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Extra 300
Walter Extra is one of the world's most successful competitive aerobatic pilots who decided to design and build his own aircraft in the 1980’s. The Extra 300 provides unparalleled performance and handling. This aircraft was flow in air shows all over the world by Clint McHenry. Models include the Extra 300L, Extra 300LP, Extra 330LT, Extra 330LC and Extra 330SC.
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Extra 260
The Extra 260 is the little brother of the Extra 300, with a modified wing, and is a much smaller plane. This sibling of the Extra 300 was made famous by Patty Wagstaff and her 300 hp version.
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Edge 540
The Edge 540 is an advanced, Unlimited Class aerobatic airplane by Zivko Aeronautics, designed to take over 15 G’s of sustained loading. It is now one of the most famous aircraft due to the Red Bull Air Races, now being broadcast on TV. Its distinctive straight leading edge wing sets it apart from other aerobatic aircraft. The 540T version (T for Tandem) is the two seater version.
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Yak 54
The Yak-54 is a two-seat, mid-wing, aerobatic trainer with a 360 to 400 hp engine. As with most Russian designs, the Yak is both practical and simple, has a high power to weight ratio, and offers excellent controllability.
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Sbach 342
The Sbach 342 is the two-seater version of the Sbach 300. It gets its name from the designer of the aircraft, Philipp Steinbach. With a roll rate of 450 degrees per second at 200 kts, the Sbach 300 has a power to weight ratio of 6.4 pounds per horsepower.
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Laser 200
Leo Loudenslager's Laser 200 is the plane that became the next generation of benchmark aerobatic airplanes, dethroning the Pitts Special Biplane. In the late 1960's, an aeronautical engineer by the name of Clayton Stephens designed a unique mid-wing monoplane for aerobatic competition and called it the Akro.
Leo Loudenslager was an American Airlines pilot who wanted to fly in aerobatic completion, so he ordered Akro plans from Stephens and built the Akro in his basement. Loudenslager entered the U.S. Unlimited Class in the 1971. Although he didn't win the 1971 event, he was the first rookie to make it to the finals.
He spent the next four years modifying almost the entire plane. Only 10% of the original Stephen's Akro remained intact and Leo's new version became Leo's Laser 200. He entered the 1975 U.S. Championships and this time won it all. He went on to take first place in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1982, and won the World Aerobatic Championship in 1980.
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Katana
Yes, the Katana is really a full scale aerobatic airplane, and it really is a legal IMAC competitor. The Terzi T30 Katana is a single-seat aerobatic monoplane designed and built by Terzi Aerodyne in Milan, Italy.
The signature of the plane is its oversized fairings, which are really part of an “aerodynamic continuum” which begins with a thick leading edge wing that blends with the fuselage. The design's intent is to eliminate the wing-fuse interference effect and drag, and increase the plane's efficiency at a high angle of attack.
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Sukhoi
The Russian Aerobatic Team has dominated all recent World and European Championships and have used modifications of the Su-26, Su-29 and the Su-31.
The Su-26 is considered to be one of, if not the best, aerobatic airplane in the world when it comes to precision aerobatic competition. The Su-31 is more unstable and therefore more suitable for ‘freestyle’ flying. The Su-31 is similar except for the fact that entire fuselage behind the cockpit is composite, reducing the weight.
The Sukhoi Su-29 is a two seat aircraft and has a composite fuselage. The greater size of the aircraft makes it a little less agile than the single seater 26 and 31, but the two-seat Su-29 has had great success in World Championship level competition.
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MX
Based in North Carolina, MX Aircraft produces the MXS and the tandem 2-seat version, the MX2. The MXS is another aerobatic/performance aircraft that takes advantage of carbon fiber technology. Utilizing advanced composite materials and a unique engineering process, the MXS is able to deliver structural performance in a durable, low maintenance airframe. The airplane is recognized throughout the air show, aerobatic, and air racing community, such as the Red Bull Air Races, as a top-notch competitor.
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Slick 540
The Slick 360 was and aircraft built in South Africa based on the success of the Laser and the Extra. It had the same wing profile, elevator and rudder as the Laser and the control system of the Extra with a composite wing, and Carbon Fiber longerons and ribs. The 540 is an all-composite design with the IO-540, 294 horsepower Lycoming engine. Unlike the Extra and the Edge, the pilot is located at the center of gravity, which cuts down on the effects of high energy, high-G maneuvers. The power, composite design, and neutral pilot positioning, means reliable, world-class performance.
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Velox
The Velox Revolution is a home built mid-sized competition aircraft produced in Stuart, Florida, by Velox Aviation, Inc. It produces the highest power to weight ratio of any existing aerobatic mono-plane and does so by utilizing the latest in high tech composites, such as carbon fiber and Kevlar. The full-scale kit is one of the easiest to build and sells for about $70K.
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