Aircraft Industries
Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | Aerospace |
Founded | 1936 |
Headquarters | , |
Products | Light aircraft,gliders,airliners |
Revenue | 2,266,417,000 Czech koruna (2020) |
340,900,000 Czech koruna (2020) | |
271,024,000 Czech koruna (2020) | |
Total assets | 3,068,497,000 Czech koruna (2020) |
Owner | Omnipol |
Number of employees | 1,085 (2020) |
Parent |
|
Website | www |
Aircraft Industries, a.s.,[1]operating asLet,is aCzech(before December 1992Czechoslovak) civilaircraftmanufacturer. Its most successful design has been theL-410 Turbolet,of which more than 1300 units have been built.[2]Its head office is inKunovice,Zlín Region.[1]Let was owned by the Russian companyUGMKfrom 2008 to 2022,[3]when it was acquired by Czech-basedOmnipol Group.[4]
The company operates the sixth largest Czech airport and aprivate secondary school.
History
[edit]Building of an aircraft factory inKunovicestarted in 1936, as a part of theŠkoda Worksindustrial concern.[5]Before and duringWorld War IIthe unfinished plant served only as a repair works. After the end of the war the factory was nationalized and in 1950–53 a new plant was built. In 1957–1967 it was namedSPP(Strojírny první pětiletky– "Works of the First Five-year Plan" ), and in 1967 it returned to the name LET. The works produced under licence were the Soviet trainersYakovlev Yak-11(under a designation C-11) and theAero Ae 45andAero Ae 145utility aircraft.
In 1957 the company began to develop theL-200 Moravalight utility aircraft and four years later theZ-37 Cmelakagricultural aircraft, which were both a commercial success.
Over the years Let developed and produced gliders:Zlín 22,Z-124 Galánka,LF-109 Pionýr,and Z-425 Šohaj. However the most popular gliders produced by LET are the Blaníks:L-13 Blaník,L-23 Super BlaníkandL-33 Solo.
During the 1960s Let's engineers developed a 19-seat commuter turboprop, theL-410 Turbolet,of which more than 1200 were produced.[6]This popular aircraft went through a number of improvements and modernisations and the latest types, the L 410 UVP-E20 and L 420 are EASA and FAA certified respectively.[7]
The largest Czech transport aircraft, theLet L-610,was produced in 1988 in prototype form and displayed at the Paris Airshow. Production was cancelled due to lack of funding. There were eight prototypes made in the factory.[citation needed]
The all-metalBlaníksailplanewas produced in the largest quantities of any sailplane, with over 3,000 manufactured since the first rolled off the production line in 1958. In 2005 it was still in production as theL23Super Blaníkvariant.
The company explored the possibility of a joint venture withFairchild Aircraftin the 1990s, but eventually decided against it.[8]However, it was later purchased byAyres Corporationin 1998.[9]In 2001, it merged with Morovan Aeroplanes.[10]Following bankruptcy, it was purchased by Aircraft Industries in 2005.[11]
TheUral Mining and Metallurgical Company(UGMK) purchased 51% of the company's shares was in 2008;UAChad shown interest in acquiring the control of the company as well.[12]UGMK purchased the remaining shares in 2013.[4]
In April 2022, Aircraft Industries was acquired by thePrague-based company,Omnipol Group.[4]
Products
[edit]Powered aircraft
[edit]Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Let Ae-45S | 228 | Twin engine utility airplane; Aero Ae-45S built under license | |
Let Ae-145 | 162 | Twin engine utility airplane; Aero Ae-145 built under license | |
Let C-11 | 707 | Single engine trainer; Yakovlev Yak-11 built under license | |
Let E-33 | An L-200 converted into a testbed for tails and boundary layer control | ||
Let L-18 | 1955 twin-boom light-transport aircraft project | ||
Let L-36 | Low-wing agricultural aircraft project; abandoned for Zlin Z-37 | ||
Let L-110 | 1995 four-seat, all-metal low-wing light/touring monoplane project | ||
Let L-145 | Original designation for Ae-45S | ||
Let L-200 Morava | 1957 | 361 | Twin engine utility airplane |
Let L-210 | 1966 | 1 | Six seat version of L-200 with M338 engines |
Let L-300 | Enlarged air taxi version of L-200 with 9-11 seats; only a project (1958) | ||
Let L-400 | 1960s turboprop feederliner project; resembled a scaled-down An-24 | ||
Let L-410 Turbolet | 1969 | 1,200+ | Twin engine regional airliner |
Aircraft Industries L 410 NG[13][14] | 2015 | Upgraded version of the L-410UVP-E20 | |
Let L-420(I) | 1960s commuterliner project; predecessor of L-410 | ||
Let L-420(II) | 1980s projected cargo freighter version of L-410 | ||
Let L-420 | Westernized variant of L-410; upgraded L-410UVP-E | ||
Let L-430 | 1990s projected stretched L-410 development | ||
Let L-450 | 1990s projected L-410 replacement; redesignated L-510 | ||
Let L-500 | 1962 light aircraft studies | ||
Let L-510(I) | 1965 low-wing two-seat trainer project | ||
Let L-510(II) | 1966 | 1 | 1992 twin turboprop commuterliner project; intended as L-410 replacement |
Let L-520 | 1960s low-wing four-seat tourer project; higher performance version of L-510 | ||
Let L-539 | Single-engine business jet project; based on Aero L-39 | ||
Let L-540 | 1965 low-wing four-seat tourer project | ||
Let L-542 | 1960s twin-engine light aircraft project | ||
Let L-550 | 1965 low-wing four-seat tourer; economy model of L-540 | ||
Let L-600 | 1964 twinjet feederliner project; intended as Li-2 replacement | ||
Let L-610 | 1988 | 6 | Prototype twin engine transport airplane |
Let L-614 | 1982 projected four-engine version of L-610 | ||
Let L-710 | 1993 "Boxplane" freighter based on L-610G parts | ||
Let L-1000 | 1963Smaragd(Emerald) jetliner project |
Gliders
[edit]Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Let L-13 Blaník | 1956 | 3,000+ | Two-seat, high-wing all-metal glider |
Let L-21 Spartak | 1958 | High-wing, single-seat sailplane | |
Let L-23 Super Blaník | 1988 | L-13 derivative with two-piece canopy and T-tail | |
Let L-33 Solo | 1992 | 94 | Single-seat sailplane |
Let L-113 | 1957 projected simplified version of L-13 | ||
Let L-213 | 1957 projected long-span version of L-13 | ||
Let LF-106 | 1940s single-seat training glider project; redesignated as LF-109 | ||
Let LF-109 Pionýr | 1950 | ~470 | Single-seat training glider |
Let LF-110 | 1950s two-seat high-wing sailplane project; mixed construction counterpart to L-13 | ||
Let LF-113 | two-seat high-wing sailplane project | ||
Let LF-114 Standard | 1956 | Single-seat training glider | |
Let LF-209 | 1952 two-seat high-wing sailplane project | ||
Let LF-309 | Two-seat high-wing sailplane; as LF-209 but with longer span | ||
Let LF-409 | Two-seat training glider; LF-109 fuselage with a new wing | ||
Let LF-509 | Two-seat high-wing sailplane; as LF-209 but with trapezoidal wings | ||
Let LP-110 | 1953 two-seat high-wing glider project; all-metal counterpart to L-13 | ||
Let TG-10 | 2002 | 21 | US military designation for L-13, L-23 and L-33 gliders |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ab"Contacts."Let Kunovice. Retrieved on 19 May 2011." Aircraft Industries, a.s. Na Záhonech 1177 686 04 Kunovice Czech Republic "–Address in Czech:"Aircraft Industries, a.s. Na Záhonech 1177 686 04 Kunovice Česká republika"
- ^"L 410 UVP-E20 – Základní charakteristika".Let.cz(in Czech). Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2019.Retrieved11 March2018.
- ^"Russian army to possibly place order for aircraft with Czech manufacturer", BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 5 November 2012. (Retrieved via Lexis Nexis)
- ^abcKaminski-Morrow, David."Czech firm acquires L-410 manufacturer Aircraft Industries from Russian owners".Flight Global.Retrieved28 April2022.
- ^"Big structural parts machined faster".Aerospace Manufacturing and Design.21 December 2016.Retrieved25 March2024.
- ^Stoffels, Felix (11 September 2019)."The L-610 shall rise from the dead".Retrieved25 March2024.
- ^Valiska, Josef (9 August 2004)."Zmizi znacka Czech Made z oblohy?".Technik(in Czech). Archived fromthe originalon 3 May 2006.Retrieved23 February2021.
- ^"Fairchild and Let drop joint venture plans".Flight Global.25 April 1995.Retrieved22 February2021.
- ^Thurston, Scott (18 August 1998)."Ayres Soars into Europe on Czech Purchase".Atlanta Journal-Constitution.p. D2.Retrieved23 February2021.
- ^"[Untitled]".Blanik America.23 August 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 12 September 2016.Retrieved23 February2021.
- ^Horáková, Pavla (27 June 2005)."Aircraft Industries to buy bankrupt Letecke zavody Kunovice".Radio Prague International.Retrieved23 February2021.
- ^"Russia's OAK Poised to Acquire LET Kunovice".InvestIQ.1 September 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 5 October 2013.Retrieved22 February2012.
- ^"Aircraft Industries unveils next-generation Let L-410 turboprop aircraft in Czech Republic".Aerospace Technology.16 July 2015.Retrieved25 March2023.
- ^E. Howard, Courtney (8 March 2018)."Aircraft Industries launches New Generation aircraft".Retrieved25 March2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- "Central Intelligence Agency Information Report: Let Aircraft Plants at Kunovice".5 January 1955.Retrieved22 February2021.
- "Company Profile"(PDF).Let Aircraft Industries.November 2017. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 December 2019.Retrieved22 February2021.
External links
[edit]- Company website
- Company website(in Czech)