EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016: Warbirds - Aero L-39 Albatros

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience resumes our year-round coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, sponsored by Air Associates, with a month of May Warbirds.  The Midwest warbirds are coming out of winter season maintenance and are ready for a great year of public events.  We will get the month off to a fast start with some jet warbirds.  Our first example is the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros legacy model now flown by jet warbird owners.    

The most common model, the L-39C, was the principle jet trainer and light attack aircraft of the then Warsaw Pact Eastern European countries.  It was developed by the Czechoslovakian company Aero Vodochody as a successor to its own L-29 Delfin in the late 1960s.  The company has continued to flourish in the post Cold-War Era, and now produces the follow-on L-39NG, L-159, and major subassemblies for other aircraft manufacturers.  Current examples seen here are owned and operated by the Red Jet Foundation, the Warbird Heritage Foundation and private owners.