Aero obtained L-159T1 supplementary type certificate

03/08/2007 | On August 2, 2007 AERO Vodochody a.s. (AERO) obtained the Supplementary Type Certificate (DTO-0003) for the L-159T1 Advanced Training Aircraft, ordered by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic (Ministry) in a number of four units.

ODOLENA VODA, Czech Republic (August 3, 2007) – On August 2, 2007 AERO Vodochody a.s. (AERO) obtained the Supplementary Type Certificate (DTO-0003) for the L-159T1 Advanced Training Aircraft, ordered by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic (Ministry) in a number of four units.

The Certificate was handed to Milos Trnobransky, AERO Military Program Chief Designer, by an authorized department of the Ministry symbolically on the day of the 10th anniversary of the first flight of the first two-seat L-159T prototype s/n 5831 (August 2, 1997). At the same time, the Ministry extended the validity of the Certificate for training of Czech Air Force pilots-instructors for the L-159, T1 version.
The Supplementary Type Certificate means that the L-159T1 is certified for the specified task (esp. training of military pilots) and after training of the ground and flight personnel and after the operation evaluation, the aircraft can be delivered to the customer, the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. “The customer’s checks, which will test maintenance procedures, documentation and utility characteristics of the L-159T1 aircraft, should take place from August 27 – September 7, 2007,” specified M. Trnobransky.

“The T1 version is a two-seat advanced training aircraft, which on the customer’s request utilizes maximum amount of parts from the earlier produced single-seat L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft. The aircraft is thus as much similar to the single-seat version and can be delivered in a relatively short time. The time between maintenance checks of the aircraft is set to eight years or 2,000 flight hours,” said Pavel Sedlacek, L-159T1 Project Manager. “All four units will be delivered to the customer by the end of this year,” he added.

The contract on four rebuilt single-seat L-159 aircraft into two-seat T1 version was signed on June 26, 2006. Besides the production of the aircraft itself, it contains delivery of spare parts, ground support equipment, documentation and ground and flight personnel schooling. The contract results from the General Agreement on follow-on support service of CzAF L-159 and L-39 aircraft fleet signed on December 8, 2005.

L-159T prototype (first flight on August 2, 1997): This first prototype was designed mainly for testing of the new Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-100 engine. The first flight, piloted by Chief-pilot Miroslav Schützner, lasted 50 minutes and the aircraft reached an altitude of 5,000 meters and a speed of 670 km/h. The prototype took off for the last time in 2003 and reached a total of 840 flight hours. Currently, AERO uses the prototype for partial ground tests. The second prototype – the single-seat L-159A s/n 5832 – first flight took place in 1998, the second prototype – the two-seat L-159B s/n 6073 – in 2002, and so far the last prototype – the two-seat L-159T1 – had its maiden flight in March 2007.

AERO Vodochody a.s.: AERO Vodochody a.s. is the largest aircraft producer and defence company in the Czech Republic, and one of the oldest aircraft producers in the world (*1919). Total revenue of the Company in past 30 years reached CZK 90 billion, the export reaching CZK 50 billion. In total, AERO Vodochody has produced more than 11,000 units of aircraft of various types in its 88-year history, out of which 6,500 were jet trainers (L-29/39/59 and L-159) and 3,700 MiGs (MiG-15/19/21). Since January 2007, the 100% holder of the Company is the Czech-Slovak private equity Penta Group.