Guideline Publications is the UK's leading publisher of modeling and hobby-related magazines. With a world-class portfolio of titles and an international Social Media presence, Guideline Publications has a dedicated readership that is constantly expanding into new areas. This English language book, Aero L-39- L-59- L-139 & L-159 Albatros, is authored by Jakub Fojtík Ph.D. with scale drawings by Sam Pearson. The latest in Guideline’s Warpaint series, 149, was published in 2025. A digital edition will soon be available. The latest on Guideline’s publications can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/guidelinepub/

Jakub Fojtik attended the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, achieving his Bachelor degree in Management of Security Forces, Security, and Law Studies. He followed up with a Master's Degree in Management of Security Forces and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business Law. To top it off he achieved a Doctorate (JUDr.) in Security studies at the Academy of the Slovak Police in Bratislava and a Ph.D. in Management of Security Forces from the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague. Jakub Fojtik is currently a University Lecturer at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic, the Vice President of Military Sales for Aero Vodochody Aerospace a.s. (Aero L-39, L-159, etc.) and an independent aviation journalist who is regularly published in aviation related journals and aviation magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Defence Helicopter, Fly Past, Flying Revue, Hobby Historie, Letectvi a Kosmonautika, 4 Rotors, and many others. He is the author of over twenty aviation books, primarily rotary wing military aircraft monographs like: Mi-8/17 Mi-8 Multipurpose Helicopter (Jakab, 2009); Mi-4: Mi-4 Multi-Purpose Helicopter (Jakab, 2011); Latest Hips [Mi-171 & Mi-17V-5 and its Subvariants] In Detail (W&WP, 2014); Albatros: Aero L39, L59, L139 (Magnet Press, 2016); Ka-50 Ka-52: Werewolf, Black Shark, Erdogan, Alligator and the Others (Kagero, 2017); Mi-28: Night Hunter and the Others (Kagero, 2017).

Warpaint's latest is their standard portrait A4 [8.25” x 11.75”] format square-back softbound publication that is 84 pages, including the covers. Petr Kolmann contributes eight pages of color illustrations that includes 40 color side-profiles along with two pages of 1/72 line drawings showing top, bottom, front views, and five side profiles. I counted 167 color photographs and 28 black and white photographs. The front cover features a Petr Kolmann color side profile of a Czech Air Force L-39V, c/n 630720. Notable is the Budweiser Brewery logo on the upper tailfin. The City of České Budějovice was a prominent ambassador for the brand which was founded in 1895. She is currently part of the Muzeyn Letecké a Pozemni Techniky collection. The front cover color photograph is of a Tunisian L-59T, in flight. Initial deliveries were in 1995 with the type being finally retired in 2023 as the engine became unsupportable. The upper color photograph on the rear cover is of the L-39ZA.7 prototype [Black 5240] that was utilized as a avionics testbed alongside a production Royal Thai Air Force L-39ZA/ART flying in formation. Thailand would end up taking delivery of 40 L-39ZA/ART Albatros between 1993 and 1997. The color photograph at the center of the rear cover shows off a Czech L-39ZA.7 [Black 5015].

Jakub Fojtik opens with an overview of the development of the Aero L-39 Albatros, beginning with Aero’s production of S-102 [MiG-15], S-103 [MiG-15bis], and CS-102 [MiG-15UTI]. Aero continued license building of the S-105 [MiG-19S] and S-106 [MiG-21F-13]. Experience manufacturing the MiG-15, MiG-17, and MiG-21 series led to the L-29 Delfin jet trainer, the first indigenously designed aircraft in Czechoslovakia. This in turn led to the design of the L-39 Albatros to succeed the highly successful Delfin. The Aero L-39 achieved its first flight on November 4, 1968. Aero would go on to manufacture 2,900 Albatros. The top of Page 07 depicts the second flying prototype [X-03], coded OK-182, performing ejection seat testing with a dummy pilot. Note the checkerboard markings under the cockpit used for calibration tests. This same airframe is shown at the bottom of the page wearing the code OK-23. She was later used for cannon integration testing.

The L-139 Albatros 2000 prototype is shown on Page 26. Here she is seen in her second paint scheme of two tone grey tactical camouflage. This improved L-39 Albatros featured western avionics and a Garrett TFE731-4-1T turbofan. The L-139 was proposed for the United States JPATS competition via General Dynamics. Unfortunately, this ended when General Dynamics was bought by Lockheed Martin who was proposing their own entry into the JPATS contest. The L-139 prototype was later demilitarized and sold to a private US citizen. Unfortunately, she crashed on April 19, 2023, near Bridgeport, Texas. Additional development of the basic L-39 Albatros led to the L-59 Super Albatros which featured a more powerful engine, the Lotarev DV-2 turbofan of 21.6kN in thrust. The L-59 Super Albatros was ordered by the Czechoslovak Air Force, the Tunisian Air Force, and the Egyptian Air Force. The Aero L-159 Alca was derived from the L-59, with development beginning in 1993 and deliveries in 2000.

The L-39 Albatros and its successors served with over fifty nations. Algeria is highlighted on Page 37 with two color photographs. The L-39C-1, coded NL-29, at the top of the page is typical of the desert-country camouflage scheme. The L-39ZA.1, NL-88 at the bottom of the page is painted in a tiger paint scheme, serving with the Algerian Air Force demonstration team, Nourmor. The L-39 Albatros is still active with Algeria with service expected at least until the mid-2030s. A standard feature for Guideline’s Warpaint series is the In Detail section as seen on Page 73. Notable is the tail fin of a Czech L-39ZA.7 [Black 5019] marking the fiftieth anniversary of the L-39 Albatros’ first flight. The portrait is of Colonel Ing. Rudolf Duchoň, Aero’s factory test pilot who performed that initial flight.

Five examples of the color side profiles can be viewed on Page 79. The top profile is a L-39ZA.1 Albatros which served in a gloss silver lacquer finish. Romania would operate 32 L-39ZA.1 aircraft from 1980 through 2007, when budget cuts ended their service. Most were sold to US private owners or arms dealers. The third profile is of the first Cuban L-39C.1 Albatros which were delivered in crates by merchant cargo ships. This first one arrived in late 1982 and was assembled by Aero crews. The Albatros is still in service with Cuba, often used for maritime patrols. The fourth profile features one of three Syrian L-39ZO.1 Albatros that were delivered in black for Syrian aerobatic displays for cadet graduations. A Syrian L-39ZO.2 in standard camouflage is the fifth profile at the bottom of the page.

The Chapters include:

• Design and Development of Jet Trainers in Czechoslovakia [Page 06]
• Family Expansion – Other Variants
• A Second Life [Page 26]
• L-39, L-59, L-139, and L-159 Flight Prototypes [Table]
• Aftermarket Conversions
• Worldwide Footprint
• Abkhazia
• Afghanistan [Page 37]
• Algeria
• Angola
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Bulgaria
• Cambodia
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Chechnya
• Cuba
• Czechoslovakia
• Czech Republic
• Djibouti
• East Germany
• Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Georgia
• Germany
• Hungary
• Iran
• Iraq
• Islamic State
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Libya
• Lithuania
• Luhansk People’s Republic
• Mali
• Mozambique
• Nigeria
• Nicaragua
• Romania
• Russian Federation
• Slovakia
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Turkmenistan
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• USA
• USSR
• Usbekistan
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Unconfirmed Operators
• List of Military L-39, L-59, and L-159 Deliveries… [Table]
• Number of Civilian L-39 Registrations [Table]
• L-39, L-59, L-139, and L-159 Technical Data [Table]
• Aero L-39, L-59, L-139, & L-159 Albatros In Detail [Page 73]
• Aero L-39 Albatros 1/72 Scale Drawings by Petr Kolmann
• Colour Side Profiles by Petr Kolmann [Page 79]

The Aero L-39 Albatros is readily available in 1/48, 1/72, and 1/144-scale releases. The Albatros has been released in the past in 1/32-scale; however, you are going to have to work to get one. Collect-Aire released an L-39 in 1999 in cast resin. HpH Models released a cast resin kit in 2012, and there are a few older vacuformed kits. MPM / Special Hobby released a new tool injection kit of the L-39ZO in 1/48-scale in 1998 which has been released at least eleven times [including 3 releases by Eduard]. Trumpeter released a new tool injection kit of the L-39C Albatros in 2017 that was subsequently released as a L-39ZA and L-39MS / L-59 Super Albatros. Releases in 1/72 are plentiful, starting with the KP injected plastic kit in 1982 [Later re-released on several names]. Eduard released a new injected tool in 2002 that has seen 13 releases with the latest in 2024. Attack Hobby Kits released a new injected tool in 2006 in 1/144-scale that has since been re-boxed by Mark I Models at least five times.

This is a great follow-up to Jakub Fojtik’s Warpaint 134 [2022] on the Aero L-29 Delfin [https://reviews.ipmsusa.org/review/aero-l-29-delfin-0]. I was able to read this monograph over three days. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter, Worldwide Footprint. There are many interesting stories on the service of the L-39 in over fifty countries. One that stood out was how Lithuania acquired four L-39C.1 aircraft from Kyrgyzstan in secret for cash. The text is well supplemented with very clear photographs with good captions. Petr Kolmann provides well executed color side profiles and the 1/72-line drawings. This is a nice reference on the Aero L-39 Albatros and would be a handy addition to your reference library. If you are building any of the model kits, I would consider this edition essential as an aide to your build. If you own any of the previous releases in the Warpaint series, you know what you are getting. If this is your initial entry into this series, you will be quite pleased.

My thanks to Guideline Publications and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great monograph.

Highly recommended!