Let L-200 Morava
| L-200 Morava | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Role | Touring / utility aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Let |
| First flight | 9 April 1957 |
| Status | In service with private hands |
| Primary users | Czechoslovakia USSR, Poland |
| Produced | 1957-1964 |
| Number built | 367 |
The Let L-200 Morava is a two-engine touring and light passenger aircraft of the 1960s, designed and produced by Let Kunovice in the Czech Republic.
The Let L-200 Morava light twin-engine transport was preceded in production at the Let factory by the license-built Aero Ae 45. In 1955 the newly created design team led by Ladislav Smrcek of the Czechoslovak State Aircraft Factory decided to proceed with a proprietary design for a more modern twin with seating capacity of five and powered by a pair of then new 210 hp Avia M 337 engines, but as they were not yet available, the prototype made do with the less powerful Walter Minor 6-III engines of 160 hp each. While maintaining similar characteristics of western twin engine aircraft of the time, updated features of the Morava included twin tails, standard thermal wing de-icing equipment and inverted inline engines.
Three prototypes were built. The first, designated XL-200 (OK-LNA) made its maiden flight on 9 April 1957. It was followed in flight testing by the second prototype (OK-LNB) while the third was used for static testing. The aircraft sported clean, elegant lines. During the same year the factory built a run of 10 pre-production L-200s, one of these aircraft undergoing government flight testing in 1958. The program was successful, and the airplane was ordered into full-scale production. One L-200 was converted into a prototype of the M-337-powered production model L-200A. This aircraft incorporated minor changes, consisting mostly of new two-blade V-410 propellers, a cockpit lowered by 43mm, a modified tailfin design as well as longer engine nacelles. It was completed in 1959 and shown at the Paris Air Show in July of that year. The aircraft underwent government trials in the fall of 1959, having been fitted with M-337 engines. The trials once again proved successful and were completed the following July. The first production L-200A took to the skies in February 1960.
L-200B and C models were not produced. The second production variant was the L-200D, modified according to Soviet Aeroflot demands. It was fitted with new three-blade propellers V-506 of a smaller diameter and some minor improvements, such as dust filters. It also received more comprehensive navigation equipment. The prototype (OK-NIA) was converted from the L-200A prototype in 1960 and tested in 1961-1963.
...
Wikipedia