SIAI-Marchetti SF.260

SIAI-Marchetti (Aermacchi) · Italy · first flew 1964 · light aircraft

The SF.260 is a compact, fast single-engine piston trainer and touring aircraft designed by Stelio Frati, celebrated for its crisp aerobatic handling.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.1 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Sleek low wing with prominent tip tanks
Bubble canopy over side-by-side seating
Small, fast sports-plane proportions

Look for a small, low-wing single with distinctive wingtip fuel tanks and a bubble canopy over side-by-side seats. Its slim, fast lines mark it apart from more utilitarian trainers. A single nose-mounted piston engine drives it.

Specifications

The SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 has a length of 7.1 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.35 m (27 ft).
Its maximum speed is 333 km/h (207 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (side-by-side, plus 1).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It first flew in 1964 as a private-venture light tourer before finding its true calling as a military trainer. Production ran for decades under SIAI-Marchetti and later Aermacchi. The type has served with dozens of air arms around the world.

Variants

Military models include the SF.260M trainer, the armed SF.260W Warrior light-attack version and the improved SF.260D. A turboprop SF.260TP broadened the range. Successive versions brought uprated engines and equipment.

Where you'll see it

The SF.260 saw no first-line RAF service, though the type is a familiar sight on the UK civil and warbird registers. Elsewhere it has been a mainstay ab-initio and counter-insurgency trainer for many smaller air forces. Its cheap running costs and pilot appeal sustained long careers.

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