Aeroplane: Aero L-60E Brigadyr

Czechoslovakia
air ambulance
1957

An air ambulance variant of the Czechoslovak replacement for the Fi 156 Storch.

For a long time, the postwar aviation, both civil and military, used high quality aircraft bought for lower prices. The reason being big quantities of surplus war equipment, utilised for peace time use. With the passage of time, however, the need for new constructions appeared.

The L-60 Brigadyr was designed for the competition announced by the Czechoslovak Defence Ministry for the replacement of the German Fieseler 156 Storch, utilised by Czechoslovak aviation since the end of the hostilities. By 1953, a team led by Ondrej Nemec carried out work for the first prototype at the Praha Aero manufacturers, its maiden flight as the XL-60 was made in the same year.

The third test aircraft (being the standard for serial production), however, appeared as the work of Zdenek Rublic. It was an all-metal, high-wing (with struts), multipurpose, four seater aircraft. After tests it was introduced into production at the Orlican works in Choclnia. The production between 1953–1956 closed with almost 250 aircraft.

The Aero L-60 were exported to the German Democratic Republic, the Soviet Union, New Zealand and Argentina and were delivered as executive, ambulance and agricultural versions. Also, tests (which were later suspended) were carried out on the military L-160 version (now displayed at the Praha-Kbely museum). The aircraft's big and unsolved problem was a troubled and disappointing engine.

In Poland, three L-60E's were used as ambulances. The 150723, SP-FXA L-60 Brigadyr on display at the museum was bought in 1957 and flew with Ambulance Aviation until 1974. It was handed over by the Ambulance Aviation Team in Krakow on 6th January 1974.

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