Let L-610

{{Infobox aircraft

|name = L-610

|image =LetXL-610MKunovice.JPG

|caption =The L-610M X05 in Kunovice museum

|type = Airliner, transport aircraft

|manufacturer =Let Kunovice

|designer = Antonín Píštěk

|first_flight = 28 December 1988

|introduction =

|retired =

|status = Prototype only; retired

|primary_user =Czech Republic

|more_users =

|produced =

|number_built = 8 (6 flying and 2 for structural tests)

|unit cost =

|developed_into = TVRS-44 Ladoga

}}

The Let L-610 is a prototype aircraft for the Czech civil aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice made in 1988–1997.

Design and development

In the late 1970s, after the success of the LET L-410 twin engine turboprop, the Soviet airline Aeroflot requested that LET design a replacement for the Antonov An-24 aircraft.

LET's L-610 was designed as a twin engined turboprop aircraft powered by the new Czech engine, Walter M602, with a seating capacity of 40. Flight testing was delayed by engine development taking longer than airframe development. Eventually the 1,358 kW (1,822 shp) turboprop engines were finished and the aircraft first flew on 28 December 1988. No aircraft was ever delivered to any commercial customer, although one aircraft was shown in Aeroflot markings during the Paris Air Show in the 1990s. One Let 610 M was delivered to the Czech Air Force,{{cite web|url=http://www.army.cz/scripts/detail.php?id=6214|title=History: L-610 Transport Aircraft (a prototype not recommended to employ)|publisher=army.cz}} to support manufacturer's certification and test flights process.

After the Soviet collapse LET tried to westernize the plane in order to widen the aircraft's sales appeal. The result was a new model, known as the L-610G, which had General Electric CT7 engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line II digital EFIS, weather radar and autopilot. The L-610G prototype flew its maiden flight on 18 December 1992; four years after the L-610M.

During the time that the now-defunct Ayres Corp. owned LET, the aircraft was also known as the Ayres L-610, and for a time was marketed as the Ayres 7000. The customer for the Ayres 7000 was to have been City Connexion Airlines before bankruptcy problems sidelined the program.

On 29 August 2019, the UGMC subsidiary, the Ural Works of Civil Aviation and the Russian regional Polar Airlines signed an agreement to supply ten L-610 aircraft from 2023 to 2025 as part of the regional aviation development program of the Russian Federation. The signing took place at the international aerospace forum MAKS 2019 in Moscow.{{cite web|url=http://www.uwca.ru/news/2019/uzga-postavit-v-yakutiyu-10-samoletov-l-610-do-2025-goda/|title=УЗГА поставит в Якутию 10 самолетов L-610 до 2025 года|publisher=www.uwca.ru}}

Variants

;L-610M

:Basic variant with Walter M602 engines.

;L-610G / Ayres 7000

:Variant with General Electric XT7-9D engines.

;L-610 MPA

:Proposed Anti-submarine warfare variant.

; TVRS-44 Ladoga

: 44-seat Russian variant currently in development by the Ural Works of Civil Aviation, powered by {{cvt|2,400|hp}} Klimov TV7-117 turbprops of the Ilyushin Il-114-300 from Russia’s United Engine Corporation to replace Antonov An-24s, An-26s and Yakovlev Yak-40s.{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/klimov-to-develop-enhanced-engine-for-tvrs-44-turboprop/144609.article |title= Klimov to develop enhanced engine for TVRS-44 turboprop |author= David Kaminski-Morrow |date= 15 July 2021 |work= Flightglobal}}

Specifications (L-610)

File:L-610M X01.JPG]]

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory{{cite book |editor-last=Taylor|editor-first=M J H | title = Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition | year = 1999 | publisher = Brassey's | isbn = 978-1-85753-245-6 }}

|prime units?=met

|crew=2 (pilot, co-pilot)

|capacity= 40 passengers / {{cvt|5000|kg|0}} max payload

|length m=21.72

|length note=

|span m=25.6

|span note=

|height m=7.6

|height note=

|wing area sqm=56

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=root: NASA MS(1)-0318 ; tip: NASA MS(1)-0312{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |accessdate=16 April 2019}}

|empty weight kg=8950

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight kg=14500

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=General Electric CT7-9D

|eng1 type=turboprop engines

|eng1 kw=1305

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=6

|prop name=constant-speed propellers

|prop dia m=

|prop dia note=

|max speed kmh=490

|max speed note={{cite web|url= http://www.luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/le610.htm|title= The Virtual Aviation Museum – Let L 610|accessdate= 2007-07-21|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070930183619/http://www.luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/le610.htm|archivedate= 30 September 2007}}

|cruise speed kmh=438

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=2420

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range note=