Postwar Letov projects

Here are some pictures of postwar Letov designs I described at http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5788.msg87405.html#msg87405. All from Nĕmeček's book.

As for the L-52 project, here is its three-view drawing attached. As well as the basic specifications:

Span: 12.5 m
Length: 12 m
Empty weight: 2214 kg
T/O weight: 5670 kg
Max. speed: 920 kph
Landing speed: 162 kph
Range: 1000 km
Engine: RR Nene I
Armament : two 30mm automatic cannon MK108 or two 20mm MG151 plus built-in launcher for 55mm folding fin rockets. 210mm rockets or two 250kg bombs under wings (or fuselage)

A training version (with RR Derwent) and night fighter two-seat variant were being contemplated either.

Best regards,
Piotr

A bit more on the Letov L-52 project - http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5787.0

Hi,


the Letov L-154 was the original designation to the Letov XLA-54,a tandem
two seat low-wing trainer aircraft.


http://www.pomnikyletcu.cz/clanky/atlas-letadel/letov-xla-54.html

From Ailes 6/4/1957,

it's first time to hear about Letov LK-1,maybe a Project ?,I know only LK-2 and LK-3.

Hi Hesham !
The LK-1 was actually built. However, this Letov design was from Yugoslavia and not from Czecho-Slovakia.
Some info:
4-seat sport
one 160hp JW-6-III (Walter Minor 6-III) piston engine
max. speed 119 mph, cruise 93 mph, icr 492ft/minute, ceiling 14,000ft, range 310 miles
wingspan 37.073ft; length 24.604ft; height 7.217ft
DETAILS: This high wing light 4-seater was an original design of Mr. Anton Kuhelj and initially planned as 2-seater, but during the design stage it was decided to make the LK-1 a 4-seater. The type was built by Letov Works in Ljublana and the first of 3 aircraft was flown on 5 January 1955. At a later stage a taller vertical tail was fitted. The LK-1s served with Yugoslav aero-clubs for many years.
PS: Other sources claim the aircraft were built by Aero Technicki Avod and also referred to as ATZ-55 (?)

Thank you my dear Walter,

but there was a Letov in Yugoslavia ?,of course I know V.55,but it also called LK-1 ?.

Dear Hesham!
The only V-55 from Yugoslavia I know is the Vajiç V-55

hesham said:

the Letov L-154 was the original designation to the Letov XLA-54,a tandem
two seat low-wing trainer aircraft.


http://www.pomnikyletcu.cz/clanky/atlas-letadel/letov-xla-54.html

Click to expand...

From L+K 6/1977,

there is an Info about L-154.

From L+K 1/1979,

the L-154 Project had two variants,one with motor M14 and the second had V12.

From JAWA 1969,

the Letov MK-1 Kocour.

hesham said:

...the Letov MK-1 Kocour.

Click to expand...

The Letov MK-1 Kocour (Tomcat) was flown ... in 1968 and powered by a 26 hp Trabant P60/61 two-stroke pusher.

From http://www.leteckemotory.cz/airshows/data/bvv1968/1968_21_0002.jpg

Hi,
Letov X-1
The project of a two-seater light aircraft L-11 began to emerge at the instigation of the Union for Cooperation with the Army in the mid-eighties of the last century. It was to be used as a replacement for the obsolete Zlín Z-126 Trainer and also as an operationally and cheaper variant of the training Zlín Z-142. Its original designation was the X-1 and was designed for basic training of airmen. It was to be followed by the X-2 project for continuing training and preparation of future military pilots for jet technology. Both levels of pre-war training were to be provided by Svazarm. (The then Czechoslovak paramilitary organization, which included all sports activities, the equivalent of the Soviet organization DOSAAF).

Of the whole ambitious plan, which was accompanied by a heated debate between sports pilots, manufacturers and officials, in the end, after many difficulties, only a prototype of the X-1 was created. It was designed and built in the company Letov and after a number of difficulties flew until May 22, 1997. However, the relatively successful construction was hampered by an unsuitable engine and poorly chosen propellers throughout the development and flight.

However, the final end of the project meant the collapse of the company Letov, a.s. and the consequent delimitation of her property. After several property transfers and various modifications, the kite of the L-11 aircraft fell into private hands and was later offered to the VHÚ collection. Thus, one of the last products of the once famous airline got into the museum's collections.

Due to the fact that it was an aircraft in very good condition, in addition, provided with a pleasing marking, it became a valuable proof of the direction of our aviation development and industry at the end of the twentieth century.

Continental 0-200-A 48 engine with an output of 73.6 kW (100 hp)

Span 9.5 m
Length 6.6 m
Weight of empty aircraft 440 kg
Max. take-off weight 670 kg
Max. speed 215 km / h

The X-1 flight was originally to be powered by a newly developed Czechoslovak M-60 engine, the development of which was stopped. The text of the article is translated from the VHÚ Prague website:http://www.vhu.cz/exhibit/letov-l-11/ Image source: L + K

The following may perhaps be of interest.

The enclosed illustration jumped out from the pages of an article on Czech aircraft manufacturing ("The Czechs Build Jets for Russia..." - pages 16+) published in the February 1951 issue of the American monthly magazine Flying. One of the two authors was none other than William Green. The second author was British aviation journalist and artist Roy Cross, best known for the artwork he did for airplane kits produced by Airfix during the 1960s.

A most interesting and intriguing airplane, the Letov L115 Delfin was said to be a two-seat radar-equipped night / all-weather fighter. The placement of the air intakes of its Second World War era, German-designed Junkers 004 turbojet engines was most original indeed. One has to wonder what happened, however, to the flow of air into the engines when the pilot pulled on the stick and raised the nose of the airplane. In turn, the placement of the crew, in the very nose, leaves one wondering where the antennae of the radar set were to be mounted. Perhaps the Czechs were planning to use a locally made version of a German radar set, with its so-called stag’s antlers array, or Hirschgeweih, a veritable forest of drag-inducing radar antennae.

If truth be told, and I do apologize for not saying so sooner, this pondering was pretty much irrelevant given that the Delfin, if it looked anything like the airplane in the magazine, never left the drawing board, provided of course that it ever existed at all. Indeed, it has been suggested that the civilian registration in the drawing, OK-APR, OK being the two letter registration code assigned to Czech civil airplanes, was meant as a joke. Even the name of its designer, V. Kabina, sounds odd. You see, in Czech, “v kabina” means something like “in the box” or “in the cabin”. So, was the information on the Delfin based on contradictory sources or was it all a joke? Were Green and Cross in on it? Was the magazine?

The Letov L115 Delfin has long been acknowledged as a fake, I think it already exists on the 'fake aircraft' thread elsewhere on this forum.

Apologies, I should have checked.

Yep, it's April Fool's Day joke. First published in Rozlet magazine, April 1947. There are several other April machines invented by the sneaky Czech publicists in the years after that were thought to be real by the Westerners.

Then this thread should be merged into the list of known fakes:

dan_inbox said:

Then this thread should be merged into the list of known fakes:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/fake-aircraft-and-aircraft-projects-blacklist.26358/

Click to expand...

This thread is about several genuine projects. A single post on a fake project has appeared, and it was immediately clarified.
So the thread must not be merged with the fake project blacklist.

agree. Post 15 and following only.

Hi,
Letov L-42 was intended to be a crew training aircraft or to carry 6-8 passengers. Study from 1960. Two Walter M-701 10.8 kN engines (these engines were developed for the Aero L-29), cruise speed 870 km/h.

V.Něměček. Československá letadla II and my speculative drawing