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July 31, 2026
Credit: Aviation Week
Aviation Week Editor in Chief David North wrote the cover story on Aero Vodochody’s L-159 light attack/trainer aircraft for the magazine’s July 23, 2001, issue. The cover featured the prototype flying near the company’s manufacturing facility near Prague.
“Aero Vodochody’s L-159 proven aircraft design combined with a Honeywell turbofan engine and current technology avionics and aircraft systems appears to have produced a winner—a relatively inexpensive light-attack/advanced trainer with good performance for the military market,” North wrote.
Twenty of the light-attack version were in service with the Czech Republic air force, and 72 of the single-engine aircraft were on order at the time, but in 2003 the Czech fleet was reduced to 24 due to budget constraints.
Read the full issue dated July 23 2001 | Aviation Week
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