The AVIA FL.3 (also later known as the Lombardi FL.3) was an Italian two-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by Azionaria Vercellese Industrie Aeronautiche (AVIA) who were later taken over by Lombardi in 1947.

Development

The FL.3 was a simple low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed landing gear and powered by an 85 hp (63 kW) Continental C-85 engine. It had room for a pilot and passenger sitting side-by-side and could either have an open or enclosed cockpit. The first aircraft flew in 1939 and production was started, but ended temporarily when the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

started. Production resumed after the war and in 1947 the company was taken over by Lombardi. Over 700 aircraft had been built by AVIA and Lombardi when production stopped in 1948. In 1953 Meteor SpA acquired the rights for the FL.3 and with some re-design produced it as the Meteor FL.53 and this was followed by a three-seat version the FL.54 powered by a 135 hp Lycoming engine. A four-seat version the FL.55 was also produced powered by either a 150 hp (112 kW) or 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming engine.

Variants

;AVIA FL.3 :Production version by AVIA powered by a 60 hp (45 kW)

CNA D.4 CNA aircraft engines 1930s aircraft piston engines Boxer engines ...

engine. ;Lombardi FL.3 :Production version by Lombardi. ;Meteor FL.53 :Modified version built by Meteor powered by a 65 hp (48 kW) Continental engine, eight built. ;Meteor FL.53BM :FL.53 with a 90 hp (67 kW) Continental engine, four built. Meteor FL54 I-FELD Bresso 31

;Meteor FL.54 :Three-seat variant powered by a 90 hp (67 kW)

Continental C90 The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admini ...

-12F engine, 10 built by Meteor. ;Meteor FL.55 :Four-seat variant powered by 135 hp (100 kW) Lycoming engine, four built by Meteor. ;Meteor FL.55BM :FL.55 powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Lycoming engine, ten built by Meteor. ;Meteor FL.55CM :FL.55 powered by a 180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming engine, one built by Meteor. ;Meteor Super :The Super was a four-seat FL.55 with enlarged vertical tail and a 220 hp Meteor Alfa 4 engine, one built. ;Meteor Bis :The Bis was a two-seat variant of the Super fitted with a 110 hp Meteor Alfa 2 engine.

Operators

; *'' Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske'' ; *''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' operated captured aircraft. ; *''

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...

'' * Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force ; *

Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana The National Republican Air Force ( it, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, ANR) was the air force of the Italian Social Republic, a World War II German puppet state in Italy. Description This air force was tasked with defending the industria ...

; *

Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...

Specifications (FL.3)

References

* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2380

External links