# Chaika L-4

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2000s Russian twin engine amphibious aircraft

Chaika L-4 Chaika L-42 General information Type Twin engine amphibious aircraft National origin Russia Manufacturer Chaika (Seagull Experimental Design Bureau), Samara Designer G. Annenkov Primary users Private operators Number built 14 by mid-2008. all L-6 based aircraft History First flight June 2005

The **Chaika L-4** (чайка, English: gull) is a twin engine [amphibious aircraft](/source/Amphibious_aircraft), designed and built in Russia in the 2000s. It has sold in small numbers and remains in production.

## Design and development

Several companies and groups have developed a series of designs which began at an offshoot of the Trod[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] [Kuznetsov](/source/Kuznetsov_Design_Bureau) aircraft engine plant in [Samara](/source/Samara%2C_Russia). Beginning with the L-3, they differ in size and engine type but all are twin engine amphibians with a characteristic V tail. The L-4 is a direct development of the L-6M, promoted by AeroVolga. Its design began in August 2004.[1]

All L-4 variants have the same layout and all are largely built of [composite materials](/source/Composite_material). They are [high-wing monoplanes](/source/Monoplane#Types) with twin engines mounted close to the [fuselage](/source/Fuselage), on top of the wing. The wings have straight taper on both edges and almost square [tips](/source/Wing_tip). The L-4 has a pair of [flaps](/source/Flap_(aircraft)) on each wing. Its hull has two [steps](/source/Step_(hull)) and there are small winglets at [water level](/source/Water_level) just aft of the [trailing edge](/source/Trailing_edge). The cabin extends from below the [leading edge](/source/Leading_edge) rearwards to the winglets. Fixed [floats](/source/Float_(nautical)) under the wings stabilize the L-4 on water; it is operable with waves to 400 mm (15 in) high. The most unusual feature of the L-4 is the [empennage](/source/Empennage) arrangement: it has twin [fins](/source/Fin), mounted on the fuselage and extended forward with long, curved dorsal fillets, separated at the base by the full fuselage width and leaning slightly outwards. The fins carry conventional [rudders](/source/Rudder) and the single [tailplane](/source/Tailplane) is mounted upon the fin tips, extending well beyond them. Tailplane and single piece [elevator](/source/Elevator_(aircraft)) together are [trapezoidal](/source/Trapezoidal); there is a [trim tab](/source/Trim_tab) at the centre of the elevator. The reason for the design is that the spine serves as a walkway to access the plane from behind, when moored at shore. The L-4 has a [conventional undercarriage](/source/Conventional_undercarriage) for land use, all three wheels and the [water rudder](/source/Water_rudder) being retractable.[1]

The first flight of the L-4 was in June 2005. The most recent variant, the more powerful L-44 flew in 2009.[1]

## Operational history

By mid-2008 sales, probably including L-6s from AeroVolga, had reached 14.

## Variants

**L-4**
- Original design, no longer produced.

**L-42**
- Improved, with [Rotax 912](/source/Rotax_912) ULS [flat four](/source/Flat_four) 73.3 kW (98.6 hp) engines.

**L-42M**
- Further improvements: weight savings, winglets, crew ergonomics. Marketed by Aviatech1.com.

**L-44**
- More powerful [Rotax 914](/source/Rotax_914) engines, as detailed below. First flown 2009.

**L-65**
- Improved with [Rotax 915 iS](/source/Rotax_915_iS) engines. [2]

## Specifications (Chaika L-44)

*Data from* Jane's All the World's Aircraft 2012/13[1]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** 1

- **Capacity:** 3 passengers

- **Length:** 8.50 m (27 ft 11 in)

- **Wingspan:** 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in)

- **Height:** 2.52 m (8 ft 3 in) excluding propellers

- **Wing area:** 22.45 m2 (241.6 sq ft)

- **Empty weight:** 830 kg (1,830 lb)

- **Max takeoff weight:** 1,460 kg (3,219 lb)

- **Fuel capacity:** 230 kg (507 lb)

- **Powerplant:** 2 × [Rotax 914](/source/Rotax_914) [flat four](/source/Flat_four), [turbocharged](/source/Turbocharger), mixed air and water cooling, 84.5 kW (113.3 hp) each

- **Propellers:** 3-bladed Airmaster AR332

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 220 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)

- **Cruise speed:** 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)

- **[Never exceed speed](/source/V_speeds#VNE):** 250 km/h (160 mph, 130 kn)

- **Range:** 1,598 km (993 mi, 863 nmi)

- **Service ceiling:** 4,000 m (13,000 ft) service

- **[Power/mass](/source/Power-to-weight_ratio):** 8.64 kg/kW (14.20 lb/hp)

- **Take-off run:** 250 m (820 ft)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Chaika L-4](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chaika_L-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-JAWA12_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-JAWA12_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-JAWA12_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-JAWA12_1-3) Jackson, Paul A. (2012). *Jane's All the World's Aircraft : development & production : 2012-13*. IHS Global. p. 514. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7106-3000-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7106-3000-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SeaBearWebsite_2-0)** ["AIRCRAFT — SeaBear Aircraft"](http://www.seabearaircraft.com/aircraft/). Retrieved 16 April 2023.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.aviakb.ru/product/index_eng.html)

- [English website](http://www.seabearaircraft.com/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chaika L-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaika_L-4) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaika_L-4?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.