Aero Vodochody performed the maiden sortie of its updated L-39NG trainer from its Odolena Voda facility in the Czech Republic on 14 September.

Enhancements include a new Williams International FJ44-4M engine, Genesys Aerosystems avionics, and head-up displays from Speel Praha. The wings have also been modified, replacing the wing-tip fuel tanks on earlier generations of the Albatros with new composite structures.

Aero Vodochody

Company president Ladislav Šimek says the flight came just three weeks after it received the aircraft’s engine.

“By using the best available components, the integration of which culminates in this first flight, we have brought to the market an unprecedentedly effective type of aircraft, accessible to a broad spectrum of users,” he says.

Aero Vodochody

No details were available on the duration of the flight or any tests performed.

Aero Vodochody plans to demonstrate the L-39NG to NATO service chiefs at an event in Ostrava later this month.

Source: FlightGlobal.com