Aero L-159 Alca
| L 159 ALCA | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Czech Air Force L-159 ALCA | |
| Role | Military Advanced Light Combat Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Aero Vodochody |
| First flight | 4 August 19971 |
| Status | Out of production Operational |
| Primary user | Czech Air Force |
| Produced | 1997-2003 |
| Number built | 72 |
| Unit cost | US$13 million (2003), US$15–17 million |
| Developed from | Aero L-59 Super Albatros |
Aero L 159 ALCA (Advanced Light Combat Aircraft) is a Czech-built multi-role combat aircraft. It is in service with the Czech Air Force.
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Design and development
Development of the L 159 began in 1992. The Czech Air Force ordered 72 of the aircraft in April 1995.1
The maiden flight of the L 159 occurred on 4 August 1997 with a two-seat version. Then on 18 August 1998 the single-seat version first flew; it was completed to Czech customer specifications. April 2000 marked the first delivery of L 159 to the Czech Air Force.1
Operational history
Czech Air Force is the sole operator.
The Albanian Air Force, Austrian Air Force, Bangladesh Air Force, Bolivian Air Force, Hungarian Air Force, Indonesian Air Force, Iraqi Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Philippine Air Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, Lithuanian Air Force and Spanish Air Force have all expressed interest in possibly acquiring the aircraft.23
Variants
L 159A
The L 159A is a single-seat light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft is equipped with a multi-mode Doppler Grifo-L radar (a variant of the Grifo-F x-band multi-mode, pulse-doppler radar),4 for all-weather, day and night operations. It can carry a wide range of NATO standard stores including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and laser guided bombs. The L 159A is in operational service with the Czech Air Force and in production.
L 159B
The L 159B is a two-seat derivative of the L159A primarily designed for Advanced and Operational/Lead-In Fighter Training. The L 159B configuration can also be tailored to customer specific requirements and adapted to needs of basic training as well as combat missions including air-to-Ground, patrol and reconnaissance missions.
Note: only one prototype made by Aero Vodochody.
L 159T1
The L 159T1 is a two-seat trainer derivative used by the Czech air Force. All L 159T1 are modified L 159A airframes taken from storage. First flight 8 March 2007.
Operators
- Czech Air Force - 72 originally produced (24 L-159A in operation, 4 converted to T1 and remaining are in cold storage)
Specifications (L 159A)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–20045
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 12.72 m (41 ft 8¾ in)
- Wingspan: 9.54 m6 (31 ft 3½ in)
- Height: 4.87 m (16 ft)
- Wing area: 18.80 m² (202.4 sq ft)
- Airfoil: NACA 64A-012
- Aspect ratio: 4.8:1
- Empty weight: 4,350 kg (9,590 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 8,000 kg (17,637 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Honeywell F124-GA-100 turbofan, 28.2 kN (6,330 lbf)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 960 km/h (518 knots, 596 mph)
- Maximum speed: 936 km/h (505 knots, 581 mph) at sea level, clean
- Stall speed: 185 km/h (100 knots, 115 mph)
- Range: 1,570 km (848 nmi, 975 mi) max internal fuel
- Combat radius: 565 km (305 nmi, 351 mi) lo-lo-lo, gun pod, 2× Mark 82 bombs, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder and 2× 500 L drop tanks
- Service ceiling: 13,200 m (43,300 ft)
- Rate of climb: 62 m/s (12,220 ft/min)
Armament
- Guns: provision for ZVI Plamen PL-20 2×20 mm gun pod
- Hardpoints: 7, 3 under each wing and 1 under the fuselage holding up to 2,340 kg (5,159 lb)
- Missiles:
- Air-to-air: AIM-9M Sidewinder, IRIS-T, AIM-132 ASRAAM
- Air-to-surface: AGM-65 Maverick
- Bombs: various laser-guided and unguided bombs GBU, CBU
Avionics
Grifo-L Radar
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
References
- ^ a b c Frawley, Gerald. The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002/2003. Fishwick, Act: Aerospace Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2.
- ^ Austrian Air Force may get L-159 ALCA
- ^ http://www.euro.cz/id/50rnzqq2lk/detail.jsp?id=12014
- ^ http://www.aiad.it/upload/aziende/azienda_110/grifi.pdf
- ^ Jackson 2003, pp. 100–101.
- ^ Including tip tanks.
- Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aero L-159 |
- A-159 page on AERO Vodochody's site
- Aero L-159 ALCA page on milavia.net
- Aero L-159 ALCA specs & photo at Flugzeuginfo.net
- L-159 photos at Photo-Planes.com
- L-159 avionic upgrades by Vdot Systems
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