Piaggio P-148
The Piaggio P.148 was a 1950s Italian primary and aerobatic trainer, an all-metal low-wing monoplane with fixed tailwheel gear that first flew on 12 February 1951 powered by a 190hp Lycoming flat-six. The Italian Air Force ordered it into production for its primary flying schools and operated around 70 examples from 1951 to 1979, with a break in the 1960s when an all-jet training syllabus briefly replaced piston primary trainers before the P.148 was reinstated in 1970 for pilot-selection work. Some retired airframes were later sold to the Somali Air Corps. Its enlarged four-seat derivative, the P.149, proved considerably more successful commercially.

Did you know?
A 1950s Italian primary trainer briefly shelved when the Air Force switched to an all-jet syllabus, later restored for pilot selection.
Specifications
| Length | 8.4 m (28 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.1 m (36 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 3 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.2 t |
| Range | 500 NM (926 km) |
| Service ceiling | 16,500 ft (5,029 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Rate of climb | 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s) |
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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