The Zlín Z-XII is a

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

two-seat sports aircraft, and the first major design success by the Zlínská Letecká Akciová Společnost (Zlín) aircraft manufacturing company, after its founding in

Otrokovice Otrokovice (; ) is a town in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 18,000 inhabitants. It is known as an industrial centre. Administrative division Otrokovice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population ...

after the takeover by the Bata Group.

Design and development

The low-wing all-wooden aircraft was designed by Jaroslav Lonek. Two prototypes, with different engines, were presented in April 1935. These were subjected to an extensive test program. The Z-XII, equipped with a Zlin Persy II engine emerged as the winner from the tests. The Z-212 was an improved version, equipped with a

Walter Mikron The Walter Mikron is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted straight engine for aircraft. Development Developed in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s, the engine saw limited use in late 1930s and early 1950s. In the 1980s an initial batch of engi ...

engine. The aircraft could come with an open cockpit or with a cockpit hood. It was a very popular aircraft and was exported to many countries. Production of the Z-212 ran under German supervision after the occupation of Czechoslovakia. The German ''Luftwaffe'' operated Z-XIIs and Z-212s until 1943, and about 20 Z-XIIs went to Slovakia. One Z-212 was captured by the Americans at the end of World War II. It was later used for sightseeing flights. Another Z-XII survived the war, being disassembled into parts in Otrokovice. It was later rebuilt and flew with the registration OK-ZJD. A total of 201 Z-XIIs and 58 (other sources mention 51) Z-212s were built. Replicas of Z-XII and Z-212 have been built.

Variants

;Z-XII: Equipped with a ZLAS or Zlin Persy II engine ;Z-212: Equipped with a

engine

Operators

Former civil operators

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Zlin XII 212

Former military operators

; *

Czechoslovak Air Force The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia c ...

operated this type postwar under designation K-72. ; *''

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

'' (small numbers)Ketley, Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. ''Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft'' (Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.11. ;

Slovak Republic Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...

Slovak Air Force (1939–1945) The Slovak Air Force (, or SVZ), between 1939 and 1945, was the air force of the short-lived World War II Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovak Republic. Its mission was to provide air support at fronts, and to protect Bratislava and metropolita ...

; *One Zlin 212 Tourist was impressed into service in India in 1942. ; *

Yugoslav Royal Air Force The Royal Yugoslav Air Force ( sh-Latn, Jugoslovensko kraljevsko ratno vazduhoplovstvo, JKRV; sh-Cyrl, Југословенско краљевско ратно ваздухопловство, ЈКРВ; (, JKVL); lit. "Yugoslav royal war aviatio ...

– One aircraft was impressed into military service in April 1940. * One Zlin 12 was used for a short time by the

Irgun The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...

Aircraft on display

;Serbia *

Museum of Aviation (Belgrade) The Aeronautical Museum Belgrade, formerly known as the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, is a museum located in Surčin, Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Founded in 1957, the museum is located adjacent to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The current f ...

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

Zlín Z-XII is on display

;Czech Republic * Prague Aviation Museum in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Specifications (Z-XII)

Notes

External links

Zlin XII replica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zlin Z-Xii 1930s Czechoslovak military trainer aircraft Zlin Z 12 1930s Czechoslovak sport aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1935