SIAI MARCHETTI S205

Year Built: 1968
Cof A: 26 June 2007
TTAF: 1960
TTE: 240
Engine: 180HP Lycomin 0-360
Price:£34,995
Seller: Just Plane Trading
Tel: 01767 631048
Base: Top Farm, Cambridgeshire

NOT so very long ago Europe was building aircraft to match what was coming out of the US and this Siai Marchetti S205 can be viewed as an Italian version of a Piper Arrow, complete with retractable undercarriage and constantspeed prop.

The big difference is the price. This four-seat tourer is priced at about two-thirds the price of an equivalent Arrow and packed with nice Italian design touches and fl air. For instance, the interior is finished in a stylish grey leather and grey lining - much nicer than Floridian velour. It's a big aeroplane for just 180hp and though it will lift quite a load, it's not very fast, with a cruise speed of between 115-120kt when it's burning around 8 gallons per hour.

It's comfortable too, with plenty of luggage space behind the seats. This example is in very nice condition, 81/2 out of 10, according to David Morris of Just Plane Trading. We flew the aircraft briefly and can confirm it flies extremely nicely, taking off in around 100 metres and landing in 200 metres, on grass.