Airforces

NEWS

14 // OCTOBER 2018 #367 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

Continental Europe

New insignia for

Montenegrin Bell 412

ON ONE of its first

deployments outside

Montenegro, a

Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske

Crne Gore (VVCG,

Montenegrin Air Force) Bell

412EP wears the service’s

military identification

number 36307 in addition

to the recently introduced

national insignia on the

tail boom and national

flag adorning the vertical

stabiliser. The helicopter,

delivered in March, was at

Petrovec air base, Skopje,

Macedonia, on August

31 after completing a

VIP flight from its home

base at Golubovci,

near the Montenegrin

capital Podgorica.

An additional two Bell

412EPI helicopters – due

to wear a two-tone green

camouflage pattern –

were scheduled to join

the VVCG in September.

Igor Bozinovski

First L-159T2 for Czech Air Force takes fl ight

THE INITIAL L-159T2 for

the Czech Air Force has

completed its maiden flight.

Serial 6028 took to the air

for a 30-minute sortie at

the company’s airfield on

August 2, with test pilots

Vladimír Kvarda and David

Jahoda at the controls.

The Vzdušné síly Armády

České republiky (VzS AČR,

Air Component of the Army

of the Czech Republic)

ordered three upgraded

L-159T2s in 2016 for

operational missions and

advanced jet training and

they are expected to join

the 21. základna taktického

letectva (21st Tactical Air

Force Base) at Čáslav

before the end of this year.

The two-seat jet allies a

new central and forward

fuselage with the tail, rear

fuselage, wings and nose

cone from an existing single-

seat L-159 Advanced Light

Combat Aircraft. Each

cockpit is equipped with two

multifunction displays and

upgraded VS-20 ejection

seats and is fully compatible

with night-vision goggles.

The aircraft is adapted to

offer a pressure refuelling

capability and has the

same Grifo radar and self-

protection systems as used

in the single-seat version.

Martin Mamula/Aero Vodochody

ONE OF the last surviving

L- 3 9Z A s operated by the

Vzdušné síly Armády České

republiky (VzS AČR, Air

Component of the Army of

the Czech Republic) has

been painted in special

markings to celebrate the

50th anniversary of the

L- 3 9 Albatros jet trainer.

Serial 5019, painted by

original manufacturer Aero

Vodochody, made its first

flying training sortie in the

new scheme on August 28,

a week after it was ferried

to the 213. výcviková letka

(213rd Training Squadron)

at Čáslav air base. The

aviator painted on one side

of the tail is Aero’s factory

pilot, Rudolf Duchoň,

who flew the prototype

L- 3 9, X-02, during its

maiden flight on November

4, 1968. The artwork

also includes the new-

generation L- 3 9 N G which

is due to be rolled out on

October 12. Alan Warnes

Left: VVCG Bell 412EP serial

36307 at Petrovec air base,

where it had brought a high-

level Montenegrin military

delegation to attend live

artillery fi ring at the Krivolak

training area. Igor Bozinovski

L-39ZA marks Albatros anniversary

L-39ZA 5019 taxiing out at Čáslav on August 29. Alan Warnes

11-14 EuropeNews AFM Oct2018.indd 14 9/10/2018 1:24:08 PM