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45-579: Aero Vodochody (commonly referred to as Aero ) is a Czech aircraft company. Its main production facilities are located at Vodochody Airport in the Prague-East District , on the municipal territories of Vodochody and Odolena Voda . During the Cold War era, the firm was well known for its range of jet-powered trainer aircraft , the L-29 Delfin and L-39 Albatros . It also developed derivatives of

90-437: A solenoid to pull arming wires from fuzes, ports for data, video or electrical fuzing. The MIL-STD-1760 aircraft/store electrical interconnection system defines a standardized electrical interface between a military aircraft and its carriage stores. The term "rack" is also being used to refer to some support structures. In popular culture, "racks" usually refer to bomb racks or racks mounting bombs which covers everything from

135-503: A T-bar called an internal T-shaped hanger or resemble a horseshoe called an external U-shaped shoe . Ambiguously, hangers are also often referred to as lugs or hooks. The majority of launchers can also be referred to as rail launchers because of the use of external rail flanges, a guide for the missile suspension hangers during firing. Aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom II , the F-18 , and

180-724: A disruptive period of business, having lost a major portion of the market for its jet trainers. Sales noticeably declined during the 1990s in Eastern Europe as well as in NATO countries as a result of the peace dividend . Between 1998 and 2004, Aero Vodochody was controlled by the American aerospace company Boeing . During October 2006, the company was privatised once again, being bought by Czech-Slovak investment group Penta Investments for roughly 3 billion CZK . Aero Vodochody continues to manufacture both whole aircraft and aerostructures for

225-423: A feature found on all naval aircraft in case an engine or catapult fails during launch; in such cases, a pilot can press the "panic button", and jettison all stores, reducing weight and hopefully allowing the aircraft to avoid hitting the sea, and to climb away to decide on further action. Land-based aircraft often have a similar feature, for similar reasons, although the situation is generally not quite as critical as

270-479: A general aeronautic term referring to usage of fuel like wet thrust . The term wet is also carried over to the adapters, such as a pylon. Wing stations require pylons to carry objects. Stations on the fuselage may not necessarily require a pylon, such as the fuselage stations on the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle , while other aircraft need pylons for certain stations in order to provide clearance for

315-486: A modular bay to mount other adaptors and carry a wider variety of stores. These adaptors can be bomb racks , launchers or other types of support structures each with their own provisions for mounting all other assemblies. Racks carry, arm, and release stores. Racks are either part of, or can be inserted into, the modular bay of a support structure such as a pylon. A rack can mount a store or another piece of suspension equipment, for example, numerous bombs being mounted onto

360-460: A purpose-built target tug variant, the L-39V, conducted its initial flight. During 1975, the first L-39ZO training/light combat model, which was equipped with four underwing hardpoints as well as a strengthened wing and modified landing gear, performed its first flight. In 1977, the first L-39ZA light combat variant, which was fitted with a single Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 cannon mounted underneath

405-483: A single pylon, such as was done on F-105 Thunderchief missions over Vietnam, or the large external pylons on the B-52 Stratofortress, which can carry 12 unguided bombs in four triple ejector racks mounted to a single pylon. Alternatively, using the same pylon, but different racks and adapters, 9 air-launched cruise missiles can be carried. Using modular racks and universal adapters makes it much easier to configure

450-409: A store via gravity or by ejection. Ejection uses an impulse cartridge, a pyrotechnic device which provides jettison capability by igniting and supplying an ejection force to safely propel a store away from the rack and aircraft. Some racks contain an auxiliary cartridge in the event that the primary cartridges fail to fire. The rack will also have accessories such as a zero retention force arming unit ,

495-501: A substantial proportion of the total aircraft manufactured had been historically sold to; allegations about Czechoslovak banks being unable to finance the defense industry and inaction on the part of the Czechoslovak government; and concerns over the quality of manufacturing standards. During 1996, production of the L-39 was terminated. Aero Vodochody has developed several improved variants of

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540-416: A support structure to its associated racks. A Multiple Ejector Rack (MER) usually refers to a support structure which enables the carriage of six stores. A Triple Ejector Rack (TER) refers to a support structure which enables the carriage of three stores. Guided missile launchers provide the mechanical and electrical means of suspending and air-launching a guided missile from an aircraft. The housing assembly

585-437: Is being carried; hence, it is an adaptor. The use of a pylon is necessary to clear the carriage item of control surfaces as well as prevent undesired disturbance of the flow of air toward the wing. Pylons are usually designed to be aerodynamic to reduce air resistance (drag). There are many different forms, sizes and designs of pylons distinctly termed accordingly like a wedge adaptor or stub wing pylon . Stealth aircraft like

630-403: Is fully extended. This restricts the aircraft to subsonic flight only while these pylons are fitted, usually fitted with fuel tanks during ferry flights. The pylons are automatically jettisoned if the wing sweep moves past 26 degrees, which would mean that the aircraft is accelerating towards transonic speeds. Stations may be numbered for reference or not at all ( F-4 Phantom II ). The numbering

675-605: Is held by Czech company OMNIPOL a.s. The sale also included Vodochody Airport. Vodochody Airport Vodochody Airport ( IATA : VOD , ICAO : LKVO ), also known as Aero Airport , is a private general aviation airport located in Vodochody in the Czech Republic . It is also the home to Aero Vodochody , a Czech aerospace company. The airport at an elevation of 919 ft/280m above sea level has an asphalt main runway 2500m long and an emergency strip 1400m long. LKVO

720-537: Is located 15 km North-West from the Capital of Prague. Hardpoint In aeronautics, the term station is used to refer to a point of carriage on the frame of an aircraft. A station is usually rated to carry a certain amount of payload . It is a design number which already has taken the rated g-forces of the frame into account. Therefore, point loads on the structure from externally or internally mounted stores, engines, equipment, passengers, and payload are simply

765-480: Is not necessarily consistent and may originate from elsewhere like station 559 on the B-52 . There is not necessarily an order in which numbers are assigned. The order can be for example from left to right ( F/A-18 Hornet ) or vice versa ( F-15 Eagle ), or mirrored and from outboard to inboard. The often unique centerline (CL) station is no exception. A pylon serves to connect the frame of an aircraft to an item or object that

810-422: Is the main structural member of the launcher. It is an extruded, machined aluminum member that provides structural rigidity to the launcher and includes provisions for mounting all other assemblies. It also includes provisions for mounting the launcher to the aircraft. Some launchers (LAU-7/A) [1] have a nitrogen receiver assembly which stores the high-pressure nitrogen used to cool a missile's infrared detector in

855-748: The Embraer 170 and Embraer 190 airliners, the cockpit of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, gun bay doors for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter, subassemblies and various elements of the Airbus A320 family airliner, and fixed leading edge kits for the Boeing 767 airliner. The company is reportedly likely to upgrade the runway at its Vodochody Airport near Prague to international airport standards, allowing it to better serve

900-612: The F-22 or F-35 can use jettisonable pylons to retain stealth and reduce drag. While most pylons are part of a modular system which is compatible with numerous stores, certain weapons and aircraft can require special pylons or adapters to carry a specific load. For example, in the Vietnam War , the " Wild Weasel " defense suppression version of the F-105 Thunderchief , the F-105G, could carry

945-512: The North American market. The L-39NG is being developed and marketed in two stages. The L-39NG upgrade program (Stage 1) contains an installation of FJ44-4M engine and optionally the Stage 2 avionics to existing L-39 Albatros. The second phase (Stage 2) represents newly built L-39NG aircraft with the possible use of components from the previous upgrade to Stage 1, once the original airframe reaches

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990-466: The Panavia Tornado ADV have semi-recessed fuselage stations to reduce drag. These stations have internally mounted launchers (LAU-116/A) that use ejection for launching. The rapidly expanding gases, created by impulse cartridges, actuate ejector pistons and release the missile from the launcher. The missile is propelled to a safe distance before it ignites its rocket motor. Stealth aircraft such as

1035-674: The Soviet Union itself. During the course of the programme, in excess of 3,000 L-29s were produced; of these, around 2,000 were reported to have been delivered to the Soviet Union, where it served as the standard trainer for the Soviet Air Force . Of the others, which included both armed and unarmed models, many aircraft were delivered to the various COMECON countries while others were exported to various overseas nations, including Egypt , Syria , Indonesia , Nigeria and Uganda . Reportedly,

1080-457: The Škoda 150 truck between 1946 and 1947 under licence . During the 1950s, Aero Vodochody developed the L-29 Delfin trainer aircraft ; it was Czechoslovakia's first indigenously designed jet-powered aircraft. The L-29 is believed to have likely been the biggest aircraft industrial programme to take place across any of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) countries except for

1125-552: The F-22 use extensible launchers that are pneumatically actuated and are either rail (LAU-141/A) [2] or ejector (LAU-142/A) [3] types. Stealth aircraft such as the Chengdu J-20 use retractable launchers which moves out on rails allowing the weapons bay to be closed while still hanging outside. A rotary launcher is a rotating suspension equipment mounted inside the bomb bay of a bomber. Rotary launchers have stations of their own and offer

1170-656: The L-159 in partnership with Elbit, but the Czech Ministry of Defense instead selected Rockwell Collins to partner on the program. During the 2010s, Aero Vodochody was engaged in the manufacture of the L-159 advanced light combat aircraft and the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter. It has also an active presence in the aerostructures sector, producing the center wing box of the Alenia C-27J Spartan airlifter, door subassemblies for

1215-592: The L-39 to take its place, and has continued extensive support and overhaul operations for existing L-39 customers. The L-59 Super Albatros was derived from the L-39, being originally designated as the L-39MS . Aero only produced a handful of L-59s before discontinuing production. Another derivative of the L-39 Albatros was the L-159 Alca , a modernised combat-oriented version. Originally, Aero Vodochody had intended to develop

1260-524: The L-39, the L-59 Super Albatros and the L-159 Alca military light combat jet. Aero Vodochody is believed to have handled the biggest aircraft industrial programme to take place across any of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) countries except for the Soviet Union itself. Following the fall of the communist government in Czechoslovakia during 1989, Aero Vodochody experienced

1305-523: The ability to select certain stores within the bomb bay for release. The disadvantage of a rotary launcher is a slow release of stores. The rotary launcher of the B-1 for example requires seven seconds until the next store is rotated into release position. In contrast to the rotary launcher, a conventional bomb rack of the B-52 would have mounted stores in vertical columns making individual store selection and release impossible without releasing all stores ahead in

1350-585: The aerospace industry. During the 2014 Farnborough Airshow , it announced the launch of the Aero L-39 Skyfox , an upgraded and modernised version of its ubiquitous L-39. In year 2021 Penta Investments sold their business share to the HSC Aerojet Zrt. Aero Vodochody has been active since its founding in 1919. Between 1929 and 1951, its subsidiary, Aero , manufactured a range of small and medium-sized cars with two-stroke engines , it also briefly produced

1395-629: The aircraft was certified by the Military Aviation Authority of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. In September, 2021, Aero Vodochody sale transaction was successfully completed. Based on an agreement signed in July 2021 Hungarian company HSC Aerojet Zrt. became the 100% owner of Aero. In HSC Aerojet Zrt. majority is held by Hungarian businessman Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and minority

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1440-596: The column line. The advantage of a conventional bomb rack is a prompt release of all stores in short order. Bombers like the B-52 , the B-1 or the B-2 use custom designed bomb rack support structures with their own designation e.g. Common Bomb Rack (CBR), Common Bomb Module (CBM), or Smart Bomb Rack Assembly (SBRA). Aside from the release options of a rack a pilot can select release mode for releasing one or multiple stores. Stores can be jettisoned selectively in single mode or ripple mode or salvo mode . The term ripple applies to

1485-399: The defined suspension range. For Russian stores there is the standard 110-millimetre (4.3 in) suspension for helicopters or the 250-millimetre (9.8 in) suspension. To keep stores from rocking sideways as the aircraft maneuvers, sway braces are provided to steady the stores. Sway braces are bolted to the rack frame. These may be automatically or manually adjusted. A rack can release

1530-503: The desired load. The store is mounted by locking the store's lugs with L-shaped suspension hooks in the rack. Depending on the mass of the store there can be a single lug or a number of lugs on the store separated by a certain distance. The distances are standardized. For NATO there is the 14-inch (360 mm) suspension for a lighter or 30-inch (760 mm) suspension for heavier stores. Depending on specific stores from 1,000 pounds (450 kg) upward, three or four lugs can be used within

1575-649: The end of its life. The first stage was formally completed om 14 September 2015 with the maiden flight of the L-39NG technology demonstrator (L-39CW). On 20 November 2017, Aero Vodochody announced the completion of development of the L-39CW; on 14 March 2018, they announced that the L-39CW, equipped with both the new engine and the new avionics, had received type certification . The brand new L-39NG aircraft made first flight on December 22, 2018. in September 2020, less than two years later,

1620-450: The fuselage in addition to the four hardpoints and strengthening of the L-39ZO, made its maiden flight. According to aerospace publication Flight International , roughly 200 L-39s were being sold each year upon the jet trainer market during the late 1980s. Sales of the L-39 declined during the 1990s. This downturn has been attributed to the loss of the captive Warsaw Pact trainer market, to which

1665-411: The guidance system. All receivers contain a charging valve (for refilling), relief valve, and a pressure indicator mounted in the aft end of the cylinder. Power is applied to the missile guidance control system through the umbilical plug. An actuator-operated safety device prevents inadvertent firing of launcher cartridges. Missiles use hangers to mount to a rack which, in cross section, resemble either

1710-511: The landing gear retraction sequence (like in F-14 Tomcat ) or to provide necessary item space (like in Mikoyan MiG-27 ). While wing stations are usually of underwing design, some aircraft use hardpoints mounted on the top. For example, SEPECAT Jaguar has had some versions fitted with overwing hardpoints for air-to-air missiles directly above the innermost wing pylons, instead of putting them on

1755-474: The low-cost air carriers and charter flights that service Prague. During July 2014, Aero Vodochody presented the L-39NG ( Skyfox ) programme at the Farnborough Airshow . By April 2015, a partnership had formed between Aero Vodochody, American defence contractor Draken International and engine manufacturer Williams International to undertake the programme and to properly prepare the L-39NG to compete on

1800-444: The military, a station can also be called weapons station . Unlike civilian aircraft, NATO aircraft frame strength is required to remain without detrimental deformations at 115 percent of the limit or specified loads, and without structural failure at ultimate loads. Most stations on a military aircraft serve to carry pods or weapons. A minor number of stations can also serve to carry external fuel tanks. These stations are called wet ,

1845-401: The single- or ripple and single- continuous release mode from one or from mirror stations. Salvo release mode applies to a combination of several stations together e.g. adjacent stations. For multiple store release an interval timer can be set to release stores in fixed time steps. For an external store emergency release, there is for example an emergency jettison button in the F-4 Phantom II ,

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1890-570: The type has been used in active combat during several instances, perhaps the most high-profile being the Nigerian Civil War of the late 1960s and of Egyptian L-29s against Israeli tanks during the brief Yom Kippur War of 1973. The L-39 Albatros was designed during the 1960s as a replacement for the Aero L-29 Delfín as a principal training aircraft. Several specialised variants of the base L-39 design were quickly introduced. In 1972,

1935-550: The usual AGM-45 "Shrike" anti-radiation missile on a standard pylon and launcher, but the newly developed AGM-78 Standard ARM required a specially designed and unique "LAU-78/a" launcher which was unique to that missile. NATO suspension equipment (pylons and other means of carriage) and stores are standardized in MIL-STD-8591 . A military pylon provides carriage, deployment, and the ability to jettison external stores – weapons, pods, fuel tanks or other ordnance . Pylons have

1980-472: The weight of the item and any pylons, seats, mounting brackets, etc. multiplied by the maximum load factor which the aircraft will sustain when these items are carried. In civilian aviation a station is usually used to carry an external engine or a fuel tank. As engines are usually a fixed installation, operators usually refer to them with the designation of the engine. Therefore, the term is mostly being used for load points meant for non-fixed installation. In

2025-524: The wingtips. Swing-wing aircraft that mount pylons on the moving portion of the wing (such as the General Dynamics F-111 and the Panavia Tornado ) must include a mechanism for swiveling the pylon as the wing sweeps fore or aft, in order to keep the pylon and store facing directly forwards at all times. The F-111's outermost pair of hardpoints do not swivel, and can only be used while the wing

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