Zodiac monoplane No.2, known as L’Albatros was ordered by the Prince de Nissole and built in 1910 in France.
Zodiac No.2 / L’Albatros
Aircraft
Zodiac S2
A two-seat biplane of 1912.
Zodiac
First established in 1896, this company produced the Zodiac S2 two-seat biplane in 1912.
Zmaj Fizir FP-1 / Fizir FP-2
In 1933, the command of the Yugoslav Royal Air Force (YRAF) decided to replace outdated planes with modern school aircraft, for transitional training from basic training to combat.
The designers, R. Fizir and D. Stankov, opted for a biplane concept, although the YRAF preferred a low wing (due to the development of modern combat aircraft). The Zmaj Factory designed a prototype Fizir FP-1, in 1993, but it did not satisfy all the requirements set by the YRAF. As a result, Rudolf Fizir and Dusan Stankov, made adjustments to the Fizir FP-1 and so the plane became the Fizir FP-2. In the end, the concept accepted.
A prototype Fizir FP-2 (Fizir Prelazni) with a Gnome-Rhone K-7 engine of 308 kW power was completed and test flown at the end of 1933. More test flights followed, and by 1934 the plane showed good results.
The Zmaj modified the FP-2 during 1934 using a Walter Pollux 2 engine of 235 kW power, but the results were not satisfactory.
Engine: 1 × Gnome-Rhone K7, 313 kW (420 hp)
Propeller: 2-blade
Wingspan: 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 28.80 sq.m (310.0 sq ft)
Length: 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
Height: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
Empty weight: 740 kg (1,631 lb)
Gross weight: 1,450 kg (3,197 lb)
Maximum speed: 200 km/h (120 mph; 110 kn) 238 km/h at sea level
Range: 580 km (360 mi; 313 nmi)
Service ceiling: 6,800 m (22,310 ft)
Crew: 2
Zmaj R-1
In the first half of the 1930s. In Yugoslavia, the development of aircraft of its own design has become more active. The activities of Yugoslav designers could be seen in 1938 at the Belgrade Aviation Exhibition. Among the other planes there was a prototype of the R-1 bomber from Zmaj.
During 1936 at the Zmaj factory, Dušan Stankov, then technical manager, and George Dukic initiated the design and construction of a reconnaissance-bomber. After tests in the wind tunnel at Warsaw and acceptance by the Yugoslavian Air Force, the project was designated Zmaj R-1 (Serbian Cyrillic: Змај Р-1). The contract for the construction of the prototype was signed in 1937. The team of designers joining Eng. Djordje Ducić and a few young engineers who worked on the design completed the prototype before the beginning of a large aerospace workers strike in April 1940, with final assembly at the military part of the airport in Zemun.
Its design was mixed – Alclad monocoque fuselage and wooden wings and tail, metal construction rudders with fabric cover. The R-1 was equipped with Hispano-Suiza 14AB engines of French production, placed in gondolas under the wing. Flaps and landing gear was hydraulically operated. The composition of the crew varied depending on the purpose of the aircraft. In the version of the bomber R-1, the crew consisted of 4 people, in the variant of the attack aircraft – 3 people. The crew of three was accommodated in separate cockpits. Aiming and firing of the armament was made from the top cockpit while the bombing were performing from the front cockpit. The plane could take on board up to 1600 kg of bombs, and one large-caliber bomb could be placed on a special device in the fuselage for attack from a dive. The attack aircraft carried a smaller bomb load, but its small arms of two 20-mm guns and two 12.7-mm machine guns were much better suited for storming enemy troops. The two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon were in the fuselage sides but this was later changed and repositioned in to the wing roots. Two more 7.9 mm machine guns were placed in the nose top and one machine gun was placed in the rear fuselage for the defense.
The first flight was on 24 April 1940, pilotted by reserve Lieutenant Đura E. Đaković, a transport pilot with Aeroput. The initial testing justified all expectations in terms of aerodynamic characteristics and performance, unfortunately on the third flight the pilot was unable to lower the landing gear and had to land with the undercarriage extended, damaging the propellers and engines. Replacement parts for the propeller and landing gear were imported from Germany and France delaying repairs considerably.
The aircraft was rebuilt so that testing could be resumed at the end of March 1941, but in early April the bombing of Zemun airport damaged the prototype Zmaj R-1 again. In late June 1941 the Germans scrapped the aircraft.
Enngines: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 14AB, 552 kW (740 hp) each
Propellers: 3-bladed
Wingspan: 14.40 m (47 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 33.80 sq.m (363.8 sq ft)
Height: 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)
Length: 12.78 m (41 ft 11 in)
Empty weight: 2,600 kg (5,732 lb)
Gross weight: 5,094 kg (11,230 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 5,664 kg (12,487 lb)
Maximum speed: 450 km/h (280 mph; 243 kn)
Cruise speed: 320 km/h (199 mph; 173 kn)
Range: 1,000 km (621 mi; 540 nmi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 5.55 m/s (1,093 ft/min)
Guns: 2x 20 mm (0.787 in) Oerlikon cannon, and 4x 7.9 mm (0.311 in) machine guns
Bombload: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) of bombs carried internally
Crew: 3-4
Zmaj Fizir AF-2
A two-seat amphibian
Zmaj
Fabrica Aeroplana I Hydroplana Zmaj
Czechoslovakia
Fabrica Aeroplana I Hydroplana Zmaj founded in 1927 by Jovan Petrovic to produce under license the Hanriot H-41, Gourdou-Leseurre B-3 and Dewoitine D-27 fighters. Indigenous designs included a Wright-engined observation aircraft, an observation seaplane, and the two-seat Fizir AF-2 Amphibian.
Four out of five Yugoslav aircraft plants were in close proximity to each other, built in and around Belgrade: Ikarus, Rogožarski, Zmaj and Utva. The fifth one was DFA (Državna Fabrika Aviona – State Aircraft Factory) which was located in Kraljevo.
Zlin Z-137
The Zlin Z-137T Agro Turbos are essentially an updated turbine version of the piston engine Z-37 Cmelak, first flown in 1981. Modifications included strengthening the centre section of the wing, alterations to the tail surfaces and the installation of a rudder trim.
The first Z-137T was #029 and registered OK-UJM in July 1989.
The aircraft were built in batches. The first batch totalled six and from 1960 they were built in batches of 20 or 30, with production reaching its height in 1972 when some 65 aircraft were produced. Along with the agricultural aircraft, some two-seat trainers were built, with a second cockpit replacing the hopper. Production ceased in 1977 but in 1981 the production line was reopened at Kunovice, and a further 40 aircraft were built. Production ceased in 1995 with #053, which was sold to Hungary as HA-MFR. The constructor numbers are in batches — 00-01 through 00-06, then 01-01 to 01-20, 02-xx and so on depending on the number in the batch.
A modernized Z-137 Agro Turbo light aircraft equipped with air-to-air missiles was spotted in the Ukrainian sky in August 2025. The Czechoslovakian-made Z-137 civilian turboprop aircraft was converted to perform air defense missions. Its tail section was marked with a typical army aviation insignia of two white transverse stripes.
Two AKU-73 pylons were mounted under the wings of the aircraft, which made it possible to use R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles. The use of R-73 missiles from non-designated aircraft is possible due to its complete autonomy as it does not require complex integration with the radar or central radar of the aircraft. It uses an infrared guidance system to track the target. The missile head itself ‘captures’ a heat-contrasting object. Given the type of weaponry and the aircraft’s ability to reach speeds of 200-250 km/h, the tasks of such a combat unit could include intercepting Russian attack drones and tactical reconnaissance UAVs.
The use of turboprop aircraft for such tasks can significantly increase the capabilities of the Air Force, as well as unload full-fledged fighters for higher priority tasks.
137T Agro Turbo
Engine: Motorlet M601Z turboprop (520 hp)
Wing span: 44 ft 8.5 in
Length: 34 ft 4 in
Height: 11 ft 6 in
Empty wt: 2756 lb
MTOW: 5566 lb
Zlin Z-50
First flown in 1975 in the original Z 50 L version, the Zlin Z 50 is an all metal low wing monoplane with a mid fin tailplane braced by two struts that attach at the bottom of a tapering vertical fin. It has a fixed spring gear and a Lycoming AEIO-540 D1B5, putting out 260 hp to a three blade Hoffmann wood fiberglass propeller driven through a constant speed hub. The original prototype that appeared in the Zlin literature apparently had six short stacks that exited from the sides of the cowl, but the noise was unbelievable; they had to go to a pair of collectors that exit at the rear of the lower cowl lip. It has an empty weight of 1,254 pounds in aerobatic configuration and an aerobatic performing weight of 1,584 pounds. All up maximum gross weight is 1,760 pounds, and the Zlin is stressed to plus nine or minus six Gs. The wing is fabricated entirely with round head rivets apparently for strength. The Zlin 50 has a truly impressive roll rate, the product of very generous aileron area for its size and weight; its wing span in aerobatic trim is about 28 feet, and it is about 21 and a half feet long. The Z 50 has a symmetrical wing section without dihedral, a single seat cabin under a one piece plexiglas canopy and full inverted systems are standard. The wing area is 120 square feet; with a power loading of 5.5 pounds per horsepower and a maximum rate of climb of around 3,000 fpm, the airplane will possess the vertical capability the elder Zlin lacked. The structure is principally aluminum, with some fabric covered portions and a fiberglass cowling.
Moravan Aeroplanes built the Z-50 as a certified aircraft in the standard category in the Czech Republic.
Eighty-one were built in the various sub-types from 1976 until the ’90s.
The Zlin 50L has a 260 hp Lycoming modified by the Czechs to run all ways up and a three blade German composite propeller.
The Czech team flew five 50 Ls at the 1976 world contest in Russia, and despite the newness of the type, came second in the team prize and third in the men’s individual championships. The undercarriage is of titanium spring.
There appeared to be no ad¬verse aileron yaw, which was remark¬able in view of the almost full span control surfaces. They had an odd tab arrangement: the left aileron had a conventional geared tab; the right one worked through a cam, so that at small deflections it was an anti balance tab, but at larger ones it reverted to acting as a conventional geared tab. The symmetrical wing was thinner at the tip, giving it a washout effect both erect and inverted.
It is a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and fixed undercarriage. Built predominantly of anodised aluminium, with fabric covered tail and fibreglass engine cowls, the Z-50LS is powered by the 300-hp Lycoming AEIO-L1B5D, driving a three-blade composite Hoffmann propeller.
Later came the Z 50 LS aerobatic version.
Z-50LS
Engine: Lycoming AEIO-L1B5D, 300 hp
Zlin 50
Engine: Lycoming AIO-540, 260hp
Wing span: 27 ft 11 in
Length: 21 ft 2 in
Top speed: 180mph
Zlin Z-43 / Z-143 / Aeronautical Manufacturing Enterprise Safir 43 / Fernas 142
After successful production of the Z-26 aircraft family, the Czechoslovak aircraft manufacturer Moravan, began design of a new series of training aircraft, known as the Z-40 family. Unlike the previous tandem-seat aircraft, the Z-40 family featured a side-by-side cockpit. It was available in two basic variants, a two-seat trainer, the Zlín Z-42, and a four-seat aircraft, the Zlin Z-43 capable of being used both as a trainer and a tourer.
The resulting design is a single-engined low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction and a fixed nosewheel undercarriage. The Z 43 shares 80% of its structure with the Z 42, but is fitted with a revised fuselage accommodating a four-seater cabin and a more powerful engine. The Z-43’s wings are of greater span and do not have the slight forward sweep of the Z- 42.
The Z-43 first flew on 10 December 1968, with production starting in 1972. It proved less popular than its two-seat contemporary, and production ended in 1977 after 80 aircraft were built.
The Z-143 is a version introduced in 1992, powered by a six-cylinder Lycoming O-540 engine, in parallel to the Z-42 being re-engined with a Lycoming to become the Z-242. The Z143 L four-seat lightplane with Textron Lycoming engine first flew in April 1992.
Pictures released by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka indicate that they operated Czech-built Zlin Z-143 single-engine, four-seater light aircraft modified to carry four bombs mounted on the undercarriage. On 9 September 2008, the Sri Lanka Air Force reportedly brought down an Air Tigers Z-143 over Mullaittivu.
The Air Tigers carried out a Suicide air raid on Colombo on 20 February 2009 using two of these aircraft. Under heavy anti-aircraft fire one of these aircraft crashed into Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department building in Colombo and the other craft was shot down near Sri Lanka Air Force Base at Katunayake.
Other operators include; Hungarian Police, Hungarian Air Force, Algerian Air Force – producing locally under Safir-43 name, Cuban Air Force, East German Air Force, and Macedonian Air Force.
Algeria’s Aeronautical Manufacturing Enterprise started manufacturing the Safir 43 in 1993, although they initiated the project in 1987. They are built under licence from the Czech Republic, but are manufactured completely in Algeria.
The aircraft were designed by the Zlin company and are marketed by the Aeronautical Manufacturing Enterprise throughout the whole of Africa.
The Safir is used in Algeria for training, recreational flying, coastal and pipeline surveillance and agriculture. Around 50 examples of the four seater had been built since it entered service in 1994.
AME is also building the two-seat Firnas 142 aerobatic trainer, based on the Zlin 143, complete with aerobatic modifications. The Firnas 142 is a two-seater and the Safir 43 a four-seater. AMC has built some 60 of the aircraft, 20 for use by the Algerian Air Force, government departments and parastatal corporations in a variety of roles.
These include basic training, aerobatic training, aerial surveying of powerlines and pipelines, as well as normal general aviation and utility duties, including banner and glider towing.
Both aircraft have fixed tricycle landing gear.
Variants:
Zlín Z 43
Base model
Engine: 1 × Avia M 337 A, 160 kW (210 hp)
Wingspan: 9.76 m (32 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 14.50 sq.m (156.1 sq ft)
Length: 7.75 m (25 ft 5 in)
Height: 2.91 m (9 ft 7 in)
Empty weight: 730 kg (1,609 lb)
Max takeoff weight normal: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
Max takeoff weight utility: 1,000 kg (2,204 lb)
Fuel capacity normal: 130 L (34 US gal; 29 imp gal)
Fuel capacity opt/ wingtips: 110 L (29 US gal; 24 imp gal)
Maximum speed: 146 km/h (91 mph, 79 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed: 210 km/h (130 mph, 113 kn)
Stall speed: 103 km/h (64 mph, 56 kn) (flaps down)
Never exceed speed: 273 km/h (170 mph, 147 kn)
Range standard: 610 km (380 mi, 330 nmi)
Range opt/fuel: 1,150 km (710 mi; 620 nmi)
Service ceiling: 3,800 m (12,465 ft)
Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s / 210 m/min (690 ft/min)
Takeoff distance to 15 m (50 ft): 700 m (2,300 ft)
Landing distance to 15 m (50 ft): 590 m (1,940 ft)
Cabin length: 8 ft 2.5 in / 2.50 m
Cabin width: 3 ft 8 in / 1.12 m
Cabin height: 3 ft 11.25 in / 1.20 m
Cabin baggage: 7.1 cu.ft / 0.2 cu.m
Rear baggage: 8,8 cu.ft / 0.25 cu.m
Crew: 1
Capacity: 3 passengers
Zlín Z 43M
Experimental model.
Only one was built
Zlín Z 143
Improved model
Aeronautical Manufacturing Enterprise Safir 43
Engine: LOM M337AK, 157kW (210hp)
Empty weight: 761kg / 1,676lb
Take-off weight: 1,350kg
Maximum speed: 166kt / 307km/h
Cruising speed: 212 km/h
Range: 1,060km / 570nm
Endurance: 6h
Seats: 4
Aeronautical Manufacturing Enterprise Firnas 142
Engine: LOM M337AK, 154 kW / 210 hp max, 103 kW cruise
Propeller: two-blade
Length: 7.33 m
Wingspan: 9.16 m
Height: 2.75 m
Empty weight: 745 kg
MTOW: 1090 kg
Top speed: 333 km/h
Cruising speed: 215 km/h
Endurance: 5+ hr
Maximum range: 1050 km
Maximum ceiling: 5000 m
All Aero 