The LF-107 Luňák () is a Czech aerobatic glider designed by

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

-based company Rudý Letov in the late 1940s. The design was developed within a prolific group of aeronautical engineers and sailplane pilots, including K. Dlouhý (later author of

LET L-13 Blaník The L-13 Blaník is a two-seater trainer glider produced by Let Kunovice since 1956. It is the most numerous and widely used glider in the world. In United States Air Force Academy service, it is designated TG-10C and was used for basic flight ...

), J. Matejček, and B. Boček, led by chief designer Vladimír Štros.

Design and development

The first flight of the prototype took place on June 25, 1948, and a second prototype flew in July. The prototype participated later in the same year in aerobatic competition in

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Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, and in Ziar,

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in 1949, where its good aerobatic and gliding characteristics drew considerable attention. Unfortunately, serial production was disrupted by geopolitical developments, as the factory was charged with production of

MiG-15 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate s ...

MiG-19 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is a Soviet second generation, single-seat, twinjet fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Cen ...

, MiG-21F aircraft, and access to Western civil export markets were progressively hampered by the emergence of the

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. Therefore, only 75 examples of the Luňák were produced. In 1950, a variant with simpler construction and a revised cockpit, among other changes, was developed. This LF-107 Luňák of wooden construction designated Letov VT-7 under the military training system was instrumental in the development of gliding and aerobatics in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. The LF-107 was also used for aerobatic training in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

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and Poland.

XLF-207 Laminar

The Letov XLF-207 Laminar, a derivative of the Luňák, was the first glider in the world with a laminar flow wing. Its maiden flight took place in Praha Letnany in August 1951. Research into laminar flow wings was carried out by the XLF-207 Laminar, an LF-107 fitted with laminar flow wings. Presently there are only nine airworthy Luňáks, two of which are in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. A Luňák is displayed in the American Museum of Flight.

Variants

;LF-107 Luňák :The initial production version of this aerobatic glider, 75 built. ;VT-7 :Simpler construction with a revised cockpit for use by the Czech military. ;XLF-207 Laminar :The Letov XLF-207 Laminar was the first glider in the world with a laminar flow wing. Its maiden flight took place in Praha Letnany in August 1951.

Specifications (LF-107 Luňák)

References

External links

German site dedicated to the Luňák

Museum of Flight

Flying revue – LF 107 Luňák History (Czech)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letov LF-107 Lunak 1940s Czechoslovak sailplanes LF-107 Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1948 Glider aircraft Aircraft with fixed bicycle landing gear