Aeromere F-8L Falco
The Falco F.8L is a two-seat, wood-and-plywood aerobatic sporting aircraft designed by Stelio Frati, whose prototype first flew in Italy on 15 June 1955 fitted with a 90-horsepower Continental engine. Aviamilano built the earliest Series I and II aircraft before manufacturing passed to Aeromere, whose F-8L America version gave the type its common name, and later to Laverda, which introduced the more powerful 160-horsepower Super Falco Series IV. Built from laminated spruce bulkheads skinned in birch plywood, the Falco combined a wooden structure with genuinely aerobatic performance rare for its era. Production later resumed in the United States, where Sequoia Aircraft sold Falco kits and plans into the 2010s.
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Did you know?
The F-8L name comes from Aeromere's America version of Stelio Frati's 1955 wooden aerobatic prototype, the Falco, rare in its era for genuine aerobatic ability.
Specifications
| Length | 6.6 m (22 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Height | 2.3 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1 t |
| Range | 860 NM (1,593 km) |
| Service ceiling | 19,000 ft (5,791 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,140 ft/min (5.8 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 330 m (1,083 ft) |
| Landing distance | 330 m (1,083 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 150 l |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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