L40

About the L40

The Czechoslovak Automobile and Aircraft L40 is a fixed-wing, type-certificated sports and touring aircraft featuring a single piston engine. It accommodates four individuals across two rows and comes equipped with dual controls, making it well-suited for touring and recreational pilots. The layout utilizes a low-wing configuration paired with an unconventional reversed tricycle landing gear arrangement, placing the main wheels near the leading edge and a large rear wheel near the trailing edge so the fuselage remains nearly horizontal while on the ground.

Originating from earlier wooden designs and the unsuccessful V-tail LD-40, the project was revised with a conventional tail and a lengthened cabin. The prototype achieved its maiden flight in the mid-1950s, followed by the introduction of a simplified production model. Early production units relied on a lower-horsepower powerplant, whereas the remaining majority received a stronger 103 kW engine. Total manufacturing concluded by the end of the 1950s with over a hundred examples completed.