Aero L-59 Super Albatros vs Airbus A340

ASupport aircraft

Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Military trainer aircraft COIN

Credit

Michal šenki · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BSupport aircraft

Airbus A340

Wide-body airliner

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Aero L-59 Super AlbatrosL-59E · Length

12.2 m

Length source ↗

Airbus A340Length · source measurement 2

59.4106 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

14 of 31 rows sourced on both sides

12.2mL-59E · Length

59.41mLength · source measurement 2

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

12.2 m

L-59E · Length

Single source

12.20 m (40 ft 0 in)^[source]

59.4 m

Length · source measurement 1

Single source

59.4106 m

Length · source measurement 2

Single source

59.4 m; 194 ft 11 in^[source]

9.54mL-59E · including tip tanks

60.3m

Wingspan

All recorded figures & sources

9.54 m

L-59E · including tip tanks

Single source

9.54 m (31 ft 4 in) (including tip tanks)^[source]

60.3 m

Wingspan

Single source

60.3 m (198 ft)^[source]

4.77mL-59E · Height

17.03m

Height

All recorded figures & sources

4.77 m

L-59E · Height

Single source

4.77 m (15 ft 8 in)^[source]

17.03 m

Height

Single source

17.03 m (55.9 ft)^[source]

275tMaximum take-off; Maximum takeoff weight

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4,030 kg

Empty; L-59E · includes gun

Single source

7,000 kg

Maximum take-off; L-59E · Max takeoff weight

Single source

4,030 kg (8,885 lb) (includes gun)^[source]

7,000 kg (15,432 lb)^[source]

275,000 kg

Maximum take-off; Maximum takeoff weight

Single source

275 t (606,000 lb)^[source]

2L-59E · Crew

Two

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

2 people

L-59E · Crew

Single source

2^[source]

Two^[source]

865km/hMaximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

915km/hMaximum; Speed · source measurement 2

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

865 km/h

Maximum; L-59E · at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)

Single source

865 km/h (537 mph, 467 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)^[source]

872.264448 km/h

Maximum; ) at 12,000 m (39,000 ft

Single source

914.107392 km/h

Maximum; ) at 12,000 m (39,000 ft) Cruise: Mach 0.82 (

Single source

914.888 km/h

Maximum; Max.: Mach 0.86 (

Single source

915 km/h

Maximum; Speed · source measurement 2

Single source

872.292 km/h

Maximum; Speed · source measurement 4

Single source

872 km/h

Maximum; Speed · source measurement 5

Single source

Max.: Mach 0.86 (494 kn; 915 km/h; 568 mph) at 12,000 m (39,000 ft) Cruise: Mach 0.82 (471 kn; 872 km/h; 542 mph) at 12,000 m (39,000 ft)^[source]

2,000km

—

Range

All recorded figures & sources

2,000 km

L-59E · at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)

Single source

2,000 km (1,200 mi, 1,100 nmi) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft) (with maximum internal and external fuel)^[source]

21.6kNL-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

—

Thrust

All recorded figures & sources

21.57 kN

L-59E · 1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan thrust

Single source

1 × Lotarev DV-2 turbofan , 21.57 kN (4,850 lbf) thrust^[source]

18.8m²L-59E · Wing area

—

Wing area

All recorded figures & sources

18.8 m²

L-59E · Wing area

Single source

18.80 m 2 (202.4 sq ft)^[source]

11,800mL-59E · Service ceiling

12,527mCeiling

Service ceilingScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

11,800 m

L-59E · Service ceiling

Single source

11,800 m (38,700 ft)^[source]

12,527 m

Ceiling

Single source

12,527 m (41,099 ft)^[source]

28m/sL-59E · 5,510 ft/min

—

Rate of climb

All recorded figures & sources

28 m/s

L-59E · 5,510 ft/min

Single source

28.0 m/s (5,510 ft/min)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Aero L-59 Super Albatros and Airbus A340 configuration
Specification	Aero L-59 Super Albatros	Airbus A340
Type	Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Aero Vodochody^[source]	Airbus^[source]
Status	Out of production, in service^[source]	In service^[source]
Primary users	Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]	Lufthansa Mahan Air Conviasa Edelweiss Air^[source]
Number built	80^[source]	377^[source]
Manufactured	1986–1996^[source]	1991–2012^[source]
First flight	30 September 1986^[source]	25 October 1991 ( 1991-10-25 )^[source]
Developed from	Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]	Airbus A300^[source]
Variant	Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]	—
Fuel capacity	1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]	—
Stall speed	185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]	—
Guns	one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]	—
Hardpoints	four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]	—
Country of origin	Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01	—
Role	—	Wide-body airliner^[source]
National origin	—	Multi-national^[source]
Introduction date	—	15 March 1993 with Lufthansa and Air France^[source]
Wing geometry	—	363.1 m 2 (3,908 sq ft), 29.7° sweep, 10 AR^[source]
OEW	—	118 t (260,000 lb)^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Aero L-59 Super Albatros

Airbus A340

Type

Military trainer aircraft COIN^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Aero Vodochody^[source]

Airbus^[source]

Status

Out of production, in service^[source]

In service^[source]

Primary users

Czech Air Force Egyptian Air Force Tunisian Air Force^[source]

Lufthansa Mahan Air Conviasa Edelweiss Air^[source]

Number built

80^[source]

377^[source]

Manufactured

1986–1996^[source]

1991–2012^[source]

First flight

30 September 1986^[source]

25 October 1991 ( 1991-10-25 )^[source]

Developed from

Aero L-39 Albatros^[source]

Airbus A300^[source]

Variant

Aero L-159 ALCA^[source]

—

Fuel capacity

1,537 L (406 US gal; 338 imp gal) including tip tanks^[source]

—

Stall speed

185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) (flaps down)^[source]

—

Guns

one GSh-23L cannon in under-fuselage pod^[source]

—

Hardpoints

four underwing hardpoints with a capacity of inner hardpoints 500 kg (1,100 lb)capacity, outer hardpoints 250 kg (550 lb)^[source]

—

Country of origin

Czechoslovakia^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 1, row 26, cell 2; revision 1374778711; retrieved 2026-10-01

—

Role

—

Wide-body airliner^[source]

National origin

—

Multi-national^[source]

Introduction date

—

15 March 1993 with Lufthansa and Air France^[source]

Wing geometry

—

363.1 m 2 (3,908 sq ft), 29.7° sweep, 10 AR^[source]

OEW

—

118 t (260,000 lb)^[source]