Let Kunovice

Aircraft Industries, a.s.,[1] operating as LET, n.p., is a Czech (formerly Czechoslovak) civil aircraft manufacturer. Its most successful design has been the L-410 Turbolet, of which more than 1200 units have been built.[2] Its head office is in Kunovice, Uherské Hradiště District.[1] LET is since 2008 owned by Russian company UGMK.[3] The company operates the sixth largest Czech airport and a private secondary school.

Let, n.p.
TypePrivately held company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1936
Headquarters
Kunovice, Uherské Hradiště District
,
Czech Republic
ProductsLight aircraft, gliders, Airliners
OwnerUral Mining and Metallurgical Company
Parent
Websitewww.let.cz

History
Let L-410 Turbolet at Kubinka
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. 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. For a period of time LET also produced a jet training aircraft the L-29.

Over the years LET developed and produced gliders–Zlín Z 22, Z 124 Galánka, LF 109 Pioneer, 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. 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.[4]

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.

The all-metal Blaník sailplane was produced in the largest quantities of any sailplane, with over 3000 manufactured since the first rolled off the production line in 1958. In 2005 it was still in production as the L23 Super Blaník variant.

51% of the company's shares was purchased by UGMK in 2008; UAC has shown interest in acquiring the control of the company, as well.[5]

Aircraft
Let L-410 NG

Gliders

References
  1. "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 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  3. "Russian army to possibly place order for aircraft with Czech manufacturer", BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 5 Nov 2012. (Retrieved via Lexis Nexis).
  4. Zmizí značka Czech Made z oblohy? | TECHNIK.IHNED.CZ - Stroje a nástroje, nové technologie
  5. "Russia's OAK Poised to Acquire LET Kunovice". InvestIQ. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
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