Ultimate 20-300S

Proud to share that my article has been published in the January/February 2026 issue of Sport Aerobatics. A digital copy is attached below. Being featured also means becoming part of the IAC - International Aerobatic Club, which makes this recognition especially meaningful.

My sincere thanks to Taylor Mershon, Editor of Sport Aerobatics, for the opportunity to present my project and my vision for the rebirth of the aerobatic biplanes in the 21st century.

Biplanes are not relics of the past. They are untapped potential—defined by character, precision, and emotion—and ready to be re-engineered with modern aerodynamics, systems, and purpose.

By openly sharing the core of my concepts, I do so consciously and with belief in professional academic integrity values (ICAI) and respect for intellectual ownership. Ideas should not remain hidden; they must be challenged, discussed, and developed with the right people.

An idea alone is never enough. It takes engineering, funding, ex*****on, and rigorous development and flight testing.

My GOAL is to connect with PARTNERS who recognize the originality of this VISION and are ready to help BRING IT TO LIFE!

That vision now materializes through my project:
the Ultimate NORA family of aerobatic biplanes—designed to place biplanes back, “BACK to the FUTURE” alongside top-tier monoplanes at the heart of modern aerobatic competitions and airshow flying, WHERE THEY BELONG...

Those who DARE, PERSIST—and BELIEVE—are the ones who reach their GOALS. 🙏

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Jago Stemberger, JS | 44_Area44 ©
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Book – Chapter IV

“The Biplane Boy”

(Dedicated to all dreamers who still dare to look at the sky)

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Here I am again — simply wishing to share the next part of my story, the story of “The Biplane Boy” is a story of endless love for biplanes.

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WHO IS NORA?

NORA is the name of Natasa Kramar’s and my daughter — and Žan-Mark’s sister — who is, no longer with us🙏.

I decided to name my biplane project after HER, carrying the code name “Ultimate NORA.”

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WHY NORA?

The inspiration came from the famous German WWII fighter aircraft, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D.

This version, carried the letter “D,” which in the German wartime phonetic alphabet was spoken as “DORA.” And became widely known by both German and Allied pilots.

That historical reference sparked an IDEA— and became the foundation of my project’s code name: Ultimate “NORA.”

At that time, this idea gave me strength and a renewed sense of purpose in life:
a powerful reminder never to forget, never to stop, and always to keep moving forward — to continue living fully, even without NORA’s presence.

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DEDICATED TO NORA

Even today — December 18, 2025, her birthday — when she would have been seven years old, I still find myself asking why certain souls leave us so soon… too soon…

With time, we have learned that time itself is relative… and that some souls, unfortunately, choose a different, freer way of existing.

I believe that NORA is with us all the time — without limits or distance — inspiring me to persist.

As an old Australian Aboriginal proverb says:

“We are all visitors to this time, this place.
We are just passing through.
Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love…
and then we return home.”

Happy Birthday, dear NORA,
С днём рождения, моя маленькая мышка 🦄🩷

I hope you are doing fine, wherever you are.
Missing you endlessly — always and forever.

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My passion for aerobatic flying and aerobatic aircraft — especially biplanes — has stayed with me throughout my entire life.

Today, it lives on through the continuous development and flying of my Ultimate 20-300S biplane, N8-UB, s/n 001, carrying the code name Hiryū 飛龍 (“The Flying Dragon”), chosen by Japanese 🇯🇵Sensei Takashi Tokuhisa (Taiji Tokuhisa) of the Karate Dojo from Ljubljana, Slovenia 🇸🇮.

It lives on through my continuous search for ways to bring biplanes “Back to the Future.”

That vision now materializes through my project: the Ultimate NORA family of biplanes —
CompetiziONE, ZerONE, and the latest fully unlimited EvoluziONE.

I have always believed that the biplane deserves a second chance.
I feel it is my obligation to push biplanes Back to the Future — back into the 21st century, where they belong — and to raise their legacy once again 🙏.

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Jago Stemberger, JS | 44_Area44 ©

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Book – Chapter II

“The Biplane Boy”

(Dedicated to all dreamers who still dare to look at the sky)

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Here I am — just wanting to share a part of my story.

Since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamed of becoming a pilot. I would often find myself dreaming that I was flying — free, weightless, alive. I admired the great stories of Peter Pan, imagining what it would feel like to soar through the sky just like him.

The dream of becoming a pilot was something I must have been born with. But life always takes its own path…

In 2003, already a trained military pilot after completing countless qualifications, I was introduced to the world of aerobatics and began my career with the legendary Pitts Special S-2B (S5-DDD).
That’s when my real story began — the story of “The Biplane Boy” — a story of endless love for biplanes. From that moment on, aviation became not just my passion, but my way of life.

That’s why I want to share my story with all kids, boys and girls, teenagers, young dreamers in their twenties, and even those who are already grown up or older — because it’s never too late, and never forbidden, to dream.

I want to show that everything is possible if you dedicate yourself to something you love and never stop believing.
The power of the human mind is truly endless.

Most of us weren’t born into wealthy families or privileged countries. Growing up in small towns or villages, riding a simple bicycle in a pair of shorts, we could reach only a few destinations —
but our dreams could reach far beyond the horizon, driven by our determination to chase them.

If I could travel back in time and meet myself at the age of eleven or twelve, I would love to have a short chat — to tell that young boy:

“Never stop dreaming. Never be afraid.”

Life will not be easy, and many doors will seem closed — but remember, they are never locked.
Keep fighting.
Keep standing tall.
Believe in yourself.
Stay persistent.
And never fear success.

Because…

IF THERE IS A DREAM, THERE IS A PATH.
IF THERE IS CONSISTENCY, THERE WILL BE SUCCESS.

Remember that — never stop.
We should always want more.
We should strive and keep asking ourselves:

What could be done better?

To improve.
To perfect.
To go beyond.

My passion has stayed with me, and it lives on today through my project — the Ultimate NORA EvoluziONE Biplane.

Because I have always believed that the biplane deserves a second chance — a new era — and I want to push it “Back to the Future” once again.

But this is only one chapter.
I still have so much more to give — and so many stories yet to tell.

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Jago Stemberger, JS | 44_Area44 ©️

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This design is an intellectual and exclusive property. All rights reserved. ©️

The Biplane Boy

Ever since I was a SMALL BOY, my eyes were almost always turned toward the SKY.
The DREAM of becoming a PILOT was something I must have been BORN with.
There was no one from my family—nor anyone near or far—who could have been my role model.
It was simply something that lived inside me from the very beginning.

The PATH wasn’t easy. Even though my parents were well educated and fairly well situated, they couldn’t see much sense in my DREAMS at that time. Airports and flying clubs were too far away, and there were no like-minded souls anywhere near me.

GROWING UP in a small town, with only a simple bicycle and a pair of shorts, I could reach just a few destinations—but my DREAMS could reach far beyond the HORIZON.

My teenage years and early twenties passed quickly. The political situation in my country in those days offered LITTLE HOPE or OPPORTUNITY. Yet, toward the end of university, at the age of twenty-five, I applied for one of the first and rare government scholarships for ten military student pilots.

I SUCCEEDED.
And over the next decade, I gained endless experience—precision flying, discipline, skill, and a deep respect for the ART of AVIATION. Later, due to complex circumstances, I transitioned into business and corporate aviation, where I’ve spent the last decade and a half as a COMMANDER.

But throughout all those years, my INNER PASSION never faded. I always wanted more. Even while serving as Deputy Commander of my second fighter squadron, I still felt the pull to go beyond—and eventually became an AEROBATIC COMPETITOR and AIRSHOW PERFORMER.

All that time, I kept asking myself WHAT COULD BE DONE to improve performance and safety in aerobatic flying—an art form that already pushes the limits of what’s possible.

As a CHILD, I often watched my father work as an architect. I was always DRAWING, SKETCHING, DREAMING—imagining my own designs and CREATIONS.
That passion has stayed with me, and it lives on today through MY PROJECT: the Ultimate NORA EvoluziONE biplane.

Because I always felt that the biplane deserves a SECOND CHANCE—a new era—and I want to push it “Back to the Future” once again.

But this is only ONE CHAPTER.
I still have so much more to give—and so many stories yet to tell.

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Stemberger, JS | 44_Area44 ©️

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This design is an intellectual and exclusive property. All rights reserved. ©️

“They had a DREAM, and the COURAGE to PURSUE IT🙏!”

"They had a dream, and the courage to pursue it." —Sean D. Tucker 117 years of flight. Happy Wright Brothers Day! December 17th. @firstflightsociety #seandtucker #wrightbrothers #117yearsofflight #kittyhawk #orvilleandwilbur #aopa #flywithaopa @tuckerhessprod

EXECUTIVE SAFETY BRIEF:
Advancing Safety in Aerobatic Aviation

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A. The Problem:

• Safety in aerobatic aviation has been neglected for nearly four decades.
• Cockpit protection and survivability measures remain minimal compared to advances in aircraft performance.
• Pilots face extreme risks without adequate safety systems.

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B. Aircraft Evolution vs. Human Limits:

• Modern aerobatic aircraft sustain ±12–14 g loads.
• Aerobatic maneuvers are increasingly brutal, with rapid shifts from –8/–10 g to +10/+12 g in seconds.
• The human body has not evolved to withstand these forces.
• Pilots must perform like extreme athletes, operating at the very edge of survival.

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C. The Human Cost:

• In the past 30 years, many extraordinary pilots have been lost—lives that might have been saved if safety technology had advanced alongside performance.
• Aerobatics risks at AirSows becoming the modern gladiatorial arena: a spectacle for the crowd at the cost of pilot safety.

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D. Lessons from Motorsport:

Motorsport has revolutionized survivability through:
• Crash structures & energy-absorbing cells.
• Energy-absorbing seating systems.
• Head and neck restraint (HANS) technology.
• Advanced lightweight protective composites.

Result: survivability transformed.

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E. The Call to Action:

Aerobatic aviation must now follow the same path:
• Introduce cockpit safety cells.
• Develop energy-absorbing seats & restraints.
• Apply advanced composite protection.
• Explore innovative survival systems (e.g., lightweight airbags, sensors).

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F. The Future We Must Build:

Aerobatics is about passion, precision, and performance. But it must also be about preserving life.

If we act now—even with small steps—we can:
✅ Design and develop a new standard of protection.
✅ Give future pilots a greater chance of survival.
✅ Ensure the future of aerobatics remains safe, sustainable, and inspiring.

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“THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!…”

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“Excited to share a glimpse of my Ultimate NORA EvoluziONE ‘EVO’ project — with much more still to come!”

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©️ Copyright JS | 44_Area44, since 2013
This design is the intellectual and exclusive property of Jago Stemberger. All rights reserved. ©️

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
_Alvin Toffler

The Vanishing Soul in the Digital Age;

For those of US BORN toward the end of the 20th century, stepping into the 21st century has been more than a leap in time — it has been a struggle between TWO WORLDS.

We were raised in an ANALOGUE AGE, a time many of us still remember as the most BEAUTIFUL ERA this Earth 🌎 has known. It was a time of handwriting, spoken stories, and direct human connection. TODAY, we find ourselves navigating the DIGITAL AGE, surrounded by endless flows of information, and already falling a STEP BEHIND the pace at which AI-artificial intelligence reshapes our reality.

As the WORLD moves forward, I fear the written word will slowly VANISH. BOOKS will linger only in the MEMORIES of a few, like faint echoes of a forgotten past. HANDWRITING— once an intimate expression of thought and feeling — is already fading into a LOST ART. The stories passed from FATHERS to SONS, from grandmothers to grandchildren, are dissolving into databases, audio streams, and QR CODES. What was once living memory is becoming LIFELESS DATA.

Soon, we will no longer carry only phones or wrist devices; we may wear digital implants beneath our skin, and glasses that project instant instructions directly before our eyes. Every QUESTION will be answered in a second. Every DIRECTION will be given before we can even get lost. And yet, the more we embrace this world of convenience, the more we RISK becoming CAPTIVES of it.

In this PURSUIT of PROGRESS, we may unknowingly surrender the very essence of what makes us HUMAN— our SOUL. TECHNOLOGY may connect us faster than ever before, but it also threatens to SEPARATE us from the need for TRUE SOULMATES, from the deeper bonds that anchor human EXISTENCE.

The paradox is clear: the more we CONNECT to MACHINES, the more we DISCONNECT from OURSELVES. The more we rely on artificial memory, the more we forget our own. And as this dependence grows, we RISK LOSING not only our past but also OUR PURPOSE🙏!

The question that remains is whether humanity can CARRY its SOUL into the FUTURE— or whether, in the silence of forgotten books and the glow of endless screens, it will QUIETLY DISAPPEAR…

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stemberger JS | 44©️

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” _Vincent Van Gogh

…EVERY STEP we take toward a new IDEA, a new project, or a desire reveals a new HORIZON. With each small STEP taken day by day in the right direction, we move closer to our GOALS and our SUCCESS!

Never FEAR growing slowly; dedication and persistence matter most. The sum of all small STEPS and consistent EFFORTS over time is the true path to ACHIEVEMENT.

I BELIEVE that with advancing technologies, CFD simulations, mechanical tools, and new materials unlocking ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES — together with our imagination that knows NO LIMITS — the future is wide open!

We are still FAR FROM reaching the FINAL STAGE of propeller design. There remains ENORMOUS POTENTIAL and creativity for developing entirely NEW GEN of propellers — focused on reducing NOISE, minimizing AERODYNAMIC DRAG, and maximizing ACCELERATION EFFICIENCY…

Through ADVANCED scimitar-shaped blade geometries and the use of HIGH-PERFORMANCE composite materials — including carbon and aramid fibers — we can achieve a SUPERIOR STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO, exceptional STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, and outstanding RESPONSIVENESS under EXTREME DYNAMIC FLIGHT CONDITIONS…

So — “THE HUNT IS ON, LET’S GO!”

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“Excited to share a glimpse of my Ultimate NORA EvoluziONE ‘EVO’ project — with much more still to come!”

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©️ Copyright JS | 44_Area44, since 2013
This design is the intellectual and exclusive property of Jago Stemberger. All rights reserved. ©️