Untitled Page

Here's a very cool looking aircraft, at least I think so! It's the Piaggio P.166DL3/SEM/APH. Rinaldo Piaggio, an industrialist and politician (Oh-oh! Just kidding!), started manufacturing aircraft at his Finale Ligure Factory during WW I, building Caproni Bombers, and F.B.A and Macchi flying boats, under license. The Piaggio P.2 was the first original design for the company by Giovanni Pegna.

The prototype P.166 flew its maiden flight November 26, 1957. This aircraft was intended to be a civil light transport. It retained the wings and engines of the earlier P.136-L amphibian. Like the 136, the 166 has pusher type props, mounted on the cantilever, high-set, gull wing. The P.166 is equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear, and a single angular fin and rudder with an additional dorsal fin.

This aircraft has good short-field characteristics, and its range can be increase by adding wing-tip auxiliary tanks. The first 32 P.166's off the shelf went to civil operators, and later civil versions were upgraded with increased power and passenger capacity.

The Download Version - Piaggio P-166DL3/SEM/APH
Design & Artwork by Mario Noriega
For use with FS 2004 or 2002 (not tested)

This model comes with animated gears, dampers, propellers, doors, and control surfaces, and also has a Dynamic Clickable VC. There is only one livery included in this download, but if you're a fan of Piaggio's, there are quite a few good ones out there, and Mario's version here is up there with the best! The exterior of the craft is modeled nicely, smooth edges, details that can be seen both on the exterior of the plane from the outside and details into the cabin and cockpit. The model makes for some nice screenshots! I really like the look of this aircraft, maybe because it's not among the normal, like me! It has a distinctive shape and the pusher-type props that have always intrigued me. Hmmm, I think I left myself open on that one!

Inside the cockpit, the 2D panel is readable, although the standard gauges were just a hair away from being crystal clear, however, it is quite functional, with loads of state-of-the-art equipment that you'd find in most modern day aircraft, including all the basics with a nicely rendered sub panel. A mixture of "glass cockpit" and standard gauges are utilized on the panel. That above issue with the "squinched look" really was just a bit noticeable in the standard gauges, but again, was not really all that bad! The VC view is photo real and was all clickable and usable, eve on the copilots side, and was usable from various "distances" or "eye points" from the actual panel. The reason I mention this is that while reviewing, and using lots of packages, both Freeware and Payware, I've noticed that the panel is usually only usable in the default setting of the eye point, or very near that position. Not all, but most. I was able to click on the panel in VC view from way back behind the seats in the cockpit, while looking out the side window, complete with curtains! That was interesting, like piloting with a remote in your hand, watching the clouds go by, with a cold one nearby! Wait a minute, scratch the "cold one", you're Pilot in Command! After landing, maybe!

Mario's intent here is to build the entire family of these twins, and I hope that he does it!
This download is worth a flight! Great avionics for the flying aspect of the model and also nice to look at, making for good screenshot material! Thanks Mario, and all those who helped you (check out the read me file in the zip for more info and credits).