An ambulance version of the aircraft that was the Czechoslovak successor to the Fi 156 Storch. Post-war civil and military aviation used large numbers of high-quality aircraft for a long time, purchased at reduced prices. The reason for this were considerable stocks of wartime equipment being adapted for service in new, peacetime conditions. However, over time, the need arose to create new designs.
The L-60 Brigadyr aircraft was developed as part of a competition announced by the Ministry of Defence for a successor to the German Fieseler 156 Storch, which had been used by the Czechoslovak Air Force since the end of the war. The design work and development of the prototype at the Prague Aero factory was led until 1953 by a team headed by engineer Ondrej Nemec.
Three test examples were built. The first, designated XL-60, was first flown in 1953. The third, first flown in 1955 and serving as the template for serial production, was already the work of engineer Zdenek Rublic. The aircraft he developed was a multi-purpose, four-seat, strut-braced high-wing monoplane of all-metal construction. After testing, it was accepted for production at the Orlican factory in Chocen. Serial production, lasting from 1956 to 1960, totalled 250 examples.
These airframes were exported to many countries, including East Germany, the USSR, New Zealand, Argentina and Egypt. L-60 aircraft were built in many versions: including utility, ambulance and agricultural. Tests were also conducted on a military version — the L-160, but the idea was abandoned. An example of this version is exhibited today at the Czech Aviation Museum Prague-Kbely. The great, and ultimately unresolved, problem of this aircraft was its unsuccessful and unreliable engine.
| Wingspan | 14 m |
| Length | 8,5 m |
| Takeoff weight | 1420 kg |
| Maximum speed | 195 km/h |
| Ceiling | 4500 m |
| Range | 900 km |
| Armament | – |
| Engine | 6-cylinder, inline, boxer configuration Praga Doris B, 220 hp (162 kW) |
Three examples in the L-60E version were operated in Poland. They were purchased by the Ministry of Health and assigned to the air ambulance service. The exhibited L-60, with factory number 150723 and registration SP-FXA, in the Museum’s collection was purchased in 1957 and flew in air ambulance service until 1974. It was transferred to the collection by the Air Ambulance Unit in Krakow on 6 January 1974.
In the 2000s, its original paint scheme was restored.
