The Czech Mint's half-ounce gold medal, which is part of a series of the most beautiful unrealized designs submitted to the Czech National Bank's competitions, pays tribute to the Aero L-39 Albatros training aircraft.

High-quality pilot training is essential for the effective use of modern combat aircraft. This is achieved through training aircraft, which help pilots master their flying, navigation, and skills. When the Warsaw Pact countries were looking for a jet aircraft to replace their piston-engine training aircraf at the turn of the 1950s and 1960st, the Aero L-29 Delfín won the competition. The success of the first jet aircraft designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia was a huge achievement for Aero Vodochody, but its designers did not stop their job on it and began to implement Ideas for the next generation immediately. The result was the versatile L-39 Albatros, which took off for the first time on November 4, 1968 and became famous as the most widely used aircraft of its type in the world. The two-seater training aircraft with seats for a student and instructor was designed for basic and advanced training in combat maneuvers, ground and air target interception, shooting, bombing, and flying in zero visibility. However, it also proved itself in the heat of combat. Thanks to its excellent flight characteristics and easy handling, it was also ideal for aerobatics, where the low-wing aircraft with a straight trapezoidal wing dazzled with its unprecedented elegance. It was powered by a light twin-engine jet engine, which gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 750 km/h, an operational ceiling of 11,500 meters, and a range of 1,100 kilometers. This undemanding and reliable machine, which was easy to maintain and had low operating costs, was designed to operate without problems even from unpaved surfaces, so it is no wonder that it was chosen by more than 40 military operators based in all conceivable climatic conditions. Production of the Albatros was discontinued in 1995, by which time almost 3,000 units had been built. Hundreds of them are still flying in military and civilian service...

The design by medal maker Asamat Baltaev, DiS served as the pattern for the commemorative medal. The expert committee of the Czech National Bank praised the sophisticated rendering of the aircraft in motion. While the obverse side features the aircraft depicted from various angles, the reverse side offers a view into the cockpit. On both sides of the medal, you will find details of the instrument panel together with the texts AERO L-‍39 – 2025 – CZECH REPUBLIC.

The medal is issued in a limited edition of only 99 pieces. Each piece is hand-numbered on the edge.