Aero L - 39 Albatros The Aero L - 39 Albatros is a high - performance jet trainer aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia to meet requirements for a " C - 39 " ( C for " cvičný " – trainer ) during the 1960s to replace the L - 29 Delfín . It was the first of the second - generation jet trainers , and the first turbofan - powered trainer produced , and was later updated as the L - 59 Super Albatros and as the L - 139 ( prototype L - 39 with Garrett TFE731 engine ) . A further development of the design , the L - 159 ALCA , began production in 1997 . To date , more than 2 , 800 L - 39s have served with over 30 air forces around the world . The Albatros is the most widely used jet trainer in the world ; in addition to performing basic and advanced pilot training , it has also flown combat missions in a light - attack role . Atypically , it has never received a NATO reporting name . Design and development . The L - 39 ( under the name " Prototype X - 02 " – the second airframe built ) first flew on 4 November 1969 and was piloted by Rudolf Duchoň , the factory ' s test pilot . Serial production began in 1971 . The design is Czechoslovak ( Czech ) – the construction of Aero ' s chief designer Jan Vlček . The low , slightly swept wing has a double - taper planform , 2½ - deg dihedral from the roots , a relatively low aspect ratio , and 100 liter ( 26½ USgal ) fuel tanks permanently attached to the wingtips . The trailing edge has double - slotted trailing edge flaps inboard of mass - balanced ailerons ; the flaps are separated from the ailerons by small wing fences . The tall , swept vertical tail has an inset rudder . Variable - incidence horizontal stabilizers with inset elevators are mounted at the base of the rudder and over the exhaust nozzle . Side - by - side airbrakes are located under the fuselage ahead of the wing ' s leading edge . Flaps , landing gear , wheel brakes and air brakes are powered by a hydraulic system . Controls are pushrod - actuated and have electrically powered servo tabs on the ailerons and rudder . Operational g - force limits at 4 , 200 kg ( 9 , 260 lb ) are + 8 / - 4 g . A single turbofan engine , an Ivchenko AI - 25 TL ( made in the Soviet Union ) is embedded in the fuselage and is fed through shoulder - mounted , semi - circular air intakes ( fitted with splitter plates ) just behind the cockpit ; the engine exhausts below the tailplane . Five rubber bag fuel tanks are located in the fuselage behind the cockpit . The main , trailing - arm landing gear legs retract inward into wing bays ; the nose gear retracts forward . A long , pointed nose made of aluminum leads back to the tandem cockpit , in which the student and instructor sit under individual canopies that are hinged on the right . The rear ( instructor ' s ) seat is raised slightly ; both ejection seats are made by Aero . The basic trainer is not armed , but has two underwing pylons for drop tanks and practice weapons . Light - attack variants have four underwing hardpoints for ground attack stores ; the ZA also has an underfuselage gun pod . This model is no longer in production , having been replaced by the L - 159 . Operational history . Abkhazia . In the spring of 2008 , a number of Georgian drones were shot down by Abkhazian separatist forces over the Abkhazia region . The Abkhazian separatist forces claimed that one of its missile - equipped L - 39s had shot down a Georgian Hermes 450 unmanned reconnaissance drone . Azerbaijan . L - 39s , along with older L - 29s , were used extensively in ground attack missions by Azeri forces in the Nagorno - Karabakh War . Several were shot down by Armenian air defences . Libya . Libya acquired some 180 L - 39ZOs around 1978 which served at Sabha and Okba Ben Nafi flying schools along with Yugoslav - made G - 2 Galeb for advanced jet training and Italian - made SF . 260 s ( for primary training ) . The L - 39s were deployed during the Chadian - Libyan conflict , mainly to Ouadi Doum air base . During the final Chadian offensive in March 1987 , the Chadians captured Ouadi Doum along with several aircraft ( 11 L - 39s included ) and Soviet SAM systems and tanks . A Chadian report to the UN , reported the aforementioned capture on 11 L - 39s and the destruction ( or downing ) of at least four of them . In the midst of that conflict , on April 21 , 1983 three LARAF Il - 76 TDs and one C - 130 landed at Manaus Airport , Brazil after one of the Il - 76s developed some technical problems while crossing the Atlantic Ocean . The aircraft were then searched by the Brazilian authorities : instead of medical supplies – as quoted in the transport documentation – the crate of the first of 17 L - 39s bound for Nicaragua together with arms and parachutes , to support the country ' s war against US - backed Contras were found . The cargo was impounded for some time before being returned to Libya , while the transports were permitted to return to their country . Syria . The Syrian Arab Air Force has a number of armed L - 39ZA light attack variants . In 2012 , during the Syrian civil war , L - 39s have been routinely deployed against rebel ground forces , a number of aircraft have been shot down by ground fire . They were used operationally during the Battle of Aleppo , striking rebel - held positions . Insurgents captured L - 39s along with their support equipment after raiding the Al - Jarrah base in February 2013 , though it is uncertain if the planes are airworthy . Civilian use . While newer versions are now replacing older L - 39s in service , thousands remain in active service as trainers , and many are finding new homes with private warbird owners all over the world . This is particularly evident in the United States , where their $ 200 , 000 – $ 300 , 000 price puts them in range of moderately wealthy pilots looking for a fast , agile personal jet . Their popularity led to a purely L - 39 Jet class at the Reno Air Races , though it has since been expanded to include other , similar aircraft . In September 2012 there were 255 L - 39s registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration and four registered with Transport Canada . Several display teams use the L - 39 such as the Patriots Jet Team ( 6 L - 39s ) , the Breitling Jet Team ( 7 L - 39s ) and the Black Diamond Jet Team ( 5 L - 39s ) . There are also several L - 39 available for private jet rides in Australia , Czech Republic , France , Germany , Spain and the USA . These L - 39s are mostly in private hands , but some also belong to government agencies , such as those in Vyazma , Russia .