007 Relations

Villain/henchmens vehicle

Vehicle Bond drives

Vehicle Bond steals

Persuers vehicle

Notes

• Appearances
• Facts

Appearances

In the  'Tomorrow Never Dies' pretitle sequence James Bond steals this two-seater jet from a terrorist weapons market and escapes with the nuclear torpedoes just seconds before a cruise missile hits the area. In an air combat with another jet Bond shoots his opponent down by ejecting the villain in the backseat!

Facts

Aero L-39 Albatros is a Warsaw Pact jet trainer designed during the 1960's in Czechoslovakia. Maiden flight on 4th November 1968. In production from 1971 to 1996, with 2.900 planes build. It served in more than 30 air forces and are still in use.

4 different planes were used during filming. Two for the flying scenes:

• Aero L-39ZO, ID: 28/02 (G-OTAF), serial number 232337
• Aero L-39ZA, ID: 28/08 (unknown), serial number 5321

Other two for the ground scenes:

• Aero L-39ZO, ID: 28/02 (G-BWTS), serial number 731002
• Aero L-39ZO, ID: 28/08 (G-BWTT), serial number 731013

The plane Bond steals has yellow nose, and yellow markings on the wingtip tanks and tail fin. His opponents plane is marked red in the same way.

Technical Data

• Manufactor: Aero Vodochody, Czecholovakia
• Type: 2-seat jet trainer
• Wingspan: 9,46 m (31 ft)
• Length overall: 12,13 m (39 ft 10 in)
• Height overall: 4,77 m (15 ft 8 in)
• Weight empty, equipped: 3.455 kg (7.617 lb)
• Engine: 16,87 kN (3.792 lbf) Ivchenko Ai-25 TL Turbofan
• Max takeoff weight: 4.700 kg (10.362 lb)
• Max speed at S/L: 610 km/h
• Max range: 1.100 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)(internal fuel)
• Endurance:
  2 hours 30 min (internal fuel)
  3 hours 50 min (internal and external fuel)
• Service ceiling: 11.000 m (36.000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 21 m/s (4.100 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 250 kg (51 lb/sq ft)
• Take-off roll: 530 m (1.740 ft)
• Landing roll: 650 m (2.130 ft)
• Armament:
  Up to 284 kg (626 lb) on two external hardpoints
• Crew: 2
• ID:
  Bond plane: 28 08
  Persuer: 28 02
  
   

Gadgets

• None

Sources

Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1989-90, page 49/50.