08/31/2021. Remarks by
Johan Visschedijk: "The well-known Italian designer Ing. Stelio Frati developed the all-metal F.250 from his previous wooden designs F.8 Falco (wings) and F.15 Picchio (fuselage), although with a rearward-sliding one piece transparent canopy and wing tip tanks. Power plant was a 250 hp Lycoming engine, hence the 250 in the designation. Aviamilano at Milan built the aircraft, construction was started in May 1963 and registered I-RAIE, it was first flown on July 15, 1964. Subsequently the aircraft was reregistered I-ZUAR. The aircraft was lost while displaying aerobatics over Sestri Ponente Airport, Genova, the Belgian pilot André Neefs was killed.
Aviamilano built two more aircraft, I-ALLA (c/n 502) and HB-ELB (c/n 503). Fitted with a 260 hp variant of the prototype's engine, these were designated F.260 and served as prototypes for the production version, to be built by SIAI Marchetti as the SF.260. The S referred to SIAI Marchetti and the F to Frati.
SIAI Marchetti SF.260 (
Johan Visschedijk Collection)
When production ended in 2017, over 1,000 aircraft had been built by a number of companies, in more than thirty versions and sub-versions.
The following data refers to the Aviamilano F.250.
Type: Three-seat cabin monoplane.
Wings: Cantilever low-wing monoplane. NACA 641212 wing section. Aspect ratio 6.4. Chord 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) at root, 2 ft 6. 75 in (0.78m) at tip. Dihedral 5°. Incidence 2° 45'. All-metal single-spar structure in two portions. Frise-type ailerons and electrically-operated slotted flaps.
Fuselage: All-metal semi-monocoque structure, with flush-riveted stressed skin.
Tail unit: Cantilever all-metal structure with swept vertical surfaces. Rudder and elevators statically and dynamically balanced. Controllable trim-tab in elevator.
Landing gear: Retractable tricycle type. Electrical retraction with mechanical emergency actuation. Oleo-pneumatic shock-absorbers.
Steerable nose wheel with tire size 5.00 x 5. Main wheels and tires size 6.00 x 6. Cleveland single-disc hydraulic brakes.
Power plant: A 250 hp Lycoming O-540-A1D six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine, driving a two-blade Hartzell-metal constant-speed propeller. Fuel in four tanks, two in wings and two on wing tips, with total capacity of 66 gal (250 l).
Accommodation: Three seats in enclosed cockpit, two in front, one at rear. Rearward-sliding transparent canopy. Baggage compartment capacity 40 lb (88 kg).
Equipment: Optional equipment included blind-flying instrumentation, communications radio and oxygen system.
