Zlin 42, 142 and 242 series

Moravan Zlin 242L
Role Sport, personal and trainer aircraft
Manufacturer Moravan Otrokovice
First flight 17 October 1967
Introduced 1970
Variants Zlín Z 43
The Zlin Z 42 is a single-engine two-seat Czechoslovakian trainer aircraft manufactured by Moravan Otrokovice. A developed version, the Z 142, is the most popular aircraft variant in the manufacturer's aircraft line.
Contents [show]
[edit]Design and development



Zlin Z42 M, tail number SP-AKE (nr 0170).
The aircraft were built by Moravan Aviation, founded in 1934 by Tomas Bata in the Czech Republic.
As a follow-on and replacement for the successful Zlin Trener series of tandem aerobatic trainers, Moravan developed a new family of light aircraft, featuring a side-by-side layout and comprising a two seat trainer, the Zlín Z 42 and a four seat trainer/tourer aircraft, the Zlín Z 43. The Z 42 first flew on 17 October 1967,[1] achieving airworthiness certification on 7 September 1970.[2]
The aircraft fuselage center section is of welded steel tube, covered with sheet metal and fiberglass panels. The tailcone is of monocoque construction. The empennage is of sheet metal. The two-spar wings are of all-metal construction. The tricycle landing gear is fixed, with a steerable nose wheel. Designed for aerobatics instruction, it was certified to +6.0 and -4.0 limit maneuvering load factors, and was equipped with full inverted fuel and oil systems permitting extended inverted flight. The Z 42 is powered by a Walter inverted six-cylinder engine rated at 134 kW (180 hp).
The revised Zlín Z 42M flew in November 1972, with a revised tail taken from the Z 43, and a Constant speed propeller replacing the variable pitch propellor (where the propellor pitch is controlled by the pilot) of the original Z 42. When early Z 42s were refitted with the new propellor, they were redesignated Z 42 MU.[2]


Zlin Z-142
Development continued, with the Zlin Z 142 featuring a slightly enlarged two seat airframe based on that of the Z 42 and the more powerful (157 kW (210 hp)) Walter (now LOM) M 337 fuel-injected inverted 6 cylinder, supercharged air-cooled engine of the Z 43 replacing the unsupercharged M 137 engine of the Z 42. The prototype Z-142 first flew on 29 December 1978.[3]
In the late 1980s further development work was initiated. The inverted inline engine was replaced with a four-cylinder horizontally-opposed Lycoming IO-360 engine. This variant is designated the Z 242, and is immediately distinguishable by its relatively wide cowling which houses the flat-four engine.
[edit]Operational history

The Z 42 variants are used for basic and intermediate VFR flight training, for basic aerobatics training, for night and instrument flight training, and for glider towing.
The aircraft were largely used in former COMECON countries for air club and basic air force training. It was also used by the air forces of Algeria, Mexico and Slovenia.
There have been wing difficulties resulting in restriction of permitted aerobatic flight time for original aircraft. The factory offers a retrofit package of replacement wings and an AMU-1 fatigue monitoring system, which extends overall airframe life to 5 500 hours, all of which may be aerobatic.
[edit]Use by LTTE

Two Z-142s were used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in bombing sorties on the Sri Lankan airforce bases in Sri Lanka in 2007.[4] In October 2008 the Zlins were also used in an attack on a military base of the Sri Lanka Army, and a power station in the outskirts of the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka.[5][6]
[edit]Aerobatics and maneuvers


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Zlin Z 42M of Aeroklub Kielecki, Kielce-Masłów airfield
The Zlin Z 142 was not designed as a fully-aerobatic plane, but it is equipped for inverted flying, and can be used for aerobatic instruction. The following figures are allowed:
Spins (normal and inverted)
Loops (except inverted)
Barrel rolls (except snap rolls)
Immelmanns
Wing-overs
Split S
Tail-slides
Inverted flight
[edit]Specification (Z42)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971-72 [7]
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 passenger or student
Length: 7.07 m (23 ft 2¼ in)
Wingspan: 9.11 m (29 ft 10¾ in)
Height: 2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 13.15 m² (141.5 sq.ft)
Empty weight: 600 kg (1,322 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 920 kg (2,028 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Avia M 137A inverted 6 cylinder inline engine, 134 kW (180 hp)
Performance
Never exceed speed: 315 km/h[8] (170 kt IAS)
Maximum speed: 230 km/h (124 knots, 143 mph)
Cruise speed: 200 km/h (108 knots, 124 mph)
Range: 650 km (350 nm, 403 mi)
Ferry range: 1,200 km (645 nm, 745 mi) with wingtip fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 5,500 (18,050)
Rate of climb: 5.0 m/s (984 ft/min)
[edit]Variant specifications
Z 42 Z 42 M [9] Z 142 & Z 142 C[3] Z 242 & Z 242 L
Length 7.07 m or 23' 2" 7.07 m (23 ft 2½ in) 7.33 m (24 ft 0½ in) 6.94 m or 22.77'
Wingspan 9.11 m (29 ft 9 in) 9.11 m (29 ft 10¾in ) 9.16 m (30 ft 0½ in) 9.34 m (30.64 ft)
Height 2.69 m or 8' 8" 2.69 m (8 ft 10in) 2.75 m (9 ft 0¼ in) 2.95 m or 9.68'
Wing Area 13.152 or 141.55 sq.ft 13.15 m2 or 141.5 sq.ft 13.30 m2 (143.2 sq.ft) 13.86 m2 or 149.13 sq.ft
Weight empty 600 kg or 1.323 lb 645 kg (1,422 lb) 730 kg (1,609 lb) 730 kg or 1,609 lb
Maximum take-off weight 920 kg or 2.028 lb (normal) 920 kg (2,028 lb) (aerobatic)
970 kg (2,138 lb) (normal) 970 kg (2,138 lb) (aerobatic)
1,020 kg (2,248 lb) (utility)
1,090 kg (2,403 lb) (normal) 970 kg or 2,140 (acrobatic)
1,020 kg or 2,250 lb (utility)
1,090 kg or 2,400 lb (normal)
Never Exceed speed 315 km/h or 170 kt IAS 315 km/h or 170 kt IAS[citation needed] 320 km/h 319 km/h or 172 kt IAS
Max speed 226 km/h or 122 kt IAS 226 km/h (122 kt, 140 mph) 230 km/h (124 kt, 143 mph) 250 km/h or 135 kt IAS
Cruise speed ? 215 km/h (116 kt, 134 mph) 215 km/h (116 kt, 134 mph) 207 km/h or 112 kt IAS (75% MC)
176 km/h or 95 kt IAS (65% MC)
Stall speed (clean) ? 100 km/h (54 kt, 62.5 mph) (aerobatic) (flaps down)
102 km/h (55 kt, 63.5 mph) (normal) (flaps down) 102 km/h (55 kt, 63.5 mph (aerobatic) (flaps down) 105 km/h or 57 kt IAS (acrobatic)
108 km/h or 58 kt IAS (utility)
111 km/h or 60 kt IAS (normal)
Full range ? 530 km (286 nm, 329 mi) (max standard fuel, aerobatic) 940 km (507 nm, 584 mi) (normal) 1,056 km (570 nm) at 65% MC
Service Ceiling ? 4,250m ((13,950 ft) (aerobatic)
3,800 m (12,470 ft) (normal) 5,000 m (16,400 ft) 4,500 m (14,764 ft)
Rate of climb ? 5.2 m/s (1,025 ft/min) (aerobatic)
4.8 m/s (945 ft/min) (normal) 5.5 m/s (1,080 ft/min (aerobatic) 5.5 m/s or 1,080 ft/min (acrobatic)
4.25 m/s or 850 ft/min (normal)
Wing loading ? ? ? 70 kg/m2 or 14.3 lb/sq.ft (acrobatic)
73.6 kg/m2 or 15.1 lb/sq.ft (utility)
78.6 kg/m2 or 16.1 lb/sq.ft (normal)
Power/mass ? ? ? 6.51 kg/kW or 10.7 lb/Hp (acrobatic)
6.85 kg/kW or 11.3 lb/Hp (utility)
7.32 kg/kW or 12.0 lb/Hp (normal)
Fuel capacity 2 x 65L main 2 x 65L main 2 x 60L main, 2 x 50 L aux 2 x 60 L or 2 x 16 USG (main)
2 x 55 L or 2 x 14.5 USG (aux)
Engine model M137A Avia M 137 AZ Avia M 337 AK supercharged AEIO-360-A1B6
Engine power 134 kW or 180 hp 134 kW or 180 hp 156 kW or 210 hp 150 kW or 200 hp
Propeller ? Avia V-503 two bladed constant speed Avia V-500A two bladed constant speed MTV-9-B-C/C-188-18a (LBA)
HC-C3YR-4BF/FC6890 (FAA)
[edit]Operators

[edit]Civil
The aircraft is popular with flying training organizations. One of the largest fleet operators is Sault College of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, which operates nine 242Ls.[10]
[edit]Military
Algeria
Angola
Croatia
operates 5 Zlin 242Ls
Cuba
Czech Republic
Egypt
Macedonia
Mexico
operates 9 Zlin 242Ls
Peru
Slovenia
Slovenian Air Force and Air Defence
Yemen
[edit]Former Military Operators
Bulgaria - Z-42
Separatist organizations
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Air Tigers (formerly active in Sri Lanka)