| L-33 Solo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Glider |
| National origin | Czech Republic |
| Manufacturer | Let Kunovice |
| Designer | Marian Meciar and Vaclav Zajic |
| First flight | 1992 |
| Introduction | 1992 |
| Status | In production (2012) |
| Produced | 1992–present |
| Number built | 94 (2011) |
The Let L-33 Solo is a Czech shoulder-wing, single-seat, glider, designed by Marian Meciar and Vaclav Zajic, and produced by Let Kunovice. The L-33 first flew in 1992 and remained in production through 2012, supplied as a ready-to-fly aircraft. [1] [2] [3]
The L-33 was a developed as the single-seat "natural step" for early solo students to fly after dual training on the two-seat LET L-23 Super Blaník. The L-33 features a cantilever wing, a T-tail, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy and fixed monowheel gear. [1] [2]
The semi-monocoque design is made from flush riveted aluminum sheet. The rudder is covered with doped aircraft fabric. Its 14.12 m (46.3 ft) span, semi-tapered wing employs a Wortmann FX-60-17A11-182 airfoil at the wing root, transitioning to an FX-60-126 at the wing tip. The wing has an area of 11 m2 (120 sq ft) and mounts top surface Schempp-Hirth-style air brakes. [1] [2] [4]
The L-33 was a competitor in the IGC World Class sailplane design competition, but lost to the Polish Politechnika Warszawska PW-5. The design is type certified to JAR 22 in Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. [1] [2] [3]
By November 2012, 92 examples had been produced. In March 2025, 42 examples are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, 4 with Transport Canada and one with the British Civil Aviation Authority. [1] [5] [6] [7]
Data from Bayerl and the Sailplane Directory [1] [2]
General characteristics
Performance
Related lists
