SIAI Marchetti SF.260

[hendriksf260]

What is the current status of the SF.260's ? Have they been withdrawn from use, after the delivery of the Pilatus PC-9 aircraft ?

Is there an official withdrawal date ?

greetings,
hendrik

[pilatus]

i was in sligo about 3weeks ago and noticed a marchetti flying at medium alltitude  doing a couple of rolls and turns.this was over rosses point not far from the local airport at strandhill were a dauphin was also flying from that day it made a couple of pretty low passes over strandhill beach and i mean pretty low!it was no.247 i think! '>

[pilatus]

i was just reading the air corps apprentice 2004 advertisment which can be seen on the 2004apprentices topic which frank has posted!they list the aircraft they operate but they didn mention the sf260we warrior anywere on it!

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi all
there was a rumour floating about that the Marchettis(never warriors,never 260s,btw) were being given their IRANs prior to being stood down,also prior to being sold to a Military customer,ie, Belgium. Being weapon-capable, the DoD would not allow them to be sold to civvies. it would not be beyond the DoD to order them scrapped.
regards
GttC

[Irish251]

Military hardware is civilianised all the time - a lot of it more potent than SF.260s!  As these aircraft do not have armament permanently installed, I doubt this would or should be regarded by anyone as an insurmountable issue.

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
Do you honestly think that a civil servant would allow the release of a potentially-armable aircraft onto the civil market?!! Given their track record of dealing with more innocuous aircraft, I doubt it very much.They will either be cut up for scrap or issued to colleges under strict conditions.
regards
GttC

[Silver]

Well, if those are the two options, they should just keep them in flying order for as long as possible and use them to for reserve pilots to train on - and/or as a 'filter aircraft' for new recruits !

[Stinger]

What are the chances of one of these aircraft making it into the new Air Corps Museum?  Given the number of years they have served, and the roles they have undertaken surely it would be a fitting tribute?

[Silver]

I agree Stinger, at least one should be retained for the museum - ideally the first (or last) Marchetti delivered.

[Irish251]

GttC

Pretty-well any aircraft can be armed - the Cessna 172 operated by the IAC is a good example of a primarily civilian type being put to military use.

Plus, SF.260s have been built and sold on the civilian market also, so it's not exactly in the F-15 bracket.  Your simplistic comments on civil servants a don't merit a response.

However I do agree that it would be good to see one example of the Warrior preserved here, as was done with the Magisters when retired.  All we need now is a venue where the public, who paid for them, can see these aircraft and other historical material on the Air Corps.

[P.Doff]

I was told by the Museum's curator that one will be given to him! Maye they could keep it as a flying exibit as they are all still very airworthy!!

[Fouga]

pity the vampire aint airworthy..............sigh.

i always thought they were called warriors as the "e" in sf260we denotes Eire..so donal mac carron says in "wings over ireland"

[Silver]

I too believed they are called Warriors, and that "E" denotes 'Eire' ?!


If they are not to be sold then why not just donate them to a country like Estonia (for example). I'm sure they would be glad of the aircraft and being our new European neighbours surely we, a rich country like Ireland, can well afford to donate these aircraft to a country like Estonia.

Incidentially, the same could be done with some of the Alouettes when they are retired.

[Bailer]

Quote

GoneToTheCanner Posted on 19 Sep. 2004,14:54 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi all there was a rumour floating about that the Marchettis(never warriors,never 260s,btw)

Eh yes they are The SIAI SF260"w" painted on the Rear fuselage of each one kind of gives it away.

Judging by that and your Civil Servant remark, methinks GTTC is talking out of that part of the Anatomy he will be using in the Canner!!

[pilatus]

i agree with bailer as in the air corps book they are refered to as sf260we and yes it also says warrior i believe!r u all sure tho that E  stood for EIRE as the libiyan airforces warriors also carry the designation sf260we?! '>