Aircraft Industries, a.s.,[1] operating as Let, is a Czech (before December 1992 Czechoslovak) civil aircraft manufacturer. Its most successful design has been the L-410 Turbolet, of which more than 1300 units have been built.[2] Its head office is in Kunovice, Zlín Region.[1] Let was owned by the Russian company UGMK from 2008 to 2022,[3] when it was acquired by Czech-based Omnipol Group.[4]

Let
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1936
Headquarters,
ProductsLight aircraft, gliders, airliners
Revenue2,266,417,000 Czech koruna (2020) Edit this on Wikidata
340,900,000 Czech koruna (2020) Edit this on Wikidata
271,024,000 Czech koruna (2020) Edit this on Wikidata
Total assets3,068,497,000 Czech koruna (2020) Edit this on Wikidata
OwnerOmnipol
Number of employees
1,085 (2020) Edit this on Wikidata
Parent
Websitewww.let.cz

The company operates the sixth largest Czech airport and a private secondary school.

History

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Aero 145 at CIAF airshow in Hradec Králové
 
Let L-610 in Kunovice museum

Building of an aircraft factory in Kunovice started in 1936, as a part of the Škoda Works industrial concern.[5] Before and during World War II the 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 named SPP (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 trainers Yakovlev Yak-11 (under a designation C-11) and the Aero Ae 45 and Aero Ae 145 utility aircraft.

In 1957 the company began to develop the L-200 Morava light utility aircraft and four years later the Z-37 Cmelak agricultural 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 Blaník and L-33 Solo.

During the 1960s Let's engineers developed a 19-seat commuter turboprop, the L-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, the Let 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-metal Blaník sailplane was 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 the L23 Super Blaník variant.

The company explored the possibility of a joint venture with Fairchild Aircraft in the 1990s, but eventually decided against it.[8] However, it was later purchased by Ayres Corporation in 1998.[9] In 2001, it merged with Morovan Aeroplanes.[10] Following bankruptcy, it was purchased by Aircraft Industries in 2005.[11]

The Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UGMK) purchased 51% of the company's shares was in 2008; UAC had 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 the Prague-based company, Omnipol Group.[4]

Products

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Powered aircraft

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Let L-410 NG
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 1963 Smaragd (Emerald) jetliner project

Gliders

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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

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "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"
  2. ^ "L 410 UVP-E20 – Základní charakteristika". Let.cz (in Czech). Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Russian army to possibly place order for aircraft with Czech manufacturer", BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 5 November 2012. (Retrieved via Lexis Nexis)
  4. ^ a b c Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Czech firm acquires L-410 manufacturer Aircraft Industries from Russian owners". Flight Global. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Big structural parts machined faster". Aerospace Manufacturing and Design. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  6. ^ Stoffels, Felix (11 September 2019). "The L-610 shall rise from the dead". Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  7. ^ Valiska, Josef (9 August 2004). "Zmizi znacka Czech Made z oblohy?". Technik (in Czech). Archived from the original on 3 May 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Fairchild and Let drop joint venture plans". Flight Global. 25 April 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  9. ^ Thurston, Scott (18 August 1998). "Ayres Soars into Europe on Czech Purchase". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D2. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  10. ^ "[Untitled]". Blanik America. 23 August 2001. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  11. ^ Horáková, Pavla (27 June 2005). "Aircraft Industries to buy bankrupt Letecke zavody Kunovice". Radio Prague International. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Russia's OAK Poised to Acquire LET Kunovice". InvestIQ. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Aircraft Industries unveils next-generation Let L-410 turboprop aircraft in Czech Republic". Aerospace Technology. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  14. ^ E. Howard, Courtney (8 March 2018). "Aircraft Industries launches New Generation aircraft". Retrieved 25 March 2024.

Bibliography

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