Orličan (1) L-40 Meta Sokol
The Orlican L-40 Meta-Sokol is a four-seat, low-wing touring aircraft developed in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1950s as an enlarged version of the earlier three-seat Sokol series, adding a fourth seat and a more powerful engine while keeping the original's wooden, fabric-covered construction. It was widely used by Czechoslovak state aero clubs for touring and private flying, and many examples survive today with vintage-aircraft owners across Europe. Its name carries over 'Sokol', meaning falcon, from the earlier M-1 Sokol family it descended from, and the type is still flown at classic-aircraft rallies as a representative of 1950s Czechoslovak general aviation.
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Did you know?
The L-40 Meta Sokol is a 1950s Czechoslovak touring aircraft with a fabric-covered wooden body and a fourth seat added to the classic Sokol fuselage.
Specifications
| Length | 7.5 m (25 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.9 t |
| Range | 460 NM (852 km) |
| Service ceiling | 14,500 ft (4,420 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Rate of climb | 630 ft/min (3.2 m/s) |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Orličan (1) L-40 Meta Sokol starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
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