View source for Orličan L-40 Meta Sokol

{{Short description|Czech sports and touring aircraft}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
|name =L-40 Meta Sokol
|image =Orličan L40 Meta Sokol (OK-MMM).jpg
|caption =
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
|type = Touring aircraft
|manufacturer =[[Orličan]]
|designer =
|first flight =29 March 1956
|introduced =
|retired =
|status =in use
|primary user = Czechoslovakian aviation
|more users =
|produced = 1957-1959
|number built =106<ref name=numb>{{Cite web |url=http://techmag.valka.cz/let_l_l40.htm |title=Szwedo F., (1992) and |access-date=2008-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415005028/http://techmag.valka.cz/let_l_l40.htm |archive-date=2008-04-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|unit cost =
|variants with their own articles =
}}
|}
The '''L-40 Meta Sokol''' was a [[Czechoslovakia]]n sports and touring four-seat single-engine low-wing aircraft of the late 1950s.
==Development==
A predecessor of the L-40 was a sports and touring plane [[Mráz Sokol|M-1 Sokol]] of wooden construction. Next there was a sports plane with [[V-tail]] '''LD-40''', designed by Zdenek Rublič. Its prototype XLD-40 was flown on 30 July [[1950 in aviation|1950]], however, it did not meet required performance and was abandoned. In 1954 the design of a further improved variant, the LD-40 started again, with the [[Empennage|tail]] changed to a conventional one. The plane had a number of shortcomings, and further work continued. Eventually the aircraft was redesigned as a four-seater touring aircraft, under the designation '''L-40 Meta Sokol'''.
The prototype of the L-40, the '''XL-40''', flew first on 29 March 1956. Another prototype flew in August 1956, introducing some simplification of construction. In [[1957 in aviation|1957]] the aircraft entered production, and by [[1959 in aviation|1959]], 106 were built.<ref name=numb/> The first series of 10 aircraft had 77&nbsp;kW (103&nbsp;hp) [[Walter Minor III-4]] engine, with the remainder powered by more powerful (103&nbsp;kW (138&nbsp;hp)) [[Walter M-332]] engines. Four persons sat in two rows, with dual controls. An unusual feature is the reversed [[tricycle gear]], with main gear near the wing's leading edge and relatively big rear wheel near the wing's rear edge, which resulted in the fuselage being almost horizontal on the ground.
==Use==
The primary user was the Czechoslovak civilian aviation. Over half of production was exported to 16 countries, among others to Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and Australia. Several FAI world records were set on the L-40.
==Description==
The L-40 Meta Sokol is a single-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane of metal construction. It features a fuselage built of a frame in the front part, of semi-[[monocoque]] in rear part, and is duralumin covered. Additionally, it features a duralumin covered trapezoid three-part wing, fitted with split [[Flap (aircraft)|flaps]]. It has a conventional tail, with its steering surfaces covered with canvas. The tail fin is high and trapezoidal.  The plane has four seats in two rows, with twin controls in front. All are placed under a slim, partly glazed, rearwards-sliding [[aircraft canopy|canopy]]. At the rear, there is some luggage space. It has an inline engine in front, with a two-blade V-410 tractor propeller of a variable pitch. An unusual feature is its retractable reversed [[tricycle gear]]. The main gear's wheels are only half hidden in wings, making emergency landings safer. The aircraft's fuel tanks are in the wings, and small, teardrop-shaped tanks could be fitted to the wingtips.
==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=<ref name="Szwedo, F. (1992)">{{cite journal |last1=Szwedo |first1=Franciszek |title=Samolot sportowy L-40 Meta Sokol |journal=Modelarz |date=1992 |issue=8 |language=Polish}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|capacity=3 passengers
|length m=7.56
|length note=
|span m=10.3
|span note=
|height m=2.46
|height note=
|wing area sqm=14.56
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' Be-1120 (15%) ; '''tip:''' Be-1120 (10%)<ref name="Selig">{{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}}</ref>
|empty weight kg=534
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=934
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=950
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Avia M332]]
|eng1 type=4-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine
|eng1 kw=103
|eng1 note=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=237
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=204
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1100
|range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=5050
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=4.5
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|power/mass=
|more performance=<!--</br>
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Take-off distance to {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing distance from {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}-->
|avionics=
}}
==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
*[[Mráz Sokol]]
|similar aircraft=
*[[Piaggio P.149]]
*[[Ryan Navion]]
*[[Socata Rallye]]
|lists=
|see also=
}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
*  {{cite journal |last1=Paul |first1=G.J Christopher |title=Air Test 3: The Meta-Sokol |journal=Air Pictorial |date=July 1959 |pages=248–250}}
==External links==
{{commons category|Orličan L-40 Meta Sokol}}
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Aero%20L-40%20Meta%20Sokol&distinct_entry=true Photos at Airliners.net]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orlican L-40 Meta Sokol}}
[[Category:1950s Czechoslovak civil utility aircraft]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1956]]