Perhaps no other Falco demonstrates the potential performance of a carefully
finished Falco than Luciano Nustrini's famous Falco. The aircraft has been
polished as carefully as any competition sailplane, and no effort has been
spared to extract the maximum speed.
Wheel doors completely enclose all three landing gear. There are only
a minimum number of instruments. The windshield bow is slanted aft like
the SF.260. The rear of the canopy is carefully faired into the fuselage.
There are no external antennas. Ram air induction is used. There are four
exhaust stacks directing the exhaust to the rear for maximum thrust. Every
excess pound is stripped from the airplane. And you will find no navigation
lights or interior decoration on the plane.
The speeds attained by this airplane are astonishing. Nustrini won the
1981 Giro d'Italia race at an average speed of 234 mph. From a standing
start. Around pylons. And with the Falco's standard 160 hp Lycoming engine. |
