DALLAS — Today, in 1969, the prototype of the Let L-410 Turbolet (registration OK-60), then known as the XL-410, performed its maiden flight.
The aircraft is a 15-seat, unpressurized, high-wing regional airliner powered by the Walter M601 engine. However, delays in the development of the power plant led to early models being powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6-27 engines.
Development of the airliner, initially known as the L-400, began in the early 1960s after a request from the Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot (SU), to design a replacement for its Antonov An-2 biplane.
Following certification of the prototypes, the airliner was put into production in 1971. Over the years, numerous upgraded variants of the type have been built, including the L-410 UVP (short take-off and landing STOL).
In 2015, the manufacturer unveiled an upgraded version known as the L-410 Next Generation (NG). Upgraded General Electric H80 engines powered it with AV-725 propellers. Its avionics were upgraded, and it also had a new wing, more luggage space, and larger fuel tanks.
Find out more in our latest issue. Explore all the subscriptions plans that Airways has for you. From thrilling stories to insights into the commercial aviation industry. We are a global review of commercial flight.
Exploring Airline History Volume I
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
December 2024
