Finmeccanica Falco
The Falco F.8L is a sleek Italian low-wing sporting monoplane designed by Stelio Frati, whose fighter-like lines and wooden construction have made it a benchmark for handling among light aircraft since its first flight in 1955. Built successively by Aviamilano, Aeromere and Laverda in small batches, total production across all Italian-built versions never exceeded a few hundred aircraft. Rather than fading with its manufacturers, the design outlived them: Sequoia Aircraft in the United States later re-engineered the Falco as a homebuilder's kit, and enthusiasts still build and fly new examples today, decades after the original factories closed.
Did you know?
Spot the Falco by its fighter-like low-wing lines and wooden construction — a 1950s Italian sport monoplane still being built today as a homebuilder's kit.
Specifications
| Length | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 7.2 m (24 ft) |
| Height | 1.8 m (6 ft) |
| Stall speed | 53 kt (98 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 21,000 ft (6,401 m) |
| Rate of climb | 984 ft/min (5 m/s) |
| Units built | 101 |
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
In CatchFlights the Finmeccanica Falco starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Finmeccanica, the Falco family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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