Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia


Role	Utility aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Piaggio Aero
First flight	26 November 1957
Number built	+/~154
Developed from	Piaggio P.136

The Piaggio P.166 is an Italian twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft developed by Piaggio Aero. The aircraft model name was Portofino, and is also known as Albatross in South African military service.

Design and development

The basic P.166 was a development of the P.136 amphibian and flew for the first time on 26 November 1957.^[1] The P.166 had a new fuselage and tail unit but retained the wing and engines from the P.136. Several were purchased for use as executive transports or as feeder and taxi aircraft. The improved P.166B was more powerful and had up to ten seats; a prototype was first flown on 27 March 1962.

A further version, the 12-seater P.166C with improved undercarriage, first flew on 2 October 1964.

A turboprop-powered variant, the P.166D, was developed with Lycoming LTP101 engines and it first flew on 3 July 1976.

P.166BL2/APH: Photo survey aircraft for Italian Air Force. Two built.

P.166CL2: Feederliner version of P.166B with external landing gear pods to allow a revised cabin giving room for up to 12 passengers. Two built. or another source gives four built
P.166DL3: Light utility transport version, powered by two 450 kW (600 hp) Lycoming LTP101-600 turboprop engines.14 built including sub-variants.
P.166DL3/APH: Photo survey aircraft version of -DL3. Six built for Italian Air Force.
P.166DL3/MAR: Maritime patrol version of DL3. Two built for Somalia.
P.166DL3/SEM: Paramilitary maritime patrol (SEM - Sorveglianza Ecologia e Marittima - Maritime and ecological surveillance) version of DL3. 12 aircraft built for Italian Coast Guard and ten for Guardia di Finanza.
P.166DP1: Re-engined version with 615 shp (459 kW) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-121 turboprops. Eight converted (two from -DL3 and six from -DL3/SEM) for Guardia di Finanza.
P.166M: Military version of P.166A, 49 built for Italian air force.
P.166S Albatross: Coastal patrol, search and rescue version of the South African Air Force with longer P.166B-type nose and larger tip tanks, 20 built

Piaggio Aerospace i

Piaggio Aerospace
Piaggio P.166 Portofino "Albatross"

General Info

Crew: 2
Capacity: 8 passengers (standard) / mission crew
Length: 11.88 m (39 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 13.51 m

14.69 m (48 ft 2.5 in) with tip-tanks

Height: 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 26.56 m² (285.9 sq ft)

Powerplant

Maximum payload: 1,073 kg Maximum ramp weight: 4,320 kg Maximum landing weight: 3,800 kg Max takeoff weight: 4,300 kg Powerplant: 2 × Lycoming LTP 101-700 turboprop engines, 447.5 kW (600 shp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn) at 3,050 m (10,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 300 km/h (190 mph, 160 kn) at 3,660 m (12,000 ft)
Stall speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn) flaps up, gear up

139 km/h (86 mph; 75 kn) flaps down, gear down

Range: 1,390 km (860 mi, 750 nmi) with maximum payload

2,084 km (1,295 mi; 1,125 nmi) with max standard fuel (wing and tip tanks)

Service ceiling: 8,535 m

4,270 m (14,000 ft) on one engine

Armament

Piaggio P.136

Special Links Piaggio Aerospace Piaggio P.166 Portofino "Albatross"

Links to Youtube & Others

The Piaggio is an Italian designed and built 6 seater, small commuter airliner developed from an earlier amphibian design, and first flown in November 1957. Hence the high wings and engines to keep them up and away from water spray.

Piaggio Aerospace Piaggio P.166 Portofino

A turboprop-powered variant, the P.166D, was developed with Lycoming LTP101 engines and it first flew on 3 July 1976.

Youtube Link

A further version, the 12-seater P.166C with improved undercarriage, first flew on 2 October 1964

Piaggio Aerospace
Piaggio P.166 Portofino "Albatross"

Piaggio Aerospace Piaggio P.166 Portofino

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History Piaggio Aerospace
Piaggio P.166 Portofino "Albatross"