GRYF Design is a heading of aircraft development entusiasts, originally coming mainly from LET Kunovice factory.

 

In the very beginning it was not true team created for some specific purpose. Rather it was enthusiastly born specialist community, which were not satisfied from their too conservative work in L-610 regional aircraft development - in classical socialist aircraft development without any responsibility and without any - even spiritual profit. In the first picture from L-610 roll-out You could recognize tens of communist party chiefs from all regional companies and goverment, but only two-three people which had something connected with.

From another side, that situation created spontaneous activities of independed acteurs, which risked to come with own responsibility without any profit excluding own feeling. This way there were created agricultural Turbočmelák, Vivat motor-glider, Blaník L23 and L33 Sólo gliders in Kunovice companies.

That way our first ultralight Let ULM-1 GRYF was created too - one from the first aerodynamically controlled UL aircraft in Czech.

And that way there was created personal connections, used then for our next projects - actually for MD3 Rider aircraft development, its prepared options, versions and its followers.

Under documentation with GRYF logo there is possible to find names of all the very best specialists of LET Kunovice - including chiefs of strength analysis, aerodynamic calculations, glider design and preliminary design departments - and including one from LET chiefdesigners.

Marián Mečiar, Jiří Vychopeň, Marián Rydlo, Petr Štěrba, Jan Fridrich, Zdeněk Ančík, Ludvík Bedřich, Rudolf Böhm, Václav Protiva, Ladislav Bouchal, Pavel Franc, Pavel Brančík, Václav Zajíc, Jaroslav Růžička, Pavel Píštěcký, Petr Profous, Josef Filípek, Josef Oharek, Miroslav Warchil, Vladimír Laszák, ... with good advices there were helped a tens of next specialists - starting from Oldřich Grégr, to Zdeno Petira - the best UL and glider pilot I personally knew. - and test pilots, proof station specialists, prototype workshop, production...

After LET became a part of history - remembered with nostalgia in mind - we were participated in next developments for more firms, so today it is not possible to tell all named people can participate in next GRYF dvelopment. But although of that there is good to tell Great Thanks for their participation in that "amateur association of proffesional developers" and for all aircraft which were, are - and I hope - will be created during next years under GRYF design flag. Just now there are colaborated from this reason next specialists with us - employees of another aircraft companies and independed developers - Igor Špaček, Petr Svoboda, Bohuš Závodný, Vlado Pekár, ... and my two sons Jakub and Zdeněk Dostáls are helping me with styling and design work too. We are in closed contact with a lot of another - including Slovakian "guru" of styling Štefan Klein.

To show our experiences we can use - let me introduce myself - author of projects created under GRYF design flag:

I am born in Ostrava and living in Hodonin, Czech Republic. After studies in technical high-school and Technical university in Ostrava I finished my studies at Aircraft development faculty of Military university in Brno in 1977. During my compulsory military service I was working in Aircraft maintenance unit for Mig-21 fighters.

23 years in LET Kunovice aircraft factory:

Although I continued in studies and absolved various CAD trainings, main skills and experiences I obtained from 23 years work for LET Kunovice factory, the biggest aircraft producer in Czech Republic that time. Short time I was working for aircraft proof test room. Next ten years I developed aircraft control systems in Design and development department as an “Independence aircraft development engineer”. During that my work I obtained some patents for control systems and flap mechanisms, and continued with studies in CAD (VUT Brno university). My KIN-software for kinematics was used then in all Czech aircraft factories. I participated on the L-410, L-420, L-610 and L-610G commuters development, and L-23 and L-33 gliders design.

I have published some articles in Czech aircraft magazines, connected with my job specialization, styling and my hobby – light aircraft for enjoy flying.

Thanks of that interests and possibility of artist view of technical problems, I helped to Preliminary design group with new LET projects. Before Velvet revolution I moved to this department and last seven years spent in LET I have been working as a Head of preliminary design. I leaded groups of five to twenty members, established for projects of commuters L-430, L-450, L-510, L-420E, general aviation 4-seat Family Air or special cargo plane FL-710FX for 6 or 8 LD3 containers, redesigned for Fairchild-FEDEX from L-610 subassemblies. Along that work, I have made some own studies for marketing group and LET management. Thanks of that works I have met all development needs from basic studies and marketing analysis to finishing of technological processes, flying proofs and certification.

20 years of Ultralight aircraft designing:

Thanks my hobbies, I know and flew hang gliders and Ultralights from its begin in seventees. We prepared own engine for our first hobby ultralight named Gryf (known as Griffon in USA), developed with my friends Marian Meciar and Jirka Vychopen and next members of our "Gryf club", connecting all friends with the same "illness" - light aircraft development and fun flying. Because all these works we made with the help and advices of our friends from LET aircraft factory, I am glad we can use help of the best Czech specialists for all our new projects. Our first UL one-seat aircraft ULM-1 Gryf was serially produced by Czech TIB firm and was succesful in some European and world UL championships. After my leaving of the LET aircraft factory I worked for Interplane UL aircraft producer as their director of development and vice-president of their US sale branche Interplane USA in Florida. (www.interplaneaircraft.com) This Czech firm in US ownership is still producing our Skyboy two-seat UL aircraft, sold in bigger amount on the USA market mainly. The same aeroplanes are flying in Mexico, Canada, Australia and Europe.

RAVEN aircraft development in Letecká továrna Praha:

During 2000-2003 I was working for Letecká Továrna sro Praha–Letňany (the oldest aircraft producer in the Czech Republic) as a leader of LT development team. Little flying truck Raven 257 for 800 kgs loads or carrying of 8 passengers (before I came not possible to carry more then two pilots and half fuel) was redesigned for lower weight and better performance by our team. First flight of redesigned proof of concept aircraft was done in the Spring 2002. Although main part of theoretical work for its certification was finished (including almost brand new design documentation) and proof of concept approved our design and conception changes, owner of LT was not able to create condition for finishing of certificable machine in real time.

During last months in Letecka tovarna we recognized there is not correct way to continue for us ... So during evenings and holidays we prepared with Marian Mečiar some studies of all-metal UL aircraft line MD-1 to MD-4 and offered that to interested persons. Then Marian left Letecká Továrna to leading position in Aero Vodochody "civil program" - to finish Ae270 development.

GRYF Design - FLYITALIA

From interested persons about our ideas we chosen as the best interest about developing of MD3 high-wing study from new established Flyialia s.r.l. firm (www.flyitalia.it), mailnly because they were functioned as dealers of our friends aircraft Dynamic and Eurofox that time, and because they had interest about wide development line, mainly high-wing, low-wing and their faster versions with retractable undercarriage.

As the first from this line FLYITALIA chosen MD3 strutted high-wing. Development was made using all our friends from GRYF club and next skilled persons we met in Letov - and first prototype was built by Aerospool CZ in Hluk.

First flight was done 25-th February 2004 in Kunovice airport.

GRYF Aircraft

Originally Flyialia s.r.l. wanted to create only first prototype, and then first "pre-serial" production. But after that production was running, they changed meaning and prefered to establish Czech serial producer with FLYITALIA majority ownership.

So because we felt it like return back to our ideas and dreams, we established firm GRYF aircraft spol. s r.o. for serial production of MD3 Rider and its followers.p>

Certification strength proofs and LAA final test flights were finished in 2006 Spring, and MD3 Rider received Czech LAA certification, and in next years Germany UL certification.

In the same time, now produced MD3 Rider documenattion is adapted for American LSA requirements too - and reinforced for 600kg maximum take-off weight. MD3 Rider is one from the first aircraft having SLSA approval in USA

actually , Gryf Aircraft majority owner chosen to move serial production of our aircraft outside of our influence - "to increase production". From January 2009 Flyitalia srl is in liquidation.

Gryf P27 Skyster

As my hobby work I was finishing my eleventh light aircraft project, originally designed for Interplane. Because aircraft development was "frozen" for some years, now we are redesigning that in new look, able to increase its performances and comfort.

SHARK

From 2006, we started development of high-performance UL / LSA tandem low-wing named Shark. First flight of first prototype was performed during August 2009, and its production is prepared under new established producer Shark.aero sro

Actually, aircraft is flying 290km/hour, 20km/hour faster then actual FAI world record for this category.

And we hope, it can be next little bit km/hour faster.

300 is so close ...

Gryf prepared future

In next years we would like to continue the same way - to use the best Czech aircraft specialist for next our aircraft developments, thanks our personal connection and friendship. Thanks of that access, development of our UL aircrafts can be the work made by the small team of the best professional aircraft designers and stress engineers from Czech and European aircraft factories. Members of this team developed airplanes like 19-passenger L-410 and 40-passenger L-610 commuters or L-23 Super Blaník and the L-33 Solo sailplanes. More than three thousand Blaníks and a thousand of L 410 are flying all over the world. In the same time GRYF club members have experiences with ultralights GRYF, Skyboy, MD3 Rider, Eurostar, Eurofox, Dynamik, etc. This style can guarantee the best quality of final work.

All ideas are possible - to evaluate and realize.

Airplanes ULM-1 Gryf, Skyboy, RAVEN, MD-3 RIDER , Gryf P-27 or SHARK - create the fest connection between the best specialists from the Czech aircraft industry.

What will be the next?

We have a lot of ideas .... and some of that are not only in our minds.