The Italair F.20 Pegaso was a twin-engine utility aircraft designed by

Stelio Frati Stelio Frati (born in Milan Italy in 1919, died 14 May 2010) was an Italian mechanical engineer and aeroplane designer. He graduated from the Politecnico of Milan as a mechanical engineer in 1943, participating in the design of the Aeronautica Lom ...

and built in Italy in 1971.

Design and development

It had the sleek lines typical of Frati's designs and was a conventional low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage. Construction throughout was of metal, and the aircraft was notable at the time for its high speed, much greater than that of its competitors. The prototype Pegaso was exhibited at the 1973

Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...

. Before arrangements could be made to produce the aircraft in series, however, Italair ran out of money, and the rights to the design reverted to Frati. In the early 1980s, Frati designed a modernised version of the aircraft, powered by

Allison 250 The Allison Model 250, now known as the Rolls-Royce M250, (US military designations T63 and T703) is a highly successful turboshaft engine family, originally developed by the Allison Engine Company in the early 1960s. The Model 250 has been pro ...

turboprop engines in place of the Pegaso's piston engines and equipped with a large sliding bubble canopy. Built by Frati's own company,

General Avia General Avia is the Italian aircraft manufacturing company which produced Stelio Frati's prototype designs as well as commercial production of some designs. Today the official name is "GeneralAvia Aerospace Technology Company" Aircraft * Proc ...

, and named the F.20TP Condor, this version first flew on 7 May 1983. Frati hoped that this version might attract military buyers who could use it for training, maritime patrol, or even ground attack, and the prototype was equipped with two pylons under each wing to demonstrate its capacity to carry external stores. Although exhibited at the Paris Air Show in 1985, development of the Condor was postponed in favour of the

Promavia Jet Squalus The Promavia F.1300 Jet Squalus, also known as Promavia Jet Squalus F1300, was a two-seat light jet trainer designed by Italian Stelio Frati and built by Promavia in Belgium with support from the Belgian government. Development The Jet Squalus w ...

that Frati was working on at the time, and was eventually abandoned.

Specifications (F.20 Pegaso)

Design and development

Specifications (F.20 Pegaso)

References

Further reading