Remember, we had posts about the offspring of the Italian aviation industry

The Piaggio P.180 Avanti?

In the video is its predecessor, the Piaggio P.166, which, in turn, was born as a land version of the amphibious P.136 "Royal Gull," retaining the distinctive "seagull wing" shape and pusher engine configuration.

When it was designed in the mid-1950s, Italian engineers combined the wing and tail from the P.136 with a completely new fuselage intended for land operations. The pusher propeller layout provided several important advantages, such as significantly reduced cabin noise, improved visibility for pilots, and protection of the propellers from damage on unpaved airfields.

The Italian Air Force became the largest operator of the P.166, receiving 49 aircraft of the P.166M modification between 1960 and 1969. The military version was specially adapted to transport a spare engine for the Fiat G91 fighter.

The P.166S "Albatross" version was actively used for maritime patrol and search and rescue operations. This modification featured an extended nose, two entry doors for pilots, and increased fuel tanks in the wing tips with a capacity of 320 liters each, providing up to 9 hours of patrol.

About 150 aircraft of all modifications were built in total, including military versions. The last P.166s in military service were retired on March 1, 2022. The modern P.166DP1 version with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-121 engines producing 615 hp is still available for order.

Beautiful airplanes ✈️