Aircraft Industries

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
TypePrivately held company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1936
Headquarters
Kunovice
,
Czech Republic
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
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. 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. 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.[5]

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 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.[6] However, it was later purchased by Ayres Corporation in 1998.[7] In 2001, it merged with Morovan Aeroplanes.[8] Following bankruptcy, it was purchased by Aircraft Industries in 2005.[9]

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.[10] UGMK purchased the remaining shares in 2013.[4]

In April 2022, Aircraft Industries was acquired by the Prague-based company, Omnipol Group.[4]

Products

Powered aircraft
Let L-410 NG
Model name First flight Number built Type
Let Ae-45S 228 License built twin engine utility airplane
Let Ae-145 162 License built twin engine utility airplane
Let C-11 707 License built single engine trainer
Let L-200 Morava 1957 361 Twin engine utility airplane
Let L-410 Turbolet 1969 1,200+ Twin engine transport airplane
Let L-610 1988 6 Prototype twin engine transport airplane
Aircraft Industries L 410 NG 2015 Twin engine transport airplane

Gliders
Model name First flight Number built Type
Let LF-109 Pionýr 1950 ~470 Glider
Let L-13 Blaník 1956 3,000+ Glider
Let L-23 Super Blaník 1988 Glider
Let L-33 Solo 1992 94 Glider
Let TG-10 21 Training glider

See also

References

Notes
  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 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. Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Czech firm acquires L-410 manufacturer Aircraft Industries from Russian owners". Flight Global. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  5. 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.
  6. "Fairchild and Let drop joint venture plans". Flight Global. 25 April 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  7. Thurston, Scott (18 August 1998). "Ayres Soars into Europe on Czech Purchase". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D2. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  8. "[Untitled]". Blanik America. 23 August 2001. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  9. Horáková, Pavla (27 June 2005). "Aircraft Industries to buy bankrupt Letecke zavody Kunovice". Radio Prague International. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  10. "Russia's OAK Poised to Acquire LET Kunovice". InvestIQ. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2012.

Bibliography
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