The Sequoia Falco is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

-designed lightweight 2-seater aerobatic

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engine ...

.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition'', page 251. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998.

Design and development

The aircraft was designed by the renowned

designer Stelio FratiBayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 118. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X in 1955, with the prototype, powered by a Continental C-90 engine, flying for the first time on 15 June 1955. The prototype was soon re-engined with a

Lycoming O-290 Lycoming may refer to the following, most of which are at least partly in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States: Geography * Lycoming, New York, a hamlet * Lycoming County, Pennsylvania * Lycoming Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania * L ...

-D2B, forming the basis for the initial production batch. It was originally built in Italy by Aviamilano then Aeromere and later

Laverda Laverda (''Moto Laverda S.A.S. – Dottore Francesco Laverda e fratelli'') was an Italian manufacturer of high performance motorcycles. The motorcycles in their day gained a reputation for being robust and innovative. The Laverda brand was abso ...

.Munson, Kenneth; Taylor, John: ''Jane's Pocket Book Light Aircraft Second Edition'', pages 130-131. Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. The aircraft is single-engined, propeller driven and designed for private and

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

use.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 69. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851 The Falco was sold in kit or plans form for amateur construction by the Sequoia Aircraft Company of Richmond, Virginia until its closure in 2014. Laverda F

The design was adopted in the US in the 1980s and converted to kit form. The aircraft is widely considered to be one of the best handling, strongest, and most aesthetically pleasing designs ever made available to home builders. Performance includes a 175

knot A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...

cruise speed and 6 g aerobatic capability. The Sequoia Falco F8L is constructed of spruce and typically Finnish

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains ...

plywood. The structure is built from laminated spruce bulkheads and the birch plywood is used for the skin. The plywood is often softened with hot steam, formed over the various structures and glued in place. The aircraft is rated for 6g positive and 3g negative. Reviewers Roy Beisswenger and Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as "a complex all-wooden construction in spruce and plywood and is therefore time-consuming to build. But the results in terms of weight and speed are remarkable., so much so that the Falco is considered a classic, with outstanding performance and handling."Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 124. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Variants

;F.8L Series I: Initial production model powered by 101 kW (135 hp) Lycoming engine. Ten built by Aviamilano starting in 1956. ;F.8L Series II: Improved model built by Aviamilano, with 112 kW (150 hp) engine. Twenty built. ;F.8L Series III: (Also known as F.8L America) Modified version of Series II built by Aeromere in conformance with US airworthiness requirements. 35 built by Aeromere. ;Super Falco Series IV: Similar to America, but with more powerful engine ( Lycoming O-320-B3) and constant speed propeller. Built by Laverda. Twenty built. ;Sequoia Falco: Similar to the production aircraft but re-designed for homebuilding from kits or plans, by Alfred Scott of Sequoia Aircraft Company and David Thurston of Lake Buccaneer fame.

Specifications (Laverda Super Falco Series IV)

Notes

References

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External links