Zlin Z-143

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The Zlin Z 143 L and Z 143 LSi is a four-seat, single-engined light aircraft, of all-metal construction. It is manufactured by Moravan Otrokovice, a Czech company. The Z-143 is intended for flight training and recreation.

[edit] Background

After the successful production of the Z-26 aircraft family, the MORAVAN Otrokovice, a Czech based airframe company, began the design of a new family of training aircraft. Differing from previous tandem-seated aircraft, the Z-40 family is equipped with two pilot seats side by side. The basic Z-40 type is two-seater aircraft powered by one M 137 six-cylinder engine; the next developmental stage is the Z-142, having a supercharged M 337 engine. The Z-43 is a four-seater variant.

According to Moravan Aeroplanes, which manufactures the Zlin, the Z-143 is a versatile airplane designed "for the pilots who want more than straight flying from point A to point B."

"Night and IFR (instrument flight rules) training and flying and great flight characteristics and additional instruments make the ZLIN easy to fly at night or (in) low visibility conditions," according to Moravan.

The two passenger seats can be removed to give room for extra fuel and a bigger payload. It can take off and land from unprepared surfaces, needing only 640 metres to take off and 765 metres to land.

In the late 1980's and early 1990's the original airframes were re-engined using Lycoming engines, introducing the Z-142 variant, a two-seater with a four cylinder Lycoming engine and the Z-143 four-seater powered by a six cylinder Lycoming engine. These aircraft are excellent trainers with respect to their abilities for private pilots, commercial pilots, instrument rating training and aerobatic training. They are also very good for military use or flight school operation; but in the field of general aviation they cannot compete with the simpler and lighter Cessna and Piper aircraft.

Pictures released by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka indicate they operate Czech-built Zlin Z-143 single engine, four-seater light aircraft modified to carry four bombs mounted on the undercarriage. It is not clear whether the Tigers have extensively modified the aircraft, which military sources believe may have been bought from a source in South Africa,^{[citation needed]} but the standard version has a wing span of just over 10 metres (33 feet) and an endurance of up to five hours and 10 minutes.

The Z-143 has a maximum speed of 260 kilometres (162 miles) and as such it makes it a relatively difficult target to detect and intercept by a force that lacks AWACS or an extensive defence radar network when the aircraft is flown at low level. To date the Sri Lanka Air Force has not been successful in intercepting any of the Air Tigers fixed wing aircraft.^[1]