Piaggio P.166

{{short description|Twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft}} {{Infobox aircraft |name= P.166 |image= File:Piaggio P166 Albatross ZU-NJZ (Ex SAAF 898) (2) (6925889329).jpg |caption= |type= Utility aircraft |national_origin= Italy |manufacturer= Piaggio Aero |designer= |first_flight= 26 November 1957 |introduction= |retired= |status= |primary_user= |more_users= |produced= |number_built= ~154 |program cost= |unit cost= |developed_from= Piaggio P.136 |variants= }}

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.<ref name="JAWA61 p105">Taylor 1961, p. 105.</ref> 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.

==Variants== ;P.166 :Prototypes powered by {{convert|340|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Lycoming GSO-480-B1C6 engines, three built.<ref name="simpson233">Simpson 1991, pp.232-233</ref> ;P.166AL1 :First production version with non-slanted cockpit side windows. Accommodation for two pilots and six–eight passengers. Powered by 340 hp (250 kW) Lycoming GSO-480-B1C6 engines,<ref name="JAWA61 p106">Taylor 1961, p. 106.</ref> 29 built.<ref name="simpson233" /> ;P.166B Portofino :Revised, more powerful version with longer nose. Powered by two 380 hp (283 kW) Lycoming IGSO-540-A1C engines.<ref name="JAWA65 p97">Taylor 1965, p. 97.</ref> Five built.<ref name="jawa76 p114">Taylor 1976, p. 114.</ref> ;P.166BL2/APH :Photo survey aircraft for Italian Air Force. Two built.<ref name="Nicolli p88"/> [[File:SAAF Piaggio P166 01.jpg|thumb|''ZS-MMI'', an ex-South African Air Force P.166S Albatross]] ;P.166CL2 :Feederliner version of P.166B with external landing gear pods to allow a revised cabin giving room for up to 12 passengers.<ref name="StroudAM Ap94 p66">Stroud 1994, p. 66.</ref> Two built.<ref name="jawa76 p114"/> or another source gives four built<ref name="simpson233" /> ;P.166DL3 :Light utility transport version, powered by two 450 kW (600 hp) Lycoming LTP101-600 turboprop engines.<ref name="Nicolli p89">Nicolli 2012, p. 89.</ref> 14 built including sub-variants.<ref name="simpson233" /> ;P.166DL3/APH :Photo survey aircraft version of -DL3. Six built for Italian Air Force.<ref name="Nicolli p88-0">Nicolli 2012, pp. 88–90.</ref> ;P.166DL3/MAR :Maritime patrol version of DL3. Two built for Somalia.<ref name="Nicolli p88-9"/> ;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''.<ref name="Nicolli p90">Nicolli 2012, p. 90.</ref> ;P.166DP1 :Re-engined version with {{convert|615|shp|kW|abbr=on}} Pratt & Whitney PT6A-121 turboprops. Eight converted (two from -DL3 and six from -DL3/SEM) for ''Guardia di Finanza''.<ref name="Nicolli p90-1">Nicolli 2012, pp. 90–91.</ref> ;P.166M :Military version of P.166A, 49 built for Italian air force.<ref name="Nicolli p88">Nicolli 2012, p. 88.</ref> ;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.<ref name="Nicolli p88-9">Nicolli 2012, pp. 88–89.</ref>

==Operators== ;{{AUS}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.airhistory.net/photo/37897/VH-MMP | title = VH-MMP Piaggio P.166 | publisher = Air History | access-date = 2 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?type_version_id=10444&search_mode=1&page=1&sid=1627246003 | title = Piaggio P.166 | publisher = Air History | access-date = 25 July 2021}}</ref> *Air Associated *Air Research *Ansett-ANA *Ansett-MAL [[File:Piaggio P-166DL3-SEM, Italy - Coast Guard JP6366883.jpg|thumb|Italian Guardia Costiera]] *Australian Federal Government *Confederate Airways *East Coast Airways *Forrester Stephen Aviation *GAAF Air Charter *MacRobertson Miller Airlines *Motif Air *Papuan Air Transport *Papuan Airlines *Queensland Airlines *South Pacific Airways - SPA *Tasman Airlines [[File:Piaggio P-166DL-3APH, Italy - Air Force JP6734983.jpg|thumb|United Nations Humanitarian Air Service]] ;{{ITA}} *Alitalia *Italian Air Force received 49 P.166M between 1960 and 1968,<ref name="Nicolli p87-8">Nicolli 2012, pp. 87–88.</ref> two P.166BL2/APH photo survey aircraft<ref name="Nicolli p88"/> and six P.166-DL3/APH photo survey aircraft.<ref name="Nicolli p88-0"/> *Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard received 12 P.166-DL3/SEM between 1988 and 1990.<ref name="Nicolli p90"/> Retired July 2017.<ref name="ai218 p88">Marcellino 2018, p. 88.</ref> *''Guardia di Finanza'' received two ex-''Alitalia'' P.166-DL3 as trainers/utility aircraft in 1990 and ten new-built P.166-DL3/SEM between 1991 and 1995.<ref name="Nicolli p90"/> Eight aircraft converted to P.166DP1 standard.<ref name="Nicolli p90-1"/> Planned to remain in service until 2020.<ref name="ai218 p88"/> *Italian Ministry of Merchant Marine

;{{SOM}} *Somalian Aeronautical Corps purchased two P.166-DL3 utility aircraft and two P.166-DL3/MAR maritime patrol aircraft in 1980.<ref name="Nicolli p89"/>

;{{flag|South Africa|1928}} *South African Air Force **27 Squadron SAAF

==Notable accidents and incidents== * On 14 August 2011 two privately owned P.166s (formerly with the South African Air Force) flying in formation crashed near Tzaneen in South Africa when they both flew into a cliff face near the summit of Mamotswiri Peak in dense mist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/All-13-people-dead-in-crashed-planes-20110816|title=All 13 people dead in crashed planes}}</ref> All thirteen on board the two aircraft were killed.

==Specifications (P.166-DL3)== thumb|Flight deck {{Aircraft specs |ref=''Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1988–89'' <ref name=JAWA88-89> {{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1988–89 |year=1988 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=London |isbn=0-7106-0867-5 |editor1-last=Taylor |editor1-first=John W.R. |edition=79th |page=165}}</ref> |prime units?=met  |crew=2 |capacity=8 passengers (standard) / mission crew |length m=11.88 |length note= |span m=13.51 |span note=without tip-tanks ::::14.69 m (48 ft 2.5 in) with tip-tanks |height m=5 |height note= |wing area sqm=26.56 |wing area note= |aspect ratio=7.3 |airfoil=NACA 230 series<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref> |empty weight kg=2650 |empty weight note=equipped *'''Maximum zero-fuel weight:''' {{cvt|3800|kg|0}} *'''Maximum fuel:''' {{cvt|1139|kg|0}} *'''Maximum payload:''' {{cvt|1073|kg|0}} *'''Maximum ramp weight:''' {{cvt|4320|kg|0}} *'''Maximum landing weight:''' {{cvt|3800|kg|0}} |gross weight kg= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg=4300 |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity=2 x {{cvt|212|L|USgal impgal}} outer wing tanks <big>+</big> 2x {{cvt|312|L|USgal impgal}} tip-tanks <big>+</big> 1x {{cvt|118|L|USgal impgal}} fuselage collector-tank *'''Auxiliary fuel system:''' 1 x {{cvt|236|L|USgal impgal}} optional fuselage tank, with provision for 2x {{cvt|177|L|USgal impgal}} or {{cvt|284|L|USgal impgal}} under-wing drop tanks |more general=  |eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Lycoming LTP 101-700 |eng1 type=turboprop engines |eng1 kw=447.5 |eng1 shp=600 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number=3 |prop name=Hartzell HC-B3TN-3DL/L10282-9.5 |prop dia m=2.36 |prop dia note=constant-speed fully-feathering metal pusher propellers  |max speed kmh=400 |max speed note=at 3,050 m (10,000 ft) |cruise speed kmh=300 |cruise speed note=at 3,660 m (12,000 ft) |stall speed kmh=160 |stall speed note=flaps up, gear up ::::{{cvt|139|km/h|mph kn}} flaps down, gear down |never exceed speed kmh=407 |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |range km=1390 |range note=with maximum payload ::::{{cvt|2084|km|mi nmi|0}} with max standard fuel (wing and tip tanks) |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m = 8535 |ceiling ft = 28000 |ceiling note=<br> ::::::4,270 m (14,000 ft) on one engine |climb rate ftmin=2200 |climb rate note=<br> ::::::3 m/s (580 ft/min) on one engine |time to altitude= |wing loading kg/m2=162 |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |power/mass={{cvt|0.208|kW/kg}} |more performance=<br/> *'''Take-off run to {{cvt|15|m|-1}}:''' {{cvt|665|m|-1}} at MTOW *'''Landing run from {{cvt|15|m|-1}}:''' {{cvt|457|m|-1}} at MLW

|avionics= }}

==See also== {{portal|Aviation}} {{aircontent |see also= |related= * Piaggio P.136 |similar aircraft= |lists= }}

==References== {{Reflist}} * Marcellino, Dino. "Piaggione". ''Air International'', Vol. 94 No.2, February 2018. {{ISSN|0306-5634}}. pp. 88–91. * Niccoli, Ricardo. "Piaggione! The Varied Career of Piaggio's P.166 Pusher". ''Air International'', Vol. 82 No. 4, April 2012. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 86–91. * Simpson, R.W. ''Airlife's General Aviation'', Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing, 1991, {{ISBN|1-85310-194-X}} * Stroud, John. "Post War Propliners: Piaggio P.134 & P.166". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Vol 22 No 4, April 1994. pp. 64–67. *Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62''. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company, 1961. *Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66''. London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company, 1965. *Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77''. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1976. {{ISBN|0-354-00538-3}}.

==External links== {{commons category|Piaggio P.166}}

Category:1950s Italian civil utility aircraft P.166 Category:Twin-engined pusher aircraft Category:Twin-turboprop pusher aircraft Category:High-wing aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1957 Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear