Aircraft Shopping - Extra 300, SU-26, or Yak 55m?

Hello,

I have been researching aircraft as I am looking to get into airshow flying and competition aerobatics. I am looking for an aircraft that I could potentially use to compete up to unlimited. I am trying to avoid needing to upgrade aircraft over the long term. I am a commercial pilot with high performance experience.

From my research and budget I am considering the following aircraft.

Extra 300 - You can find this at a quite reasonable price $140k and from what I hear they are very solid flyers up to advanced category. Some WAC competitors mentioning that it actually is a better acro flyer than the 300L.

Extra 300S (early 90's model) - You can find some of these at reasonable prices. Does anyone know how these fly compared to the 300? I know they are lighter but are they much better than the 300? Would the 300S be competitive in Unlimited or is it a better advanced flyer like the 300?

Su-26M - From what I can tell this is probably the most available and inexpensive unlimited aircraft today. From my research these can be pretty cost effective to operate, considering engine overhaul etc.

Su-29 - Seems interesting but doesn't look to be a competitor in Unlimited.

Yak-55m - Looks to be the absolute best bang for dollar but not able to compete at unlimited class. I also hear these are not the best for cross country due to the lack of leg room. Is it not worth paying up for the other aircraft listed above?


Planning on flying airshows I do need something that, relative to aerobatics planes, is good for cross country trips, especially since I will be flying over the Rocky Mountains often.

Any input, suggestions and experience with regard to these aircraft would be greatly appreciated. My budget is around plus or minus $160k US.

Thanks in advance!

Have you gotten involved in competition acro yet? What's your current acro experience? If you have not yet gotten involved with competition acro, it would be a little premature to be looking for an airplane that you can fly Unlimited in. I don't mean to discourage, but very few pilots end up competing in Unlimited. Becoming competitive at that level takes years and a very high level of dedication, and lots of coaching/critiquing. Many people enter the sport wanting the highest performing airplane possible, which can take them to the highest levels. It's hard to say how far you will go until you've been involved for awhile. You can get there, but in the meantime, I'd look at an airplane that will serve your purposes right now. It will take years to truly outgrow even the Yak 55. So right now, buy what you can afford, and what interests you. You are not stuck with an airplane forever, but there's also nothing wrong with buying the most performance you can afford, even if you never end up needing that much performance (flying Unlimited). Many pilots never fly their Extra 300's beyond the lower to mid categories in competition.

But since I've never flown any of the airplanes you list, I can only provide my observations as someone who has watched and judged these airplanes at contests. The mid-wing Extra 300 is a good 2-seat performer if you need/want two seats. It is lighter and slightly better performing than the 300L. Probably cheaper too, since they are older. But recreational acro pilots prefer the improved visibility and creature comforts of the 300L.

The 300S seems to be the best performing Extra short of the new 330 airplanes. Lighter than the 300 and with larger ailerons I believe. These are still very capable of being competitive in today's Unlimited category. If you don't need two seats, this would be a great choice.

I don't know much about Suks, but the 26M is of course an Unlimited capable machine.

The Yak 55 could be coerced through the Unlimited sequences, but will be more competitive up through the Advanced category. They are a bit heavier of course than the Suk, and roll slower. Don't know much about maintenance. They can be had much for much less money than the others of course.

Good luck in your search.

Thanks for the input RetroAcro! I have experience in various planes flying acro including the Raytheon Texan II. I understand unlimited is highly competitive and I won't walk in without climbing the ladder. I am just trying to avoid the aircraft being the limiting factor.

I also plan on flying the local airshow circuit, so I would like a great show plane for freestyle flying.

Both the 300 and 300S seem to be great values. Was hoping somebody had some hands on experience on both of them for input.

The Su-26 also seems like great option as there are some pilots in my area operating these aircraft.

Thanks again!