Aero L-159 Alca

Infobox Aircraft
name= L-159 ALCA


caption= Czech Air Force L-159 taxiing
type= Military Advanced Light Combat Aircraft
manufacturer= Aero Vodochody
designer=
first flight= 2 August 1997
introduced=
retired=
status=Operational
primary user= Czech Air Force
more users=
produced= 72
number built=
unit cost= 8 million USD
developed from= Aero L-59 Super Albatros
variants with their own articles=

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.

Designe and development

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-F radar [www.aiad.it/upload/aziende/azienda_110/grifi.pdf] 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.

L-159T1

The L-159B is a two-seat derivative of the L-159A designed primarily for the Czech Air Force as a lower-cost upgrade option. L-159T1 planes are a modification of previously used, single-seat Czech Air Force L-159As, into a two-seat training plane. Most of the original L-159A plane is reused in L-159T1. While the fuselage is replaced, the wings, tail, nose, undercarriage and engine of the L-159A are reused.

Operators

;CZE
* Czech Air Force - 20 L-159A/L-159B and 4 L-159T1;HUN
* Hungarian Air Force - the Hungarian Air Force is currently negotiating with the Czech Republic to purchase 12-14 L-159 ALCAS. Deliveries can begin in 2009.

pecifications (L-159A)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= jet
ref={name of first source}
crew=one, pilot
capacity=
length main=12.72 m
length alt=41 ft 8 in
span main=9.54 m
span alt=31 ft 3 in
height main=4.87 m
height alt=16 ft
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=4,350 kg
empty weight alt=9,590 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=8,000 kg
max takeoff weight alt=17,637 lb
more general=
* Auxiliary power unit: SAFIR 5F
engine (jet)= Honeywell/ITEC F124-GA-100
type of jet=
number of jets=1
thrust main=28 kN
thrust alt=6,280 lbf
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
max speed main=935 km/h
max speed alt=505 knots, 577 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=1,570 km
range alt=848 nm, 970 m
ceiling main=13,200 m
ceiling alt=43,300 ft
climb rate main=48 m/s
climb rate alt=9,450 ft/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
* Extended Range : 2,530 km (1560 mi) with additional fuel tanks
* Take-off roll: 440 m (1,445 ft)
* Landing roll: 725 m (2,380 ft)
armament=
avionics=Grifo-F Radar

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Aero L-39 Albatros
* Aero L-59 Albatros
similar aircraft=
* Aermacchi MB-339
* BAe Hawk
* CASA 101
* Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
* Kawasaki T-4
* Soko G-4 Super Galeb
* PZL I-22 Iryda
* Iar-99 Soim
lists=
see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_l159_en.php Specs & Photo at Flugzeuginfo.net]