These pictures and text are from an old and new brochure.
for additional shots Click here

POWER PLANT: Lycoming O-540-E4 A5 six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air cooled engine, rated at 260Hp at 2700 rpm. Pictured is the aerobatic fuel injected version of this engine which is available as an option. Hartzell HC-C2YK-1BF/8477-8R two bladed constant speed propeller. Spin on oil filter and Christen inverted oil. Click on the picture for better detail.


A spacious shock-mounted INSTRUMENT PANEL permits the installation of a complete set of instruments and avionics for both pilot and co-pilot.

FUEL SYSTEM: four alluminium alloy tanks, two in the wing and two at the wing tips, fuel selector, filter and booster pump.

LANDING GEAR: Tricycle type, electrically retractable. Main gear trailing-arm type, with independent shock absorbers. Note the shortened nose gear.
Nose wheel steering accomplished by rudder pedals. Click on the picture for better detail.

Comfortable and roomy COCKPIT for side by side pilot and co-pilot. Passengers use the rear seat.

FLIGHT CONTROLS: dual cable type primary controls. Three axis trim. Electrical flaps.

Heated and ventilated cockpit; WINDSHIELD defrosting provided through slots at the base of the windshield.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 28V DC negative ground system, powered by an engine driven alternator, rated at 70 amperes, and a sealed type battery rated at 24 ampere-hour.

THE FINAL RESULT A fighter trainer that can be operated off of an unimproved grass strip. This ship can be yours for only $400,000.00 + USD. Send your request to Mike Patlin.
Hey Dudley- Just one more thing- the true price is $400K FOB the factory- That is with the basic paint scheme (white) and enough radios to depart the airport (usually a Gemelli audio panel and a KY196A.
Thanks, Mike Patlin
The pix look real good, although one can tell that they aren't of the E/F due to the style of the canopy, inst. panel, and canopy release.

editor note: I have asked everyone to help identify these pictures. Only our SF260 historian has replied. His answers follow. Please send any additional information you might have to me at === sf260w@yahoo.com

hello Dudley,
sorry but I'm a bit slow these days, still recovering from my trip to the States.

Had time to check out your new images. Well done, good job. I think that most are factory photo's. Some I have identified, only the easy ones.

The three SF.260's flying low level with smoke (266.jpg) are most probably SF.260C's from the Patrouille Martini, a French aerobatic team, now flying Pilatus PC-7 trainers. Registrations I-APAA, I-APAB, I-APAC, the I-APAA is still on sale in Switzerland for US$ 150,000; there was a US registration reserved, N260F, for this bird, maybe that sale did not go through.

The bird view (267.jpg) is of I-LELC a SF.260C, it was at the time in service with the Italian airlines Alitalia as a pilot trainer. Alitalia had at one time seven SF.260C and D's in service. All have been withdrawn from use now. Probably now in civil use in Italia.

Both yellow and white SF.260's (268.jpg) are among the first SF.260's imported in the USA in 1968.
The yellow bird is N730W (c/n. 1-09) at the time owned by Larry Kingry and the white bird is N7895 (c/n. 1-23) then owned by Harry Shepard, and I think he still ownes and flies this bird after all these years. I am told that both gentlemen formed an aerobatic team in the early '70's and flew their "straight" wing SF.260's to their limits. A third SF.260, N7896 (c/n. 1-24), was also imported in 1968-69. But this one disappeared a long time ago, I don't know if it crashed or was sold abroad.

The last one (269a.jpg), is a SF.260WE serial 222, of the Irish Air Corps from Ireland. The picture is taken probable in early 1977 at the factory field of Vergiate, Italy. 222 is still in service in Ireland as a pilot trainer and also used as a weapons trainer.

Speaking about SF.260E and SF.260F aircraft, I just saw a photo of a SF.260F in a Italian magazine last week. It is one of six aircraft ordered by the Air Force of Zimbabwe. Three SF.260F were flight testing at the Aermacchi field at Venegono in June this year, so they should have been delivered by now the Zimbabwe.
Venezuela is the country which ordered the E model, a first batch of twelve, with additional aircraft in option. I haven't heard or read something about civilian sales.
Here is another picture of two SF260E/F models that are in a factory borchure.


greetings,hendrik van der veen a collector of SIAI Marchetti SF.260 history
http://www.cybercomm.nl/~hhvdveen/sf260.html