Photography by Jan Morgan
Just Call It the Flying Ferrari
October 1, 2003
The control forces are ideal, the response and feedback so precise that the aircraft becomes an extension of the pilot’s will. The thin jet-type wing and aileron servo tabs generate sharp, solid responses to the controls. Taking the Marchetti to the limit becomes intuitive, and it gives plenty of warning before it departs the flight envelope.
Cruise speed can be flight planned at about 250 knots true. Turbine engines are more efficient at higher altitudes, as are the faster true airspeeds, and long cross-country flights will have to be planned at altitudes requiring oxygen. With only 68 gallons of usable fuel, the quick little SF260TP has only a two-hour range, but that actually works out to about 400 nautical miles at the higher, more economical altitudes. Of course, in practical terms, it means that an SF260TP can make a fast trip from Santa Monica to Monterey, Las Vegas, or Phoenix on its available fuel.
Having flown both the reciprocating and turbine SF260 aircraft, I understand the dilemma facing a prospective Marchetti owner: Which SF260? The piston-powered aircraft has about twice the endurance and half again more range. Though slower, it is still among the fastest piston singles available, with that aerobatic advantage. The turbine Marchetti is faster, but shorter in range, with a heftier feel to the controls. It does have that turbine whine, that smell of burning Jet A fuel and all that vibration-free power. And while all Marchettis are rare, there is the added allure of knowing that only a handful of turboprops are in civilian hands.
In this case, there is no wrong decision. The ownership of any SF260 rewards the pilot with every flight, and whichever SF260 a pilot picks is certainly the best choice.
Airpower, 805.499.0307, www.airpower-aviation.com
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