L-39 Albatros

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Bond girls have nothing on this svelte little beauty. While the L-39ZA in DCS does not come with the “nuclear torpedoes” from its appearance in Tomorrow Never Dies, it does come with an optional backseat driver. The L-39 is a Czech jet trainer aircraft for prospective MiG pilots — in particular, it features on-the-ground controls and in-air navigation systems that are very similar to what the MiG:s of its era used. Being a trainer, it has a dual cockpit that fits both an instructor and a trainee, with the instructor having access to various funny toys to make the trainee's life miserable: turning systems off to train emergency procedures and reducing visibility to teach proper IFR flying.

This was the first multi-crew module in DCS, and gave players all kinds of homes and dreams for similar setups for the UH-1H, Mi-8MTV2 or even the venerable TF-51D. So far, though, only the SA342 offers anything similar.

The module comes with two variants: the C trainer/aerobatics model, the (slightly more) fully armed ZA light attack model. The C only has two pylons and comes with a simpler cockpit setup, whereas the ZA offers more of everything and even comes with an internal gun. Either way, these are not what you would call highly effective combat aircraft — even the F-5E-3 outclasses them by a large margin do its radar search capability (that the L-39 cannot detect), its extended engagement range, and significantly more powerful engines. The L-39 is for learning how to fly, be it visually, using instruments, or via radio navigation.

Features

As a jet trainer, the L-39 deliberately only comes with some bare essentials:

• Both the C (trainer) and ZA (light attack) models of the L-39.
• Multi-crew: fly with a friend(?) as instructor or trainee in the same aircraft.
  • An IFR hood to pull down over your trainee friend's(?) head so they can't see outside.
  • Dual controls: the instructor can take over when the trainee gets confused because they can't see outside.
• An infuriating differential braking system rather than regular toe brakes or NWS.
• A light assortment of guns, bombs, rockets, and even something pretending to be air-to-air missiles (mainly for the ZA). No nuclear torpedoes, though…
• ИСКРА and ПРМГ navigation and instrument landing equipment.
• NDB-based radio navigation.

Links and files

• Tippis' Combined C and ZA Checklist (see also kneeboard mods).
• Chuck's L-39ZA guide.
• DCS: L-39 Albatros in the DCS shop.

Related DCS modules

• Kursant for L-39 campaign.

More information

• Aero L-39 Albatros on wikipedia.
• L-39 Albatros on globalsecurity.org.