L39 Info?? Anyone??

[Lead Sled]

I think the rich doctors might prefer the option to jettison the aircraft, whether out of the envelope or not, as opposed to the alternative when the engine sh!ts...

It's funny you say that. The owner of the L39 in our hangar is a doctor. Hmmm... maybe we'll have to rethink the phrase "V-Tailed Doctor Killer".

Personally, I thought it strange not to have the seats hot. If I had enought dinero to afford one of those things I'd want the option. The survivability of an off airport landing is a function of how quickly the kinetic energy is dissipated. If you’re lucky you’ll have a flat smooth surface, but throw in some rocks, trees, etc. and you quickly see why survivability, if you stay with it, is a big question. On the other hand, compressed spines aren't a lot of fun either. Oh well, I was just reporting what the owner told me.

By the way, a couple of weeks ago he let me climb up into the front cockpit - it was all Glass. I only wish our airplane was as nice.

'Sled

 

[RockyMnt1]

Best glide is around 135 kts.

 

[GVFlyer]

L-39

It's underpowered...

GV

 

[Huggyu2]

Underpowered? Compared to your Gulfstream: yes. But your G-V is "undermaneuverable" in my book.
If one engine quits, the L-39 is WAY underpowered compared to your ride! So, I'd like the ejection seat.
Also, save judgement on the seat for not saving a life when it was used out of the envelope. Every seat has it's limit.

Need a place to have former Eastern Euro maintenance guys working on your ejection seat? Pride, International Jets, and plenty of others. Like most things in the USA, if there's an interest, there's an entrepreneur willing to sell the service.