Zlin 526 vs DH Chipmunk

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,261

I wonder if anyone has flown both these planes and can compare their aerobatic qualitys. Below is the Zlin.

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,606

FLYER i think did when they reviewed the Zlin a while back.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

The Chipmunk is delightful but comparison with a Zlin 526 will find the Zlin leagues above for serious aerobatics simply because of it's power and refinements.

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

Well, both are aerobatic, but the Zlin much more so, having once been competitive at the highest level, but now out-gunned by SU-29, Extra, Caps, etc. In general layout they are similar, but the Zlin feels rather bigger, inside and out, with a tall, substantial, control column.

The six-cylinder engine in the Zlin is more powerful that the gypsy-major, with a harsh note, but smoother at high power settings than the Chipmunk.In flight, both are a delight to handle, but the Zlin feels somehow more precise, with its bigger wingspan providing more momentum as it turns, whilst the powerful ailerons allow very accurate positioning.

My first impression, performing wingovers and steep turn reversals was that the Zlin was more demanding, and I had some difficultly keeping the balance ball in the middle when rapidly going from a steeply banked turn to level flight. The wings will go exactly where you put the stick, but it is no doubt a matter of practice to know where that should be.

At the end of the day, or at least the end of the flight, you cannot fly a Zlin in exactly the same way as a Chipmunk, because if you do, you will forget to put the wheels down! ( though a few Zlins have fixed u/c ). Both Zlin and Chipmunk are great fun, like a TVR to an MG, and will be a revelation to pilots more used to the usual club trainers.

Member for

19 years 8 months

Posts: 27

Haven't yet flown the Zlin, alas, but I understand that whilst a delightful aeroplane it does not have quite the Chippie's perfect control harmony. In terms of objective facts rather than opinions, though, it has some serious advantages over the Chippie for aerobatics: the engine works under negative G, it has a wing section for more suited to negative G manoeuvres, and it is cleared for a far wider range of manoeuvres, e.g. flicks being prohibited in the Chippie.

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 579

Have flown both. Zlin outperforms the Chippie at aeros. Chippy had perfect control harmony, but the Zlin is not far behind. Zlin 526F is best (Fuel Injected engine). Zlin has retractable undercarriage (But Zlin 226 has fixed). Zlin has 'odd' variable pitch prop....a work of art, with no seperate pitch control. Chipmunk has simpler systems (Chipmunk - Rubber block suspension - Zlin has nitrogen filled oleos). Zlin sound fantastic at full grunt..

If you're thinking of buying either, take out a second mortgage for the maintenance bills............... :eek: