Extra 300L vs Zlin 50 vs Pitts S-2
Three aeroplanes that defined competition aerobatics in different decades. If you are choosing a flight rather than a career, the differences that matter are visibility, roll rate and how much of the sequence you can see.
The short comparison
| Extra 300L | Zlin 50 | Pitts S-2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Low-wing monoplane | Low-wing monoplane | Biplane |
| Origin | Germany | Czechoslovakia | United States |
| Engine | Lycoming AEIO-540, 300 hp | Lycoming AEIO-540, 260-300 hp | Lycoming AEIO-540, 260 hp |
| Structure | Steel tube fuselage, carbon wing | Metal | Steel tube and fabric, wood spars |
| Visibility from the rear seat | Excellent | Good | Limited by the upper wing |
| Roll rate | Very high | High | High |
| Character | Precise and modern | Powerful, heavier feel | Agile, raw, classic |
Extra 300L
The modern standard, and the reason it dominates competition flight lines is precision. A carbon wing with a symmetrical aerofoil, enormous control authority and a roll rate around 400 degrees per second give it the ability to place a figure exactly where the pilot wants it. From the back seat, the bubble canopy and tandem layout mean you can see the horizon at any attitude, including through the top of the canopy when inverted. For a introductory flight that visibility is most of the experience.
Zlin 50
The Czech monoplane that carried a generation of European champions through the 1980s. Metal structure, heavier control feel than an Extra, and a reputation for being demanding but very capable. Pilots who learned on one tend to be affectionate about it in the way people are about cars with no power steering. Fewer are flying now, and airframe availability rather than capability is the limiting factor.
Pitts S-2
The biplane that made competition aerobatics accessible in the United States and then everywhere else. Short, agile and full of character, with a control response that rewards precision and punishes sloppiness. The trade-off is visibility: two wings and a lot of structure sit between you and the world, and in the front seat of an S-2 the view forward on the ground is theoretical. Wonderful to fly, harder to sell to a participant who wants to watch the horizon rotate.
Which is best for an introductory flight
The monoplane, and specifically the one with the best canopy. What makes an aerobatic flight memorable for someone who is not flying it is seeing the manoeuvre happen: watching the ground swing overhead in a loop, watching the horizon spin in a roll. A biplane takes some of that away, and that is the reason our Extra 300L SP-EKS carries participants, and why the tandem layout with the participant in the rear seat matters as much as the engine does.
Which is best to learn on
Less obvious. There is a real argument that a demanding aeroplane makes a better teacher, because it does not forgive a lazy input. There is an equally real argument that a modern aeroplane with predictable behaviour lets a student focus on the figure rather than on fighting the machine. In practice most people learn on what is available and locally maintained, which is a better reason than either. Our FCL.800 training runs on the Extra, on the grounds that a student who can hold a line on a precise aeroplane can hold one on anything.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for aerobatics, a biplane or a monoplane?
For competition precision, modern monoplanes such as the Extra dominate. For character and agility, biplanes such as the Pitts remain much loved. For a introductory flight, a monoplane with a bubble canopy is clearly better because you can see the manoeuvre happening.
Why do so many competition pilots fly the Extra 300?
Control authority and precision. A symmetrical carbon wing and very high roll rate let a pilot place figures exactly, and that is what judges score.
What is the visibility like from the back seat of a Pitts?
Limited. The upper wing and structure sit between the occupant and the horizon, which is part of the biplane character but takes away much of what makes a introductory flight memorable.
Is the Zlin 50 still flying?
Some are, though far fewer than in its competitive heyday in the 1980s. Airframe availability rather than capability is the limiting factor.
Which aircraft is used for flights at akrobacja.com?
An Extra 300L registered SP-EKS, a two-seat tandem monoplane with a 300 hp Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5, based at Radom-Piastow.
Fly it yourself
Aerobatic flights in the Extra 300L SP-EKS from Radom-Piastów (EPRP), 100 km from Warsaw. From 2,222 PLN, no licence or experience required. Gift vouchers are issued as a PDF after payment confirmation and stay valid for 12 months.