L-159 ALCA

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

Nigeria to buy L-159 subsonic fighters from Czech air force

Nigeria is considering buying around a dozen Czech-made L-159A subsonic fighters to revitalise its aging air force, the Prague Post reported this week. The deal is yet to be finalised, but Defence Ministry officials said Nigeria was definitely interested in buying more than ten of the aircraft. President Vaclav Klaus reportedly discussed the deal this week with his Nigerian counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo.

source http://www.radio.cz/en/

Member for

17 years 2 months

Posts: 21

Slight O/T


Further chance of L159A or B is in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Greece, Thailand. Albania has a interest in used ex Czech Air Force L159A (but no money)

A sale to Croatia is highly unlikely. Our training needs are covered by the PC-9 and our attack needs are to be filled by a new fighter that will replace the current Mig-21s. The requirement for the replacement fighter is geared towards an aircraft in the F-16/Gripen class.

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,560

Very nice pictures in this thread.:)

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 1,327

Any info on whether the -T1 carries a radar? It does seem to have something radar sized in the nose area, though this could simply be the paintjob. I know they are rebuilt from L-159As (though with a new fuselage), but any info on whether they keep the Grifo radar?

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 5,707

Any info on whether the -T1 carries a radar? It does seem to have something radar sized in the nose area, though this could simply be the paintjob. I know they are rebuilt from L-159As (though with a new fuselage), but any info on whether they keep the Grifo radar?

I was wondering the same thing, that nose section does appear to have quite a distinctive profile? Maybe there is space for it but it is not fitted?:confused:

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 10,217

two seater has always been named L159B. L159T1 is special version for Czech Air Force, actually it´s not a brand new plane, but rebuilt plane from L159A ALCA. CzAF will get four L159T1 this year and all will be rebuilt from eight Czech Air Force stored L159As.

Rumcajs, does the L-159T the Grifo radar installed?

I think that after the pressure on BAe Hawk is gone, we, Slovaks, could buy some ALCAs one day.

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 1,877

Rumcajs, read this article on the L-159 offer to the IAF. the parameters of the L-159B on offer were considered a good match to the requirements and hence the IAF took a look at it and it was offered cheaper than the BAe Hawk.. IAF only began to look at the L-159 AFTER price negotiations with BAe over the Hawk had already ended, basically to prevent a single vendor situation.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021231/edit.htm#4

"Having completed the PNC on the Hawk, the IAF added a postscript: that the Czech L159B should also be evaluated to get out of the single vendor situation. The IAF also believes that since it has waited for 20 years for the AJT, it can wait some more and should not rush into the Hawk deal which is a technology of the 1980s and instead get a contemporary machine for the same price. There is also a view that it is simply absurd to purchase and license-manufacture a trainer when the LCA project is near fruition. An LCA trainer is also an option.

Earlier, Italy, Brazil and Russia had also offered jet trainers to India but these offers had been rejected on the ground that the aircraft did not meet the Air Staff Requirement (ASR) of the IAF. An earlier offer of the Czech trainer had elicited a similar response.

However, two things changed this year. On the sidelines of the CII-organised Defexpo 2002 in February, Mr Antonin Jakubse, Chairman of the Czech state-owned aircraft facility, Aero Vodochody, said: “We are offering the Indians a joint partnership, technology transfer and joint marketing for the L 159B.” At a Press conference he asserted that the Czech AJT offer was 25 to 45 per cent lower than the British Aerospace price for the Hawk.

He also said the Czech training aircraft was backed by the American aviation giant Boeing, which has brought 35 per cent stake in Aero Vodochody.

Also, some time in mid-May 2002, an IAF team led by Group Captain Ramesh Rai, which included representatives from HAL, the MoD and the Finance Ministry visited Czechoslovakia, test flew the aircraft and reported that the L 159 B did, in fact, meet 95 per cent of the ASR for the AJT. But what is not known is that the IAF team flew just 12 sorties on a makeshift version of a two-seater. This was not the L 159 B but actually the very first prototype. The actual L 159 trainer only flew at the Farnborough air show in June this year for the first time. The added attraction is that the Czechs have agreed to a full transfer of technology and delivery of the first aircraft within two years of signing the contract.

Although there is no doubt that the cost of the two aircraft is competitive - the L 159 B will cost around $ 12.5 million apiece while the Hawk is said to be pegged at $14 million apiece — there is no clarity on how the government will overcome the danger that American defence technology represents for India. The case of supply of spares for the Sea King, which was manufactured by the UK under licence from the USA, is a case in point. After the Pokhran tests the supply was suspended after the sanctions and was cleared only a month ago. The L 159 B has American avionics and power plant (engine)."

"But the strangest episode of the AJT drama unfolded in the third week of October when the IAF instituted yet another technical committee to make a relative evaluation of this aircraft with the Hawk. Within 10 days, the relatively low level-team reported that the “engine and avionics of the L 159 B were both superior to those of the Hawk”, which is seen as completely perverted and irrelevant when, firstly, the avionics are to be largely Indian or French supplied (specifically avoiding American) and when the engine of the Hawk (the Adour) is currently being built by HAL for the ongoing Jaguar production."

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

well, L159T1 is primary designed for L159A pilots training, T1 don´t carry GRIFO-L radar (but there are control tools for radar are in cockpit) , armour and GEC-Marconi Sky Guardian 200 RWR, or else T1 is actually same as A version with same ability and electronic equipment. Engine, wings and electronics are from original L159A, front part and cockpit are brand new. CzAF don´t calculates to use T1 for combat missions.

cockpits photo (only one display due to no radar)
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/2387/skenovat0004mr2xz7.jpg

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

Rumcajs, read this article on the L-159 offer to the IAF. the parameters of the L-159B on offer were considered a good match to the requirements and hence the IAF took a look at it and it was offered cheaper than the BAe Hawk.. IAF only began to look at the L-159 AFTER price negotiations with BAe over the Hawk had already ended, basically to prevent a single vendor situation.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021231/edit.htm#4

"Having completed the PNC on the Hawk, the IAF added a postscript: that the Czech L159B should also be evaluated to get out of the single vendor situation. The IAF also believes that since it has waited for 20 years for the AJT, it can wait some more and should not rush into the Hawk deal which is a technology of the 1980s and instead get a contemporary machine for the same price. There is also a view that it is simply absurd to purchase and license-manufacture a trainer when the LCA project is near fruition. An LCA trainer is also an option.

Earlier, Italy, Brazil and Russia had also offered jet trainers to India but these offers had been rejected on the ground that the aircraft did not meet the Air Staff Requirement (ASR) of the IAF. An earlier offer of the Czech trainer had elicited a similar response.

However, two things changed this year. On the sidelines of the CII-organised Defexpo 2002 in February, Mr Antonin Jakubse, Chairman of the Czech state-owned aircraft facility, Aero Vodochody, said: “We are offering the Indians a joint partnership, technology transfer and joint marketing for the L 159B.” At a Press conference he asserted that the Czech AJT offer was 25 to 45 per cent lower than the British Aerospace price for the Hawk.

He also said the Czech training aircraft was backed by the American aviation giant Boeing, which has brought 35 per cent stake in Aero Vodochody.

Also, some time in mid-May 2002, an IAF team led by Group Captain Ramesh Rai, which included representatives from HAL, the MoD and the Finance Ministry visited Czechoslovakia, test flew the aircraft and reported that the L 159 B did, in fact, meet 95 per cent of the ASR for the AJT. But what is not known is that the IAF team flew just 12 sorties on a makeshift version of a two-seater. This was not the L 159 B but actually the very first prototype. The actual L 159 trainer only flew at the Farnborough air show in June this year for the first time. The added attraction is that the Czechs have agreed to a full transfer of technology and delivery of the first aircraft within two years of signing the contract.

Although there is no doubt that the cost of the two aircraft is competitive - the L 159 B will cost around $ 12.5 million apiece while the Hawk is said to be pegged at $14 million apiece — there is no clarity on how the government will overcome the danger that American defence technology represents for India. The case of supply of spares for the Sea King, which was manufactured by the UK under licence from the USA, is a case in point. After the Pokhran tests the supply was suspended after the sanctions and was cleared only a month ago. The L 159 B has American avionics and power plant (engine)."

"But the strangest episode of the AJT drama unfolded in the third week of October when the IAF instituted yet another technical committee to make a relative evaluation of this aircraft with the Hawk. Within 10 days, the relatively low level-team reported that the “engine and avionics of the L 159 B were both superior to those of the Hawk”, which is seen as completely perverted and irrelevant when, firstly, the avionics are to be largely Indian or French supplied (specifically avoiding American) and when the engine of the Hawk (the Adour) is currently being built by HAL for the ongoing Jaguar production."

thanx for the article and info, 21Ankush.

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

and some ALCAs photos

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/7020/kou0114ew7yr6.th.jpghttp://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5674/kou0115fj7ek4.th.jpghttp://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9840/kou0116ac2ue2.th.jpghttp://img235.imageshack.us/img235/969/kou0117sp1mi4.th.jpghttp://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6017/kou0118fb9fy0.th.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9840/kou0116ac2ue2.th.jpghttp://img204.imageshack.us/img204/829/kou0113ee8vc9.th.jpg

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 278

And one model of the thing in 1/72 done by myself circa one year ago.

Attachments

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

And one model of the thing in 1/72 done by myself circa one year ago.

very nice, but unfortunately all national symbols are wrong - wrong appearance, position, size. Blue part must be horizontally the first, link between white and red must be strictly horizontal, white parts of the symbols on the wings must be outside and red inside (opposite to your model case).
take a look at this
http://211.airspace.cz/letovky/01/26.JPG
http://211.airspace.cz/ostatni/lkpd/00870013.JPG

L159A carried colour symbols only short time and much more smaller than on your model

http://www.lznamest.army.cz/images/galerie/159/alca1_1024.jpg
http://www.lznamest.army.cz/images/galerie/159/alca2_1024.jpg
http://www.lznamest.army.cz/images/galerie/159/alca12_1024.jpg
http://www.lznamest.army.cz/images/galerie/159/alca13_1024.jpg

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 278

Thanks my friend for the detailed info,

You are indeed quite right in pointing out the faults in the national markings. Actually this is the reason the model in question, derived from the old KP L-39, got the second prize in the specific category of the local IPMS competition in 2005.

Member for

18 years 7 months

Posts: 563

Color me stupid, but since the L-159 srrmes to be a very "complete" combat aircraft, would it be possible to turn it supersonic by adding an afterburner to its engine ?
Being able to reach a speed of, say, Mach 1,6-1,7 would allow it to replace many "low-cost" aircrafts like the f-5 Tiger II, don't you think ?
________
Iolite reviews

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 927

would it be possible to turn it supersonic by adding an afterburner to its engine ?

Technically, maybe, but it wouldn't make too much sense: the L-159 has a lot of drag (compared to F-5), a straight wing. Its fuel quantity would be too small to support an afterburning engine for any useful period of time.

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

Color me stupid, but since the L-159 srrmes to be a very "complete" combat aircraft, would it be possible to turn it supersonic by adding an afterburner to its engine ?
Being able to reach a speed of, say, Mach 1,6-1,7 would allow it to replace many "low-cost" aircrafts like the f-5 Tiger II, don't you think ?

do you think this one? L159C 1,5M :)
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8814/20050915czechrepublikl159a6052beauvechainafbjpg64354agl9.jpg

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,877

That one is so ugly, it's by far the coolest Albatros ever!

Actually I like it - there's nothing as hideously ugly as a single seater with a 'redundant' twin-seat canopy!!! RSK MiG's decision to go that way with the MiG-29K and MiG-35 is particularly lamentable, the original single seat MiG-29M was gorgeous!

Member for

17 years 3 months

Posts: 581

I am very sorry, everybody, L159C is my late 1st April joke made by me in photoshop :D just like this
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8678/20050915czechrepublikl1ej8.jpg