Zlín Z 26

Zlin Trener is a family of aircraft that was based on a basic training aircraft, the Z-26.

The original Z-26 was designed in late 1940s and produced in 1946 by Czechoslovakian company Moravan, as a basic trainer to replace the Bücker Jungmann and Bestmann. The Z-26 was a low-winged monoplane of mixed construction, with wooden wings and a welded metal tube fuselage, powered by a single four-cylinder piston engine, the Walter Minor 4-III. It first flew in early 1947, proving superior to the competing Praga 112, and was declared the winner, entering production in 1948.

Later Z-26 variants were optimised to participate in aerobatic competitions and many were owned by private parties.

Variants
The following variants were progressive improvements on the Z-26:
 * Z-26 - two-seat primary trainer aircraft. 163 built.
 * Z-126 - all-metal wing replaced the wooden wing
 * Z-226 - more powerful Walter Minor 6-III six-cylinder engine
 * Z-226A - single-seat aerobatic aircraft
 * Z-226B - glider tug aircraft
 * Z-226T - basic training version
 * Z-326 - 160hp model with an electrically retractable undercarriage
 * Z 526 - with the Walter 6-III six-cylinder engine (equipped with carburetor)
 * Z-526A - single-seat aerobatic aircraft
 * Z-526F - Improved version. Avia M137 engine with fuel injector
 * Z-726 - shorter wing (9.87 meter span), shorter fuselage (7.98 meter length) with two seats. Avia M-137 AZ inverted six-cylinder engine with Fuel injection. All-metal except for fabric-covered aft fuselage. Cantilever low wing with wide-span flaps. Electrically-retractable undercarriage with tailwheeel. Tandem seating.
 * Z-726K - variant of the 726 with a supercharged Avia M 337K engine (210 HP) and variable-pitch propeller. Not in serial production

Many sub-variants were also produced, for example the Z-526A and Z-526AFS were aerobatic specials. Production of the Z 26 series ended in the 1970s with the 726.

Military Operators

 * 🇦🇹: Austrian Air Force
 * 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 * Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina - One civil aircraft impressed into service in 1995.
 * 🇨🇺: Cuban Air Force
 * Czechoslovakian Air Force
 * East German Air Force
 * 🇪🇬: Egyptian Air Force
 * 🇲🇿: Air Force of Mozambique
 * Republika Srpska: Republika Srpska Air Force - One civil aircraft impressed into service in 1995.
 * Romanian Air Force ^ Aeroclubul Romaniei /Romanian Airclub
 * Vietnam: Vietnam People's Air Force
 * SFR Yugoslav Air Force