KITS 07/2022

Z-526AFS-V, No. 1219, OK-CXB, Tábor, Czech Republic, 2022

Zlin Z-526AFS OK-CXB serial number 1219 was manufactured in 1972 and assigned to the national aerobatic team. It was painted in a golden-brown color, the

same as OK-CXC. In the end of 1970s, the airplane was

repainted in the typical red-white livery. It was kept

as an aircraft of the national team until the second

half of 1980s when it run out of the aerobatic life li-

mit and the aircraft was rebuilt to a glider-towing

version Z-526AFS-V. After Czechoslovakia split in

1993 it was assigned to the Aeroclub Holešov. In 2008,

it underwent the general overhaul after which it was

repainted in red-silver livery and has been flying

in this coloring until now. Around 2009 the airplane was acquired by a private owner and was based

at the Frýdlant nad Ostravicí aifield. It was several

times loaned by Aeroclub Krnov and frequently flew

as towing aircraft in sailplane competitions. In 2019

it was bought by Tomáš “Stanislavovič” Jirmus who

operates it at the Tabor airport nowadays.

Z-526AFS, No. 1220, OK-CXC, Svazarm, Czechoslovakia, 1972–1975

Zlin Z-526AFS OK-CXC serial number 1220 was manufactured in 1972 and assigned to Václav Šmíd, member of the national aerobatic team based at Kladno

airfield. It received the golden-brown livery and

since the paint work was not very well executed the

aircraft was nicknamed a “brownie”. It flew in this

paintwork until 1975 when Václav Šmíd had to stop

flying aerobatics. In the end of 1970s, the aircraft was

repainted in blue-white livery which became typical

for “Shorty” (Z-526AFS nickname in translation).

In the end of 1980, the aerobatic life of the aircraft

was at its end, so the aircraft was rebuilt into AFS-

-V tow version and kept on flying as a glider-towing

airplane. After the split of Czechoslovakia, the plane

was assigned to the Aero Club Olomouc where it is

flying today.

Z-526AFS, No. 1327, SP-WER, Katowice, Poland, 2010–2018

Zlin Z-526AFS SP-WER serial number 1327 was manufactured in 1974 and exported to Poland where

it flew with the registration SP-ELB for a national

aerobatic team. Later it was flown by Aero Club

Katowice and around 2010 it underwent the gene-

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INFO Eduard

ral overhaul with the associated re-registration to

SP-WER. The aircraft was painted in yellow-black-silver livery and kept on flying in this scheme in

Katowice until 2018 when it was bought by a Czech

private owner. Another general overhaul was per-

formed after which this “Shorty” was repainted in

yellow-black-silver combination again. In this livery,

registered as OK-ERB, it still flies today and still has

its quota of aerobatic flight hours. Its home base is

the Skuteč airfield.

July 2022