The sad history of the Czech aviation industry: a lesson for Ukraine. How light aircraft are made in the Czech Republic Order an aircraft in the Czech Republic

In the vicinity of Prague there is a very interesting museum called Letecké muzeum, in other words, an aviation museum. It is noteworthy that admission to it is free, and that almost all the exhibits look the way exhibits should look - well-groomed and restored. I won’t talk about how old military equipment is treated in Russia, I’ll just show a photo. Since there were a lot of pictures, I will have to break the story into two parts. Conventionally, the first will talk about aviation before 1950, the second - after that moment. In addition, information about some aircraft had to be collected from different sources, and sometimes almost piece by piece. The result was an almost encyclopedic article, which I spent two days on. If you are too lazy to read descriptions of aircraft, you can scroll through the text and just look at the photos. But for me personally, in the process of collecting information, it became more and more interesting, since some of the exhibits have quite rich history and rare origin. So, I hope this data will be useful to someone.

1. Two-seat trainer Morane Saulnier MS-230 ET-2, France, 1932. The aircraft, in addition to training, performed many other tasks, including communications, surveillance, shooting training, towing targets and gliders, as well as aerobatics . The model in the picture has serial number 1077. The exhibit was exchanged for another car from a French collector in 1988, and a major overhaul was carried out in 1998-1999

2. SPAD SVIIC.1, France. The first SPAD aircraft were not very successful. Until in May 1916, the single-seat SPAD S.VII fighter with a 150-horsepower Hispano-Suiza engine entered testing - the first truly successful fighter model. More than 3,500 vehicles of all modifications were produced in France alone, and about a hundred in Russia.

3. De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth Mk. II, Great Britain, 1931. Received quite wide distribution. In addition to Great Britain, it was produced in Canada, Norway, Portugal and Sweden; a total of 8,868 vehicles of various modifications were built. The aircraft was used by the Royal Air Force until 1952. After being written off, many copies were sold to flying clubs and individuals.

It is estimated that about 250 aircraft of this type have survived today. The aircraft pictured is serial number 4613 and was manufactured by Morris Motors Ltd and entered the RAF Reserve in 1944. From 1946 to 1968, the aircraft was used in a Dutch aviation school, and in 1971 it was sold to Germany to an aviation museum. The plane was in poor technical condition and was repaired in 1988 - 1990. Now, as you can see, it is part of the exhibition of the aviation museum in Prague.

4. Airplane Aero Ae-10, Czechoslovakia, 1919. Military training biplane, equipped with a Mercedes engine. Two students and a teacher boarded at the same time.

5. And this is no, not a plane at all. This little one is a trainer. The Link D.2 Trainer, also known as the "Blue box", was produced from the early 30s to the early 50s.

6. Such simulators became famous during World War II, when they were used as key experimental training simulators.

7. Noorduyn Harvard Mk. IIB, USA, 1937. Initially, these aircraft were intended for commercial transportation, and until 1940, only 17 of these aircraft were sold. But the second World War, as you know, gave many a start in life. After its start, large military orders followed.

8. An airplane with an almost native name - “Kukuruznik”. But he received this nickname later. And back in 1929, this was the PO-2 (U-2) training aircraft. During the war, by the way, it was used as a night bomber

9. Since we touched on the military topic: LI-2 military transport aircraft, USSR, 1942.

10. The LA-7 fighter, USSR 1943, was compactly located next to it.

12. Well, this plane hardly needs any introduction. IL-2M3 attack aircraft manufactured in 1942.

14. And his potential rival is the Messerschmitt Me.262 “Schwalbe” fighter. The world's first production jet aircraft.

15. Why potential? Because this model’s career never took off. He had every chance of erasing all the technical achievements of the Allies in one moment. In many respects, the new aircraft was superior to traditional aircraft. Its speed - more than 800 km/h - was 150-300 km/h higher than the speed of the fastest fighters.

16. But mass deliveries were still postponed. Hitler then considered that this model would be successful as a bomber. The Luftwaffe leadership disobeyed and continued the already taken technological line. When Hitler found out about this, a scandal broke out. As a result, the aircraft was again sent for revision. Until the very end of the war, these aircraft were not successful either as bombers or as fighters.

17. And this is Zlin Z-381, Czechoslovakia, 1945. A modernized version of the training aircraft from the Second World War
World War - Bucker BU.181A Bestmann.

18. Avia S-199 fighter (Czech version of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G / K), 1946. After the Second World War, there remained a large number of Messerschmitt Bf 109G airframes, and the Avia plant remanufactured them. The first flight of the Czechoslovakian version of the Messerschmitt took place on April 25, 1947. A total of 450 Avia S-199 fighters were produced in Czechoslovakia.

In April 1948, despite the UN ban on arms supplies to Palestine and even before the formation of the State of Israel, the Czechoslovak government sold 25 Avia S-199 aircraft to Israeli agents. The first Czechoslovak fighter arrived in Israel on May 20, 1948, and on May 29, Czechoslovak aircraft took part in combat for the first time. Israeli Avia S-199s were used to attack Arab troops; they shot down Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi aircraft in air battles, including those significantly superior in technical specifications English Spitfires.

The aircraft served in the Czechoslovak Air Force until they were replaced by MiG-15 fighters in the mid-50s. The Avia S-199 fighter shown in the photo was recreated in the first half of the 80s of the 20th century. A significant part of the airframe parts was taken from an aircraft scrapyard in the city of Olomouc, the other part - from an aircraft with serial number 178. The aircraft has a military livery and markings training center 50s of the last century.

19. Another rework. A two-seat version of the Avia S-199, a single-engine piston low-wing fighter that was in service with the Czechoslovakian and Israeli Air Forces after World War II. Used as a fighter
fighter-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft. It is a post-war modification of the Messerschmitt Bf.109,
developed in Czechoslovakia.

The plane shown in the photo with serial number 565 was discovered in 1966 in a schoolyard, in 1967 - 1968 it underwent a major overhaul at the Avia company, and since 1972 has been in the collection of the aviation museum in Prague. The coloring and identification marks of the vehicle correspond to those used in the late 40s - early 50s on vehicles of the Military Aviation Academy in Moravia. Apart from the Avia CS-199 manufactured in Czechoslovakia after World War II, there are no other copies of the Messerschmitt Bf.109G-12 preserved in the world.

20. ZK Kubat is not an Icarus wing at all. Although, against the backdrop of all these formidable combat vehicles, this design looks a little unusual. But, as it turned out, its pilots had no less heroism than those who flew fighters and participated in air battles. Unfortunately, Google has practically no information about this aircraft development. From what I was able to find out outside the search engines, it became clear that the device was popular among amateurs and athletes during the Nazi occupation in 1941-1942. Such flights were prohibited and severely punished, however, as you can see, this did not stop those who liked to soar above the ground.

21. Avia Ba-122 - another sports aircraft, Czechoslovakia, 1936. In the 1930s, one of the best aircraft for aerobatics. It was a new vehicle in almost every respect, although it was developed on the basis of the BH-22. The B.122 successfully showed itself in aerobatics competitions. The team of three famous pilots finished second and third in a competition held concurrently with the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

22. Letov LF-107 Lunak, a Czech aerobatic glider, has a good reputation for its aerobatic performance. The first flight of the prototype took place on June 25, 1948. Serial production was never put into production; the plant was reoriented to the production of MiG-15, MiG-19 and MiG-21F. Thus, only 75 cars of this model were produced. Lunak gliders were very popular in Czechoslovakia because... allowed to perform a full range of aerobatic maneuvers. They were called "fighters without an engine." According to some reports, nine such aircraft are still flying.

23. Mraz M-1C Sokol. This aircraft was designed by the famous aircraft designer Zdenek Rublic during the years of the German occupation of Slovakia and put into mass production in 1946. In fact, it was a development of the Mraz Zobor light trainer aircraft, developed in 1941. The seemingly dissonant name reads like “Mrazh”.

The plane made several long-distance flights, in particular the trans-African Prague-Cape Town in 1947 and the non-stop Brno-Altai (4765 km), during which a distance record was set for aircraft weighing up to 1000 kg. "Falcons" were exported, not only to socialist countries, but also to Great Britain, France and Finland.

24. Amphibious aircraft Saunders Roe A.19 Cloud, Great Britain 1930. Although it now stands sadly without wings, it still impresses with its size.

25. Another giant is the Aero C-3a military transport aircraft (Czech version of the German Siebel Si 204). In Czechoslovakia, no entire aircraft of the Aero C-3 type have survived. Since 1976, the Aviation Museum has been collecting individual surviving parts of aircraft of this type, and in 2000 it discovered a relatively well-preserved SNCAC NC-702 Martinet airframe in France. Only after this did it become possible to reconstruct the Aero C-3A aircraft of a military modification, which is shown in the photo. It was completed in 2004.

26. The exhibition of Czech aircraft technology deserves special attention.

Aero A-12, Czechoslovakia, 1923. Originally designed as a reconnaissance biplane. The wing frame was made of wood, the fuselage was welded from pipes. The flight characteristics of the A-12 were very good, the car was controllable, stable and quite fast. The plane in the photo is a replica with the original engine and propeller.

Six A-12s took part in the race in 1924, where they won first and second places in categories A and B and the first three places in category C. The A-12 set a number of international and national records in 1924, mainly in speeds with load at ranges of 100 and 200 km.

27. Letov S-20, Czechoslovakia, 1925. This fighter was developed by engineer Alois Smolek in 1925. It was a biplane equipped with a Skoda HS 8 Fb engine with 300 hp. and armed with two 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns. After successful testing, the Czechoslovak Air Force ordered 105 S.20s. In addition, 10 more vehicles were purchased by the Lithuanian Air Force. The photo shows the only surviving specimen in the world.

28. Aero Ab-11. The A.11 was built in Czechoslovakia between the First and Second World Wars. The main design feature of the A.11 was the ability to install various types engine without significant structural modifications. This was one of the reasons for the many years of successful use of aircraft of this type. In total, there were at least 22 variants of the car.

The A.11 was a maneuverable, robust and reliable aircraft. Thanks to these qualities, it was produced in large quantities, for those times. In total, more than 440 cars were built in different versions. The A.11 set a number of records, including the Czech record for flight duration (13 hours 15 minutes), set on September 13, 1925. At the same time, Aero A.11 took three first places in the competition for the Aviation Prize of the President of the Czech Republic.

In 1926, A.11 made a demonstration flight of 15,000 km in twenty-three countries in Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor. And in 1927, the A.11, built for Finland, controlled by the Aego pilot Novak, made a loop 225 times within 45 minutes. The modification "Ab-11" designated a bomber.

29. So the Czech pilots, apparently, rested in between setting new flight records.

30. Aero A-18C, Czechoslovakia, 1924. This biplane fighter was designed in the 20s. Aero A-18C -
a specially modified racing version, participated in competitions of the Czech Aero Club. It would seem to be small, but it reached speeds of up to 275 km/h.

31. Aero Ap-32. Design of the A-32 began in 1925, that is, shortly after the end of the First World War, which left its mark on the appearance of the aircraft. In 1928, the A-32 was officially adopted by the Czechoslovak Air Force.

The Germans, who occupied part of Czechoslovakia during World War II, received several of these reconnaissance aircraft. Without hesitation, they quickly disposed of the ancient biplanes as unfit for use. Five A-32s went to the Slovak Air Force in 1939. They became part of the 12 letka and continued to be used as training aircraft. Three of them were destroyed on March 24 during a Hungarian air raid on the Ves airfield. The Finns behaved completely differently. The Finnish purchasing commission liked the A-32 and in 1929 they placed an order for 16 aircraft.

32. Letov S-218. Czechoslovakia, 1926. This is a modernized Letov S-18, ready to receive a new one serial number resulted in a complete reconstruction of the fuselage. Soon the Finnish Air Force became interested in this model. In 1930-1931, the Finns received the first batch of 10 such aircraft. Soon several dozen more aircraft were built in Finland under license. One of these is kept in the Finnish Aviation Museum in Vantaa.

33. Aero Ae-45, Czechoslovakia, 1947. One of the first Czech aircraft built after the Second
World War. The Aero 45 prototype made its first flight in July 1947. Production aircraft for the first time
was shown to the public in Great Britain in 1949, where the car, which reached a speed of 262 km/h, won a prize
Norton-Griffiths.

The Ae-45 won the gold medal for being the first to cross the Sahara Desert. This model
fully equipped with the necessary radio equipment, measuring and navigation instruments, was
It is also suitable for night flights. In ordinary life, the aircraft was used for civilian purposes, such as
as transportation of victims, or simply as an air taxi.

34. Letov S-2, one might say, is the first stone in the foundation of the Czech aircraft industry. The S.A., soon renamed Sm-1 ("Smolik"), was an all-wooden biplane. The aircraft was armed with machine guns: the first pilot had a stationary synchronized Vickers machine gun, and the observer had a mobile twin Lewis machine gun.

The observer also had a camera and a radiotelegraph. The Sm-1 was mainly used as a reconnaissance and light
bomber - it could carry two 50 kg bombs and 12 10 kg bombs. Despite its shortcomings, "Smolik" for
The fledgling Czechoslovakian aviation industry was of vital importance. He was proof
that Czechoslovakia is able to independently provide itself with aircraft and not depend on supplies from France.
The S-2 was the first Czechoslovakian military aircraft to fly abroad.

35. Aero A-10, Czechoslovakia, 1922. This is one of the first aircraft of Aero Tovarna's own design
Letadel Dr Kabes. And besides, this six-seat biplane became famous as the first commercial aircraft,
built in Czechoslovakia.

36. Despite its angular shape, the fuselage housed a comfortable cabin for five passengers, with a luggage compartment behind it. Power point consisted of six-cylinder in-line Maybach engines, a large number of which were left by the Germans in Czechoslovakia at the end of the First World War.

38. War is war, but it gave new impetus to the development of aircraft manufacturing. And the Soviet one, too.

On the right is the MiG-19 (1953), on the left is the Yak-23. The Yak-23 was not widely used in the Soviet Union. Poland became one of the largest foreign owners of the Yak-23. There were also plans to produce the Yak-23 in Czechoslovakia at the Rude Letov enterprise, but they remained unrealized. The volumes of deliveries of these aircraft from the USSR were small. The first 12 aircraft arrived in containers at Mlada airfield at the end of the 1950s, and subsequently nine more fighters of this type were added.

39. MiG-15UTI-P, Soviet two-seat jet trainer aircraft, created on the basis of the MiG-15 fighter. Developed in the late 40s. Wikipedia says that the training MiG-15 with the letter “P” was of two types, “ST-7” and “ST-8”. The first project was intended to train radar operators and interceptor pilots. For this
converted two production MiGs, one of which crashed in 1953. Ultimately, the tests were completed with unsatisfactory results.

Within the framework of the second project, only one aircraft was developed; it was tested in 1955. But the project also did not receive development. If this is so, and the signature under the exhibit is true, then the photo shows a very rare specimen.

40. He's on the right. On the left is the MiG-17F.

41. Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 “Meteor” (England, 1944) - the only Allied jet fighter to take part in the Second World War. The first combat flight of Meteor fighters took place on July 27, 1944, and the first cruise missile was destroyed by pilots of the 616th Squadron on August 4. In total, Meteors destroyed 14 V-1s during the war. Since April 1945 the British jet fighters participated in combat operations in continental Europe, but they did not conduct a single air battle with German Me 262 jets. Meteors did not take part in attacks on German piston aircraft. They were only engaged in attacking ground targets.

By the way, the first air enemy of the British fighters was the Soviet MiG-15 in the skies of Korea. In total, about 4 thousand aircraft of all modifications were built. Quite a few Meteors have survived to this day.

The Gloster Meteor F. Mk.8 shown here, serial number EG247, was produced by the Avions Fairey Company from components supplied by the Gloster Company. It was in service with the 1st Fighter Wing of the Belgian Air Force and later served as a target tug. The aircraft was sold in 1965, and five years later its owner, J. Leemans, donated it to the Belgian Aviation Museum in Brussels. The car was then used several times for advertising purposes and as a source of spare parts for the restoration of other aircraft. In March 1989, the Czech Aviation Museum acquired it through an exchange. The aircraft was refurbished in 1992, and in 1998 it was equipped with weapons and liveries from its service with the 4th Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing based at Bevekom Air Base. The last repair of the Gloster Meteor F. Mk.8 fighter was carried out in 2009.

42. Lockheed T-33 T-Bird, a two-seat aircraft designed to transition pilots from propeller-driven aircraft to jet aircraft.

43. I will end this part with, perhaps, an unusual model. This is a Mignet HM-14 Pou du ciel.

In the early 30s, designer Henri Minier began developing his brainchild, the Flying Flea (Pou du ciel) aircraft. Its main concepts were described in the so-called “Minier formula”. Final version- HM-14 Pou du ciel took off on September 10, 1933. The aircraft was equipped with a 25 hp Aubier et Dunne motorcycle engine. The HM-14 was almost certainly the first airplane that almost any hobbyist could build. It cost about $350 to assemble.

Soon, in many European countries, especially in France, the USSR, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and Great Britain, dozens of aviation enthusiasts began building their own aircraft. But after a series of disasters in France, a ban was imposed on the construction and operation of the Flea.

Today, the furniture factory, repurposed by Henri Mignet into an aircraft manufacturing enterprise, produces both finished aircraft and kits with a tandem design under the Mignet brand. Aircraft model markings begin with the HM index. Over the years, enthusiasts have continued to build their own aircraft by modifying the original design. French amateurs hold annual competitions in June each year.

In the second part I will try to talk about aircraft of post-war design. I will also include instructions on how to get to the museum.

At first, they were not interested in the Aero company, and the Czechs calmly completed the last 4 MB-200s and 14 Aero A-304s, which were transferred to the German side. Soon, the Air Force attache arrived at the enterprise from Berlin and German types of aircraft began to be put into production. They started small - in the Aero workshops they began to assemble Bucker Bu-131 training two-seat biplanes intended for flight schools. They were produced until 1940 and only 200 were produced. In addition, from May 1940 to November 1940, the Czech company also produced 45 B-71 air target towing aircraft and 10 B-71B glider towing aircraft for the Luftwaffe. Let me remind you that this car was actually a Soviet high-speed bomber SB-2, which the Czechs produced under license.

Having assessed the performance of the Czech side, the Luftwaffe ordered another extremely useful vehicle - the recently launched tactical reconnaissance aircraft Focke Wulf Fw.189. They were produced for almost twelve months, delivering 337 Rams to the customer by the end of 1942. Starting next year, Aero was given new tasks - to put into production the auxiliary twin-engine Siebel Si.204D. The work was carried out at an accelerated pace and before the end of the war they managed to transfer 553 of these machines to the German Air Force. At the same time, a total of 1007 Siebels were produced in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia at the Aero, ČKD-Prague and Walter factories, and the fuselages for all of them were assembled in the Aero workshops (before the end of the war, 1023 fuselages were produced). To this must be added 49 overhauled Bucker Bu-131 aircraft and 15 modernized Aero A-304.

In total, during the war years, the number of Aero employees grew from 1,200 to 8,000. Since mid-1943, the Czechs have been talking about “forced” labor, and since 1944, the Germans have introduced a 12-hour working day for them with one “sliding” day off per week. However, the Czechs themselves note the positive aspects of working for the Germans: improved organization of work and technical equipment of production, the introduction of some new technologies. I will add that in addition to this, the Czechs “inherited” a couple of quite good models aircraft (Bucker Bu-131, Siebel Si.204D), which they produced after the war for their own needs. Aero's fruitful work for the German Luftwaffe ended only on March 25, 1945 (!), when 50 Allied heavy bombers destroyed the company's assembly shops, destroying 50 almost finished Siebels on the stocks.

1. The museum was founded in 1968 on the territory of the historical military airfield in Prague - Kbely. It was the first Czechoslovak air base, established in 1918. The museum currently has 275 aircraft in its collection.

2. This is what the pilots of airplanes with an open cockpit looked like

3. Airplane Morane Saulnier MS-230 ET-2, France, 1932

4. Wood glued multi-layer screw, leading edge reinforced with metal

5. Airplane Avia Ba-122, Czechoslovakia, 1936. Aerobatic aircraft, multiple winner of various air shows

6. Czechoslovakian pilots from the First Republic between flights. In the hands, of course.

7. SPAD S-VIIC.1 fighter, France, 1916. A large number of these aircraft were purchased in France after the end of the 1st World War.

8. Airplane Ae-10, Czechoslovakia, 1919. Aircraft mechanic at work.

9. Airplane Avia Bk-11, Czechoslovakia, 1923

10. De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth Mk. II, Great Britain, 1931

11. The wing of a historical aircraft that flew from Prague to Beijing in the 1920s.

12. Military transport aircraft LI-2, USSR, 1942, slightly modified American aircraft Douglas DC-3.

13. Training aircraft PO-2 (U-2) “Kukuruznik”, USSR 1929. During the war it was used as a night bomber.

14. LA-7 fighter, USSR 1943

15. IL-2M3 attack aircraft, USSR 1942

17. Attack aircraft AVIA B-33 (IL-10 BEAST), Czechoslovakia 1951

18. Aero C-3a military transport aircraft (Czech version of the German Siebel Si 204).

21. Avia S-199 fighter (Czech version of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G / K), 1946. After the 2nd World War, a large number of Messerschmitt Bf 109G airframes remained on the territory of Czechoslovakia, and the Avia plant reprocessed them to install the Junkers Jumo 211D engine .

24. The Messerschmitt Me.262 "Schwalbe" fighter was the world's first production jet aircraft, and the world's first jet aircraft to participate in combat operations. It continued to be produced under the Avia S-92 and Avia CS-92 brands after the war in Czechoslovakia. The production of these aircraft became possible due to the fact that at the end of the war the Czech industry produced a full range of fighter components, including its BMW and Jumo engines, although I didn’t assemble the plane. On August 27, 1946, the first flight of the Czech S-92 took place.

L-610 - swan song Czech aviation industry...

Trying to convince fans of European integration in Ukraine, we see, is useless. Logical arguments based on scientific analysis do not work on them. Because for them, Europe is a kind of fetish: everything is fine there, everything is ideal, and all the problems of Ukraine will be miraculously solved as soon as we are there too. And Petro Poroshenko, on the day of his inauguration, generally stated that “Ukraine’s European choice is the heart of our national ideal.”

Many people here like to rant about high technologies that will supposedly flow to us from Europe along with the Gulf Stream of coveted investments. They remember our pride - the aircraft industry and the rocket and space industry.

But here's the problem. We have before us the example of the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe - the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, in which, after the collapse of socialism and joining the “family of European nations,” the once developed aircraft industry fell into a noticeable decline. Because it flourished with abundant orders from the USSR, and in Europe its large-scale high-tech products turned out to be simply unnecessary - well, except for light sports airplanes and gliders that are produced by small companies; Yes, in addition, there are also components for Western companies.

So we have every reason to believe that our glorious aviation industry, already barely making ends meet, will have a long life after the forced break with Russia and possible entry into Europe. And as a concrete example for our edification, we will cite the Czech Republic - a country with long and noble industrial traditions.

Albatrosses were left without wings

In Czechoslovakia, the aviation industry began, one might say, at the very dawn of aviation. Thus, Avia, a well-known company between the world wars, was founded in 1919. Its pre-war fighter Avia B.534, by the way, is considered by some experts to be the pinnacle of the development of biplane fighters. Aero Vodochody, located in Prague's Vodochody district, is just as old (1919).

During the war, the Germans concentrated large facilities on the territory of Czechoslovakia, supplying aircraft equipment for the Luftwaffe. After the defeat of fascism, the Czechs continued to produce German aircraft for some time, then moved on to licensed production of such outstanding Soviet aircraft as the Il-10, MiG-15, and MiG-21.

L-39 Albatros

L-29 Delfin

The Albatross became the standard training aircraft in all Warsaw Pact countries except Poland in the 1970s. The Poles, proud of their aviation industry, preferred their own PZL TS-11 Iskra trainer. However, the main buyer of the L-39, naturally, was the Soviet Union - the Air Force and DOSAAF purchased 2 thousand of such devices! Many of these machines, inherited from the USSR, are now used by the Ukrainian Air Force.

After the fall iron curtain, in 1990, one L-39 arrived in England for the Battle of Britain anniversary show, where it created a real sensation. In principle, this aircraft is technologically inferior to modern Western training aircraft, in particular the modernized British Hawks, but it is very attractive to poor third world countries due to its low price and simplicity. In the 90s, the Czechs tried to improve their famous car, proposing a new version equipped with a Western engine and avionics - the L-139 Albatros 2000. However, things never went further than the construction of a single prototype, which took off in 1993. At the JPATS competition, announced jointly by the US Air Force and the US Navy, it lost to the American turboprop trainer Beech T-6 Texan II.

Perhaps the only major export success of Aero in the post-socialist period can be considered the delivery of 40 modernized L-39ZA/ART to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1993–1997. In addition, the Czechs also implemented old orders for the L-39 from Algeria and Egypt.

IN Russian Federation L-39 aircraft still remain in service, but their fleet is steadily declining, incl. and because since the beginning of the 90s the Czechs have been creating problems with the supply of spare parts. The L-39 will be replaced by the Russian Yak-130 trainer, which recently began entering service. This is an excellent new generation combat training aircraft, supersonic, equipped with the latest technology. And at the same time, it is relatively cheap in comparison with similar Western training equipment (in 2011, the Yak-130 cost $15 million versus $21 million for the South Korean KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and more than $25 million for the Hawk or Italian AleniaAermacchi M-346 Master).

However, the biggest fiasco for Aero was the Aero L-159 ALCA light multi-role attack aircraft project. This single-seat aircraft (there is also a two-seat version) was created starting in 1993 on the basis of the proven L-39/L-59. Boeing specialists also took part in the work (the company initially had a 35% participation in the project). The new plane turned out to be excellent, according to experts. It received modern on-board equipment of NATO standards (including radar and GPS navigation system), manufactured by leading Western companies.

However, only 72 vehicles were built - ordered by the Air Force. Czech Republic. Their deliveries began in 1999, and already in 2003, when the order was completed, there was a major reduction in the Czech armed forces. To date, about half of the L-159 aircraft have been withdrawn from combat units and placed in storage. The manufacturer tried unsuccessfully to promote its product to foreign markets. L-159 aircraft were offered, in particular, to Venezuela and Greece. As far as we know, it has not yet been possible to sell even the vehicles that have become unnecessary for the Czech Air Force.

The reason for the failure is obvious. The needs of the small Czech Air Force are too small to organize full-fledged mass production, NATO allies do not need Czech aircraft (they have their own!), and the country has closed the Russian market for itself. On the other hand, the Czech Republic itself closed itself to products of the Russian military-industrial complex, switching to the acquisition of Western military equipment instead of Soviet-made equipment.

As for promotion to the markets of third world countries, the past success of the L-29 and L-39 there was largely due, again, to the support of the USSR. And the point is not only that the Soviet Union could “strongly recommend” this or that weapon system to its African and Asian allies. Another thing is important: in order for the world to become interested in an aircraft (tank, armored personnel carrier, missile, etc.), this model of military equipment must undergo successful operation and combat use in armed forces large and reputable states (Russia, USA, France, Britain, etc.). The acquisition of military equipment by such a state is the best advertisement for it. Therefore, it is important for the Ukrainian military-industrial complex to supply its products to Russia, and on this basis it would be possible to enter the markets of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The Aero company now survives mainly by producing components for aircraft in other countries: for Boeing, Airbus and the Brazilian company EMBRAER airliners; gun ports for F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, etc. Such activities, of course, also have the right to exist, and the company can find such a market niche. But stopping the creation of our own aircraft means the loss of the national design school...

Without Aeroflot - nowhere!

Another epoch-making Czechoslovak aircraft was once well known to Soviet citizens. We are talking about a twin-engine turboprop on a passenger plane for local airlines Let L-410 Turbolet from Let Kunovice (Kunovice is a town in the vicinity of Uherské Hradiště on the border with Slovakia). By 1997, about 1,000 aircraft of this type were produced, of which Aeroflot acquired up to half. Their production ceased in 1997.

L-410 Turbolet

These reliable machines still fly today, having moved into the aviation fleets of small airlines, including Ukrainian ones. In addition, about 50 L-410s entered the army at one time different countries– were used as light transport, communications, training and even reconnaissance vehicles. One of the largest military operators of the L-410 was again the Soviet Air Force.

In the 90s, demand for products fell sharply, and the pace of L-410 assembly decreased from 50 vehicles per year to 2–5. In 2005, Let was renamed LET Aircraft Industries and attempted to relaunch the L-410, offering the L-410UVP-E20 and L-420 variants. Their customers were a number of “old” operators and South American airlines, but the Czechs could not even dream of the previous sales volumes!

The situation improved slightly after in 2008, 51% of the company’s shares were bought by Russians - OJSC Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). Moreover, in 2013, UMMC acquired the remaining stake, becoming the sole owner of the Let company. In 2010–2012, the production rate increased slightly – to 8–10, and now the plan is to increase it to 16–18 aircraft per year. However, it’s also not so hot...

In the 1980s, the Let company designed, based on the L-410 (its usual capacity is 15 passengers), a much larger and more powerful L-610 - 40 seats, with a pressurized passenger cabin (first flight - 1988). It could have replaced the old regional airliners like the An-24, but the coming era of the collapse of the USSR and military-political and economic associations (Warsaw Pact Organization, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) put an end to the career of the promising machine. Sales turned out to be sluggish and sporadic; Thus, the Czech Air Force acquired only one L-610, and it was decommissioned in 2007.

In the east of the Czech Republic, in Moravia, in the city of Zlin (at one time it was called Gottwaldov) there is still a company called Zlin Aircraft (also known as “Moravan”). It specializes in the construction of light aircraft, of which it has produced more than 5,000 since 1934. Interestingly, her Zlin Z-326 and Z-526 were portrayed by Messerschmitts in the film epic “Liberation” and the film “Only Old Men Go to Battle.” And its production volumes have fallen sharply since the early 90s, when the state-owned enterprise was transformed into a joint stock company. During all this time, no more than 200 cars were produced.

In general, for the Czech aircraft industry, the country’s accession to Europe did not create a new market - but the old one was lost forever...

Because we are “out there” – strangers and competitors

Advocates of European integration argue in the following spirit: they say, after integration into Europe, our industrial producers will restructure and switch to European standards, will improve the quality of products and then they will become competitive in the West.

You have to be an incredibly naive person to believe in fairy tales about a free market, where competitiveness is supposedly determined only by the quality of products at an affordable price.

Indeed, in a number of high-tech industries, Ukraine today, after more than 20 years of collapse and degradation, is still capable of producing worthy products that are not inferior to their Western counterparts, and at the same time cheaper. The trouble is that their access to Western markets will be blocked by hook or by crook by local monopolies, using lobbies in parliaments and ministries and many other, not market-based, competitive levers. This is especially true for the military-industrial complex, with which almost all high-tech production is associated.

We remember how Ukraine’s attempts to interest European countries NATO long-suffering An-70. The Europeans, however, chose to launch a program to create their own Airbus Military A400M and intend to see it through to completion, despite the considerable problems that have arisen that have delayed the adoption of this military transport aircraft for many years. But our An-70 is no worse. And if mass production were established, it would cost half as much!

Therefore, whatever one may say, it would be possible to save the An-70 only if this aircraft began to be delivered in large quantities to Russia. However, after all the changes that have happened and are currently occurring in Ukraine in its relations with Moscow, such a possibility now seems close to zero, so the Ukrainian An-70 will apparently be put to rest.

And here is another fresh and striking example from the relationship between the Western allied states themselves. In the 2000s, the US Air Force announced the KC-X competition for a new refueling aircraft to replace the well-used Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (since the 50s). Two cars entered the fight for the contract. The first: the Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport), which received the military designation KC-30 in the States, presented jointly by the European concern EADS and the American company Northrop Grumman. Its rival was the KC-46, created on the basis of the Boeing 767-200 airliner.

The competition turned out to be scandalous. In 2008, the US Air Force chose the “European”, but the result was disputed by Boeing and a number of high-ranking US politicians. As a result, everything was replayed in favor of the KC-46, and now it should enter service. Although in comparative tests the KC-30 demonstrated superiority over its competitor. For example, in the “truck” configuration, it is capable of transporting 32 standard 463L pallets versus 19 in the case of its rival.

So what do you think: will the An-70 be able to displace the Aurbus concern’s product in Europe or the new Lockheed Marnin C-130J Super Hercules turboprop transporter in the United States? The question, as is usually said in such cases, is rhetorical.