Letov Kbely

Letov Kbely
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1918
Fate	Purchased by Groupe Latécoère in 2000
Headquarters	Letňany, Prague, Czech Republic
Parent	Groupe Latécoère; (2000–Present)

Letov is an aircraft company located in Prague - Letňany, Czech Republic. It is the oldest aircraft company in the region.^{[citation needed]}

History[]

Letov was founded in 1918 by the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Defense to repair World War I trophy planes. The first indigenous aircraft, the Letov Š-1, was designed and built in 1920, and some 50 aircraft types were built by 1939. During World War II the factory served as repair shop for the German Luftwaffe. Production lines were also set up during World War II for combat versions of the Ju 290 aircraft, commencing with the Ju 290 A-2, which carried a search radar for its patrol role. Since the 1950s, the plant has manufactured parts for the MiG-15, MiG-19 and MiG-21.

Over 4,000 wings and empennages for L-29 Delfín, a jet trainer aircraft that became the standard jet trainer for the air forces Warsaw Pact nations in the 1960s, were built by Letov. The company has also built wings and empennages for 2500 L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft since the 1970s.

Following the fall of socialism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Letov failed to assert itself on the international market and in 2000 it was bought by French Groupe Latécoère. The company now manufactures parts for large passenger aircraft.

Aircraft[]

Letov Š-1

Letov Š-16

Letov Š-20

Letov Š-328

Letov LF-107 Luňák

Model name	First flight	Number built	Type
Letov Š-1	1920	28	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-2	1921	64	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-3	1922	2	Single engine monoplane fighter
Letov Š-4	1922	20	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-5	1923	1	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-6	1923	35	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-7	1923	1	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-8	1923	1	Single engine monoplane racing airplane
			1923 three-engine bomber project
Letov Š-10		51	License built single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
			Unbuilt twin-engine commercial monoplane
Letov Š-12	1924	1	Single engine monoplane fighter
Letov Š-13	1924	1	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-14	1924	1	Single engine biplane fighter
			1924 four-engine monoplane airliner project^[1]
Letov Š-16	1926	89	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-17	1929	1	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-18	1925	46	Single engine biplane trainer
Letov Š-19	1924	9	Single engine biplane airliner
Letov Š-20	1925	~118	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-21		1	Single engine biplane trainer
Letov Š-22	1926	1	Single engine monoplane fighter
Letov Š-25	1930	1	Single engine biplane trainer
			1928 single engine monoplane airliner project
Letov Š-28	1929	1	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
			1929 four-engine monoplane bomber project
			Biplane airliner project
Letov Š-31	1929	36	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-32	1931	5	Three engine monoplane airliner
Letov Š-33	1930	1	Single engine monoplane bomber
			Unbuilt three-engine bomber
			Seven-engine twin-boom airliner project
			two-seat reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-39	1931	23	Single engine monoplane sport airplane
			two-engine, twin-boom airliner project
			1934 two-engine airliner project
			Two-engine, twin-boom bomber project
			Two-engine, three-seat, twin-tail bomber project
			Single-seat light fighter project
			Two-seat strike aircraft/light bomber project
			Unbuilt attack aircraft
			1936 two-seat, two-engine light bomber project
Letov Š-50	1938	1	Two engine monoplane utility airplane
			Single engine fighter project
			Two engine bomber-trainer project
			All metal, twin-boom attack aircraft/light bomber project
			Two-seat liaison aircraft project
Letov Š-116	1930	12	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-118	1928	2	Single engine biplane trainer
Letov Š-128	1931	12	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-131	1929	3	Single engine biplane fighter
			Bomber/transport airplane project
			1920 transatlantic airliner project
Letov Š-139	1933	6	Single engine monoplane sport airplane
Letov Š-218	1926	63	Single engine biplane trainer
Letov Š-228		4	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-231	1933	35	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-239	1935	15	Single engine monoplane sport airplane
Letov Š-328	1933	~412	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-331	1935	1	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-428		1	Single engine biplane attack airplane
Letov Š-431		1	Single engine biplane fighter
Letov Š-516			Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-528	1935	6	Single engine biplane reconnaissance airplane
Letov Š-616	1930	12	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-716	1930	1	Single engine biplane bomber
Letov Š-816	1931	2	Single engine biplane bomber
			1960 twin engine business jet/trainer project
			1960 twin engine STOL light transport/trainer project
			1960 24-seat twin engine regional airliner project
			1947 jet fighter project, based on the Me 262
			Observation/artillery spotting/multipurpose airplane project
Letov L-101	N/A	0	Two engine monoplane airliner
			1946 30-seat, twin-engine pressurized airliner project
			1946 ultralight aircraft project
			1948 twin-boom transport airplane project
Letov L-290 Orel	1946	1	License-built four engine transport
			1946 single engine monoplane fighter project
Letov LF-107 Luňák	1948	75	Glider
Letov LK-2 Sluka	1988		Ultralight
			Ultralight
			Motor glider^[2]
Letov ST-4 Aztek			Ultralight
	1950	1	Single engine monoplane trainer
Letov XLF-207 Laminar	1951		Glider

References[]

Notes[]

^ "The Third International Aero Show at Prague". Flight. Vol. 16 no. 25. London: Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom. 19 June 1924. p. 399. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
^ "Motorizovaný vetroň Letov MK-1 Kocour". Gonzo (in Slovak). 9 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

Bibliography[]

Taylor, John W. R., ed. (1969). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70. London: Sampson Low Marston & Company. ISBN 0-354-00051-9.

External links[]

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[1] "The Third International Aero Show at Prague". Flight. Vol. 16 no. 25. London: Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom. 19 June 1924. p. 399. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

[2] "Motorizovaný vetroň Letov MK-1 Kocour". Gonzo (in Slovak). 9 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

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