Let L-410 Turbolet

Let Kunovice · Czechoslovakia · first flew 1969 · airliner

The Czech 19-seater that became the world's jump-plane and bush commuter of choice — over 1,200 built and still in production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	14.42 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Small high-wing twin turboprop, 19 seats
Stubby nose and upswept rear door
Common at UK skydiving centres

A compact high-wing twin with a notably stubby nose, slab sides and big flaps. Smaller than a Twin Otter, with a wider cockpit 'face' and dihedral tailplane.

Specifications

The Let L-410 Turbolet has a length of 14.42 m (47 ft).
It has a wingspan of 19.98 m (66 ft).
Its maximum speed is 405 km/h (252 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Let flew the L-410 in 1969 as a rugged commuter for Aeroflot's short routes, and it never stopped: successive versions have kept the little twin in production for over five decades.

Variants

The L-410UVP-E20 is the modern standard; the stretched L-420 and updated L-410NG add power and payload. Hundreds serve small airlines, militaries and parachute clubs.

Where you'll see it

In the UK it's best known lifting skydivers — several drop zones operate Turbolets, and their distinctive rasp is part of a British summer weekend. Regional examples pass through on ferry flights regularly.

Related aircraft

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