Zlin is the name of a family of aircrafts manufactured by Moravan Aircraft in the Czech Republic (which of course was Czechoslovakia back then). The first bloom of the company took place before WW2: they've made gliders and small aiplanes. After WW2 they designed and manufactured the famous "Trener" (pronounce: trainer) series which won several championships from the Lockheed Trophy to the Wolrd Aerobatic Championships. Of course they also manufactured other aicraft too, but until the Zlin Z-50 introduced in 1975 they were mostly known for this. After that they produced other small training- and sport aircrafts like the Z-143 or the Z-242.
I must confess that I have a passion for these czech planes: they're masterpieces of classic aircraft design! And flying them is an experience too: they might not be as easily controlled like Cessnas, but they will do almost anything for you! They're what aviation is all about!
Zlin "Trener"
series
Zlin
Z226T "Trener 6"
Zlin
Z326 "Trener Master"
Zlin
Z526A "Trener Acrobat"
Zlin
Z526
Zlin
Z526F
Zlin
Z726 "Universal"
Zlin 142
Zlin 42
Zlin 43
Zlin 50
Zlin 37
"Cmelak"
The Zlin "Trener": Z226T, Z326, Z526, Z526F, Z726
This is the plane I cannot imagine the sky above Hungary without! The way they danced between the clouds and the sound of their engines played an important part in my child life! And that was decades after the first one got to Hungary: the first hungarian Trener (a Z-226T) was shipped in 1960 - at the even my dad was just a child looking up to the sky, but he loved the plane too. It was used as an aerobatics trainer and tutor aircraft. Just to demonstrate the impact they made to hungarian aviation: in 1962 Hungary won the 2nd World Aerobatics Championship in solo and in team too! After that the new and newer models of the Trener were used as the primary tutor aircraft for general aviation and aerobatics. And, besides that they appeared at air shows hunting for baloons, entertaining the crowds with aerobatics, towing gliders...
The first hungarian Trener, HA-TRA is still in use at Miskolc (LHMC) althought it has been rebuilt with a new engine. Photo: János Baróczy, Jr.
Another Z-226TA displayed at the Aviation Exhibition of the Museum of Transport.
The early models had this lovely wooden prop!
HA-TRD photographed by Zsoly Pulai.
This plane has also been rebuilt with the newer Avia M-137A engine instead of the original Walter Minor WM-6-III. These planes recevied the designation "Z-226MS" and are not allowed to do aerobatics.
In contrary to the "new" Z-226MS's, everything in HA-TRM remained the original, and so it can be used for aerobatics!
After taking these photos at Farkashegy (LHFH) I had the oppportunity to fly with it. What a marvellous experience!
This is a classic aircraft with most of the fuselage covered with canvas...
.... with the original wooden prop...
... with the Walter Minor six-piston engine...
... and with non-retractable gears!
What an aircraft!
The
cockpit of the plane
HA-TRL at Farkashegy. Photo: Sándor Jeszenszky.
A newer model, the Z-326 "Trener Master" at the Museum of Transport.
This version had retractable gears...
... but still had the original engine.
HA-TRT was re-motored to become a Z-326M.
The newer M-137A engine also has an auto-pitch prop!
HA-SAC was a one-seater aerobatics aircraft (not used in flight schools), but now it's used for towing.
HA-SAF is a Z526: this version had a Walter Minor engine, but with the auto-picth prop.
This plane belonged to european aerobatics champion Zoltán Veres...
... but unfortunately he sold it, so it's not in Hungary anymore.
These pictures were taken before the od hangar at Budaörs (LHBS).
A nice plane in a nice condition!
The cool-air intake of the engine.
HA-SAU is the newer model Z-526F, with the Avia M-137A engine.
HA-SAV at Farkashegy. Photo: Sándor Jeszenszky.
An older photo I made in 1999.
HA-SAV in its new colors in 2002 with wingtanks attached.
HA-SAM at Farkashegy.
You cannot get more classic!
The nose...
And the tail...
The same plane at Budaörs.
The
cockpit of the plane
HA-SDE belongs to the last series of Treners: Z-726 "Universal".
This version was almost fully covered with aluminium instead of canvas.
The same plane at an air show.
The
cockpit of the plane
HA-SDF: I like this plane because that's the one they took me to do some aerobatics with.
Here you can see the tail covered with ribbed aluminium instead of canvas.
The M-137A engine of HA-SDF.
The auto-pitch prop.
HA-SDF at Siófok-Kiliti (LHSK).
... and Farkashegy.
Still life with clouds...
The
cockpit of the plane
This type was the replacement for the Trener. This time the two pilots (instructor and student) sit side by side, and not one behind the other. The Z-142 was not much of an aerobatics champion but a great sport- and school airplane.
HA-SFK at Debrecen (LHDC).
HA-SFM at Szentkirályszabadja.
HA-SFN.
The same plane inside the hangar.
HA-SFS.
HA-SFO.
HA-SFR with a cheery paintwork.
HA-SFU at Pér, photographed by Zsolt Pulai.
HA-SFX without the covering sheets of the engine..
HA-SGC at Budaörs.
The same plane before the former international terminal.
In 2000 the planes were ordered to stay on the ground: there were some serious problems with the main beam of the wings...
... but after doing the bulletin repairs, they were okay again!
HA-SGF at Dunakeszi.
HA-SGH.
HA-SGI at Dunakeszi (LHDK).
HA-SGK at Mátyásföld, with a police copter in the background.
HA-SGM.
The same plane from a different point of view.
The same plane at Siófok-Kiliti.
The
cockpit of this plane
HA-SGU at Farkashegy.
The
cockpit of the plane
A HA-SGV Szegeden.
This model was the "brother" of the Z-142 with auto-pitch prop. I haven't seen many of them in Hungary...
It looks like an elephant with big ears
from this angle, ain't? :-)
The
cockpit of the plane
HA-SFA at Budaörs, obviously undergoing some checks.
The Z-43 is the four-seat version of the Z-42. I took this photo at Dunakeszi. Behind the Zlin you can see the Sukhoi-25 of aerobatics champion Zoltán Veres.
The same plane (HA-FBA) at Budaörs.
HA-FBG at Dunakeszi.
The
cockpit of this plane
HA-FBI at Gödöllő.
The Z-50 was the last high-performance aerobatics plane from Moravan Aircrafts (Technology was advancing too quickly and the czech engineers were unable to cope with it at the current financial situation of their country). This full-metal construction introduced an american AVCO Lycoming piston engine, and won the Wold Aerobatics Championship in 1976. In these days you can see this model in teams like the Sky Box of the Czech Republic or Aerotriga from Hungary. The one on the picture (which is a Z-50LS) belongs to the latter, and that's me with my girlfriend before it. Thanks to György Badovszky, Jr. for taking this photo! :-)
The three planes of Aerotriga: HA-SIF...
... HA-SIH, and...
... a HA-SIJ. You can see the smoke-generators below the engine, between the landing gears.
All three Zlins at the fuelling service of Budaörs. They keep formation even on the ground :-)
The Lycoming engine from the front...
... and from sideways.
These are agriculture aircrafts, mostly used for towing gliders and ads over Budapest.
HA-MFH resting at Budaörs airport.
HA-MFJ at Budaörs.
HA-MFK was made in '72, it's the two-seat training version of the plane.
HA-MFO at Farkashegy.
The
cockpit of this plane
HA-MGA at Debrecen.
HA-MGO.
HA-MGR.
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