KITS 03/2022

Z-526AFS, SP-CSU, s/n 1226, Piotr Haberland, Żelazny Aerobatic Group,

Zielona Góra airfield, Poland, mid 2007

In December 1999, an aerobatic group was formed

by members of Aero Club Zielona Góra, supported by

then-emerging network of hardware stores Żelazny

(Iron). In the beginning, the group had a pair of Z-526AFSs and one Z-50LA. In 2001, another plane, Z-526F was added. The pilots of the group amazed the

public with their skillful flying at airshows not only

in Poland but also in Germany and other countries. In

2004, Lech Marchelewski became leader of the group

and three years later the Żelazny began rehearsing

a six-planes formation with the debut planned for

airshow in Radom. However, on September 1, tragedy struck during the premiere show. Conducting

a maneuver called "the rose" aircraft No. 1 (Z-526F,

SP-CDF) and No. 2 (Z-526AFS, SP-ELE) collided. Both

pilots, retired Colonel Lech Marchelewski and Piotr

Bachanowicz, were killed. The second Z-526AFS (SP-CSU) just narrowly missed the crash point... Today

the group flies Z-50s, Z-526Fs and EA300 LC/LX and

usually flies as formation of four. The decals supplied

allow the SP-ELE to be built as an alternative to the

SP-CSU. Where the question mark appears, it indicates option and the second number always belongs to

the decal corresponding to the SP-ELE marking.

Z-526AFS, OK-CXA, v. č. 1218, Jiří Kobrle, Jičín Aero Club, Czechoslovakia, 1975

This simple red and white livery was standard on

the Z-526AFS, however aircraft manufactured in 1972

received a modified design, as the color fields on

the wing undersurfaces were no longer distributed

inversely to the upper side ones, but symmetrically.

The aircraft was operated for many years by the Jičín

Aero Club, where it was flown by "Sir" Jiří Kobrle, a

successful aerobatic and test pilot, international aerobatics judge, publicist and long-time representative of Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic in the FAI

aerobatics commission. He won the national championship in 1969 and was a member of the European

Championships winning team in Esbjerg, Denmark, in

1975. The OK-CXA was given a “Rumcajs” fairy tale

cartoon character drawing on the fuselage. In this

form, she participated in the 1975 National Championships, for example. In 1977, the first overhaul was

carried out in Trenčín, while the second, completed in

May 1984, converted the OK-CXA to the Normal category as modified AFS-V version. She was also given a

new blue and white livery and moved to the Aero Club

of South Bohemian district. She was mostly flown by

Hosín Aero Club and transferred to the ownership

of the Aero Club České Budějovice in 1993. In March

1997, the CXA received a new white paint, which was

complemented by "rainbow" stripes. On May 8, 2012,

when on landing approach, the aircraft crashed into

trees and ended in a pond near the town of Hosín. The

pilot survived with severe injuries while the aircraft

was completely destroyed.

Z-526AFS, I-IOIO, s/n 1330, Silvio Bellei, Sassuolo airfield, Italy, 1994

This aircraft was produced in 1974 and it was the

last of the Z-526AFS line. She was stored after the

test flight on April 30, 1974, waiting for her buyer for

two years. On May 26, 1977, she was flown to the new

home in Parma by the famous Italian aerobatic pilot

Valenti. Two years later, however, the I-IOIO changed

hands. She was bought by Dr. Silvio Bellei, founder

of the ceramics manufacturer NovaBell, long-time

president of the Sassuolo Aero Club and a respected

March 2022

and renowned businessman and pilot. “Signor Bellei”,

as the people regularly called him, was awarded the

Paul Tissandier Diploma by the International Aeronautical Federation for his aviation merit by the way.

His aircraft was based at Sassuolo airfield near Modena until Dr. Bellei passed away (May 22, 2021, at the

age of 84). The I-IOIO had one happy-ending accident

when the pilot decided to make a landing without

conducting the regular pattern after aerobatics flight.

Unfortunately, he landed literally on the ridge of Partenavia Oscar, which was on her final in the moment.

Nobody was hurt, but the I-IOIO had to be craned from

the back of the Oscar and repaired. The last overhaul

of I-IOIO was carried out by ZLÍN-AVION service company in 1993. She was check-flown by renowned pilot

Vladimír Peroutka prior to her return to Sassuolo. Since then, she had been serving to the satisfaction of

her owner and is still fully aerobatic.

INFO Eduard

27