maiden flight; on 10 April 2000, the first production aircraft was delivered to the Czech Air Force. Further development of the type proceeded, particularly of the twin-seat L-159 models.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Aero L-159 ALCA” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.