Renowned for producing collectively innovative and distinguishable aircraft, Italian aerospace manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace, formerly Piaggio Aero Industries, has a notable fleet of aircraft in the business and military aviation industries. One of the manufacturer’smost iconic productions is the Piaggio P.180 Avanti EVO, allegedly the world’s fastest light transport, twin turboprop aircraft primarily used for private chartered flights.

While this aircraft is currently what Piaggio Aerospace is known chiefly for as its flagship business aviation market, themanufacturerhas indeed produced an array of other exciting aircraft both in the past and the present. These include turbojet engine aircraft, twin-engined seaplanes, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and advanced Multirole Patrol Aircraft (MPA). Here are just a few examples of what one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers worldwide has ever produced.

The P.1HH Hammerhead

Positioned at the top end of a remotely piloted MALE aircraft and consisting of a remotely piloted aerial vehicle, a ground control station, and integrated navigation and missions systems, the P.1HH Hammerhead is often classified as unmanned excellent due to its ability for automatic take-off and landing and additional capabilities such as reaching an altitude of up to 13,700 meters while maintaining 16 hours of flight endurance.

This aircraft was derived from theP.180 Avanti platformand further redesigned with improved aerodynamic configurations, such as a longer wing extension of up to 15.5 meters. The P.1HH Hammerhead’s design combines specific structural interventions to the P.180 turboprop propellers and its unique three lifting surfaces. What’s more, the outer wing section of the type is detachable to allow ground transportability, and it has a high payload capacity to make it the aircraft of choice for any operational scenario.

Piaggio Aerospace MPA

Another aircraft derived from the P.180 Avanti platform is the Piaggio Aerospace Multi-Mission Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). This model is designed for special mission applications, including aerial surveillance as well as ground, coastal, and marine patrols. Designed in partnership with Abu Dhabi Autonomous System Investments, this technologically advanced lighttwin-turbopropmeets all the security requirements for enforcement missions with real combat scenarios.

Photo: Piaggio Aerospace

With a maximum speed of up to 650 kilometers per hour or roughly 351 knots and a Maximum Mach Operative of 0.65, it is known as the fastest Special Mission turboprop worldwide. The aircraft can also host up to eight crew members and an operational range of approximately 3,302 nautical miles or 6,115 kilometers. Furthermore, the Piaggio MPA has an unmatched high rate-of-climb of about 3,000 feet per minute, which translates to about 914 meters per minute, to climb to a service ceiling of 41,010 feet.

The P.136 Royal Gull

Produced in the late 1940s to early 1950s, with the first prototype having flown for the first time in August 1948, the Piaggio P.136 series of amphibious flying boats was often dubbed as an innovation way ahead of its time. This twin-engined amphibious utility aircraft was first produced for theItalian Air Forceto aid in air-to-sea rescue missions before continuing production for commercial customers worldwide, though primarily in the US for aerobatic operations.

Besides a rather stylish design for a seabird with an all-metal hull, a gull wing that gave it the nickname “Royal Gull” in the US, retractable landing gear, and pusher propellers, the popularity of the Piaggio P.136 series mainly stems from its outstanding performance on both land and water with a service ceiling of about 25,500 feet, the capability of flying steep approaches, and a maximum operating range of up to 1,448 kilometers or 781.85 nautical miles.

Piaggio PD.808

Designed as a joint venture between Piaggio and Douglas Aircraft Company with the basic design works having been carried out by the American manufacturer and the prototype built by the Italian, the Piaggio PD.808 – initially named the PD.808 Vespa Jet, was a low-wing sleek fuselage monoplane powered by two rear-mounted Bristol Siddeley Viper 525 turbojets and with a retractable tricycle landing gear.

The first prototype took off on its maiden voyage in August 1965, and the type was quickly recognized for its exceptional performance and capabilities with impressive speeds of up to 460 knots or 852 kilometers per hour, a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and a relatively good range of about 2,100 kilometers or 1,134 nautical miles. With these specifications, the aircraft served well as both acommercial executive jetand a military utility aircraft, such as an electronic warfare platform for the Italian Air Force.

The Piaggio P.166 Portofino

With the basic development design derived from the P.136 Royal Gull, the Piaggio P.166 Portofino was eventually produced to be a twin-engined pusher-type utility aircraft with a newer fuselage and tail unit but kept the same wings and engine design specifications from the amphibian to keep them high up and away from any water spray. This six-seater aircraft first flew in November 1957, with many eventually being purchased and used as a civilian feeder or taxi aircraft.

Thanks to the aircraft’s fantastic short take-off ability, and with speeds of up to 407 kilometers per hour or 219 knots and an operating range of up to 2,056 kilometers or 1,110.5 nautical miles, the Piaggio P.166 was extensively used. Later, It would be modified with several variants for cargo transportation, maritime training, and maritime patrol for the Coast Guard in Italy, New Guinea, and South Africa.

Bottom line

Considering this esteemedItalian manufacturerhas already and continues to produce aircraft that have pushed beyond the boundaries of aerospace design and technology from several decades ago till now, it’ll be interesting to see what more remarkable and pioneering fleets will eventually be produced after the current era of the Piaggio Avanti Evo.