AVIA FL.3

AVIA/Lombardi FL.3

Role	Two-seat cabin monoplane
Manufacturer	Azionaria Vercellese Industrie Aeronautiche (AVIA) Lombardi
Designer	Francis Lombardi
First flight	1939
Number built	335 + 1 prototype^[1]

The AVIA FL.3 (also later known as the Lombardi FL.3) was an Italian two-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by Azionaria Vercellese Industrie Aeronautiche (AVIA) who were later taken over by Lombardi in 1947.

Development

The FL.3 was a simple low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed landing gear and powered by an 85 hp (63 kW) Continental C-85 engine. It had room for a pilot and passenger sitting side-by-side and could either have an open or enclosed cockpit. The first aircraft flew in 1939 and production was started, but ended temporarily when the Second World War started.

Production resumed after the war and in 1947 the company was taken over by Lombardi. Over 700 aircraft had been built by AVIA and Lombardi when production stopped in 1948.

In 1953 Meteor SpA acquired the rights for the FL.3 and with some re-design produced it as the Meteor FL.53 and this was followed by a three-seat version the FL.54 powered by a 135 hp Lycoming engine. A four-seat version the FL.55 was also produced powered by either a 150 hp (112 kW) or 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming engine.

Variants

AVIA FL.3: Production version by AVIA powered by a 60 hp (45 kW) CNA D.4 engine.
Lombardi FL.3: Production version by Lombardi.
Meteor FL.53: Modified version built by Meteor powered by a 65 hp (48 kW) Continental engine, eight built.
Meteor FL.53BM: FL.53 with a 90 hp (67 kW) Continental engine, four built.

Meteor FL54 three-seat variant at Milan (Bresso) airport in 1965

Meteor FL.54: Three-seat variant powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Continental C90-12F engine, 10 built by Meteor.
Meteor FL.55: Four-seat variant powered by 135 hp (100 kW) Lycoming engine, four built by Meteor.
Meteor FL.55BM: FL.55 powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming engine, ten built by Meteor.
Meteor FL.55CM: FL.55 powered by a 180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming engine, one built by Meteor.
Meteor Super: The Super was a four-seat FL.55 with enlarged vertical tail and a 220 hp Meteor Alfa 4 engine, one built.
Meteor Bis: The Bis was a two-seat variant of the Super fitted with a 110 hp Meteor Alfa 2 engine.

Operators

Croatia

Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske

Germany

Luftwaffe operated captured aircraft.

Kingdom of Italy

Italian Social Republic

Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana

Italy

Italian Air Force

Specifications (FL.3)

Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2380

General characteristics

Capacity: 2-seat
Length: 6.35 m (20 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 9.85 m (32 ft 3¾ in)
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Wing area: 14.35 m² (154.47 ft²)
Empty weight: 340 kg (750 lb)
Gross weight: 570 kg (1257 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Continental C-85 flat-four piston, 63 kW (85 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 195 km/h (121 mph)
Range: 555 km (342 miles)
Service ceiling: 6000 m (19,685 ft)

References

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2380

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AVIA FL.3.

World Aircraft Directory
(in Italian) Gruppo Amici Velivoli Storici
Photo gallery on airliners.net

Aircraft produced by Azionara Vercellese Industrie Aeronautiche and Francis Lombardi Co
FL.3 LM.5 LM.7

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