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L-39CM, s/n 915254, 2 Fighter Squadron, 81 Wing, Slovak Air Force,
Sliač AFB, Slovakia, 2022
L-39C, No. 0445, Pardubice, Czech Republic, 2023
Albatros with fuselage number 5254 is
a modernized CM variant operated by the 2 Tactical
Squadron of the 81 Wing based at Sliač airbase.
In 2011, the aircraft underwent an overhaul,
during which it received a new grey camouflage,
which includes cabin silhouette of a darker
shade grey on the underside of the fuselage. The
last overhaul of the aircraft took place in early
June 2020 and the L-39CM No. 5254 became the
last Albatros in Slovakia, overhauled jointly by
Letecké opravovne Trenčín (Aviation Repair Shop
Trencin) and Aero Vodochody. On May 4, 2022,
a motif commemorating the 100th anniversary of
the birth of the famous Czechoslovak pilot S/Ldr
Otto Smik was applied to the vertical tail surfaces.
On April 1, 2004, a new organizational unit of
LOM PRAHA, Centrum leteckého výcviku (Flight
Training Centre), was established. The state-
owned company leased eight L-39C aircraft
(Nos. 0103, 0113, 0115, 0440, 0441, 0444, 0445
and 0448) from the Czech Armed Forces for
the advanced training of military pilots. At the
turn of 1999 and 2000, all eight of these aircraft
underwent overhaul and modernization, as they
received a completely new forward fuselage
section into which the original equipment was
installed. This provided the Army with aircraft
technically equivalent to the 53rd series and with
a full service life. A new camouflage consisting of
three shades of grey was also applied as part of
the overhaul. During the R3 revision, which took
place between 2016 and 2019, the aircraft then
received new insignia in “flag” form.
KITS 02/2024
INFO Eduard46
February 2024