History:
The maiden flight was on 19JUN53. The German Forces picked the aircraft as a trainer, ahead of the Beechcraft T34 Mentor and the Saab 91 Safir, mainly because of its big cabin, since the plane would also serve as a liaison aircraft for the German Air force and the German Navy.
The German Forces got 72 “Piggi´s” as unassembled kits from the Italian factory. They carry Piaggio-Dataplates and S/N´s between 250 and 325 but were put together in Germany. Thereafter, the type certificate was sold to Focke Wulf and the whole production-line was moved to Bremen/Germany. Here another 190 examples have been produced for the German Military. They carry Focke Wulf Data-plates and S/N´s from 001 to 190. Even the engines had been license-built by BMW in Bavaria. (Powered by BMW Engine S/N´s start with a B-)
Total production was 280 aircraft. Most of them were military, but a few examples went to private customers. SWISSAIR, for example, bought five “Piggi´s” (P 149E´s) for their now abandoned flight academy in Zurich, Switzerland. A few more were delivered to the Uganda Airforce (P 149U´s).
| Registration Number | Date of Manufacture |
| N149DF | 1963 |
| Aircraft Role | Nickname |
| Training, Liaison | Piggi |
| Aircraft Type: | Wingspan: |
| Piaggio P.149E | 36’6″ |
| Overall length: | Empty weight: |
| 28’10” | 2,623 lbs |
| Gross weight: | Fuel capacity: |
| 4,012 lbs | 63 gal |
| Oil capacity | Engine type: |
| 11qt | Lycoming GO-480-B1A6 |
| Propeller type: | Max Speed |
| Piaggio P.1033-G4/DA 3-bladed, constant speed | 204 kts |
| Rate of Climb | Cruise Speed |
| 125 kts | |
| Service Ceiling | Number of Crew |
| Armament | Bomb Load |
| Number Built | Number Surviving |
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Restoration
Born in 1963 as S/N 348, she went directly to Switzerland to serve as an ab-initio trainer for Swissair as HB-EBQ. Retired in 1999, she was disassembled, sent to FL and reassembled in 2000, and registered as N149DF. Bought by a gentleman in TX in 2007, she was put through a beautiful restoration, to include a new interior, a fresh paint job, and a life extension inspection. She was bought by her current owner in October of 2011, and was ferried up to Everett, WA where she’s hangared at Paine Field (KPAE) and flies regularly with the local warbird nuts, the Cascade Warbirds.
Restoration Images
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Links
http://www.fwp149d.com/FwP-149D/fwp-149d.htm
http://www.cascadewarbirds.org/framesindexnew.html
Printable QR Codes for: Kevin O’Keefe’s Piaggio P.149E:
Please read before printing the Avery style labels
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