# SIAI-Marchetti S.205

The SIAI-Marchetti S.205 is an Italian four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, manufactured by SIAI-Marchetti. The S.205 made its maiden flight in 1965. The Italian Air Force employs a version called S.208.

## Development

The S.205 was the brainchild of the SIAI-Marchetti head designer Alexander Brena in 1964. Brena wanted to make a light, general-purpose aircraft, which led to the S.205. The aircraft was all-metal, low-winged, single-engined and provided space for four persons. Further development led into the S.208, which had a 260 hp engine, retractable landing gear, and 5 seats. Other planned, but never realized versions were the S.206 and S.210.
Approximately 65 fuselages were transported to the United States, to be assembled in Syracuse, New York by the Waco Aircraft Company. With the death of Mr. Berger, the president of the company, the assembly of the S.205 came to a halt in the US.

## Operational history

The Italian Air Force acquired 45 aircraft for use as liaison, glider-towing, and training aircraft. The military version, called S.208M, differed from the civil version through its avionics, its two doors for the cockpit, the possibility to mount a hook to tow gliders, and the lack of some fuel tanks. The first 4 delivered aircraft were S.205s, but were later converted into S.208s.
Two aircraft were also sold to Tunisia, who used them for pilot training.
Many S.205 aircraft were purchased by private pilot owners in Europe and elsewhere.

## Variants
### S.205

    basic version, metal, single-engine four-seat airplane, the F version had a fixed undercarriage, while the R version had a retractable undercarriage. It was offered with three different engines:
    S.205 F/R-18: Avco Lycoming O-360
    S.205 F/R-20: Avco Lycoming IO-360-A1A
    S.205 F/R-22: Franklin 6A-350C1

### S.206

    6-seat version, never realized

### S.208

    5-seat version with a 260 hp engine and a retractable undercarriage

### S.208M

    military version for the Italian Air Force

### S.208AG

    agricultural version, also used as an aviation-ambulance.

### S.210

    twin-engine version.

## Operators
### Civil

The aircraft has been registered in some 27 countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Australia.

### Military
#### Ethiopia

* Ethiopian Air Force

#### Italy

* Italian Air Force operates 44 SIAI-Marchetti S.208M since 1968

#### Tunisia

* Tunisian Air Force

## Specifications (S.205-20/R)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1966–67, Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1971–72
General characteristics
* Crew: 1
* Capacity: 3 pax
* Length: 8 m (26 ft 3 in)
* Wingspan: 10.86 m (35 ft 8 in)
* Height: 2.89 m (9 ft 6 in)
* Wing area: 16.09 m$^2$ (173.2 sq ft)
* Aspect ratio: 7.04
* Airfoil: root: NACA 63$_2$618; tip: NACA 63$_2$415
* Empty weight: 740 kg (1,631 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 1,300 kg (2,866 lb)
* Fuel capacity: 215 L (57 US gal; 47 imp gal) in two wing tanks with optional 115.5 L (30.5 US gal; 25.4 imp gal) wing-tip tanks
* Powerplant: 1 × Avco Lycoming IO-360-A1A 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 150 kW (200 hp)
* Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller
Performance
* Maximum speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) at sea level
* Cruise speed: 255 km/h (158 mph, 138 kn) max
* Stall speed: 84 km/h (52 mph, 45 kn) flaps and undercarriage down
* Never exceed speed: 323 km/h (201 mph, 174 kn)
* Range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi) max. internal fuel + max. payload
* Ferry range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi, 1,200 nmi) with tip-tanks
* Service ceiling: 5,380 m (17,650 ft)
* Rate of climb: 4.40 m/s; 870 ft/min
* Wing loading: 80.8 kg/m$^2$ (16.5 lb/sq ft)
* Power/mass: 0.1148 kW/kg (0.0698 hp/lb)
* Take-off run: 238 m (781 ft)
* Take-off distance to 15 m (49 ft): 408 m (1,339 ft)
* Landing run: 190 m (623 ft)
* Landing distance from 15 m (49 ft): 470 m (1,542 ft)