KITS 10/2023
L-39C, s/n 533229, No. 129, Ukrainian Air Force, Vasilkov AB, Ukraine, 2008
After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, around
530 L-39 aircraft remained in Ukraine according
to several sources. The poor financial situation
of the entire military significantly reduced their
number, and by 2005, fewer than 200 aircraft
were airworthy. The rest of the Albatroses is in
storage and available for potential sales.
L-39X-11, Aerosalon Paris, France, 1977
The prototype L-39X-11 (L-39ZO, OK-HXA, 3911,
OK-190) was adorned with a white-gray-blue
camouflage and shortly thereafter exhibited
(equipped as ZO version) at the Paris Air Show,
where it earned the nickname “Pařížanka”
October 2023
(Parisienne) due to its non-standard coloring.
Aircraft from Aero participated multiple times
at the prestigious European airshow held at
Le Bourget near Paris since 1977, but the first
international presentation of the Albatros was
certainly exceptional. In Paris, it was displayed
with a photo container on the left inner pylon along
with a symmetrical placement of a large (350-liter)
drop tank, thus showcasing the aircraft’s expanded
usage – this time for aerial reconnaissance.
INFO Eduard
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