F.8 Falco

Sequoia Falco F8L
1993 Sequoia Falco F8L
Role	Homebuilt aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Sequoia Aircraft Company
Designer	Stelio Frati
First flight	1955
Number built	90 (2011)
Unit cost	US$70,000 (kit, 1998)
Variants	Sequoia 300, Sequoia 300, Sequoia Kodiak

The Sequoia F.8L Falco is an Italian-designed lightweight 2-seater aerobatic aircraft.

The aircraft was designed by the renowned Italian designer Stelio Frati in 1955, and originally built in Italy by Aviamilano then Aeromere and later Laverda.

The Falco is currently sold in kit or plans form for amateur construction by the Sequoia Aircraft Company of Richmond, Virginia. The aircraft is single-engined, propeller driven and designed for private and general aviation use.

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 cruise speed and 6g aerobatic capability.

The Sequoia Falco F8L is constructed of spruce and typically Finnish birch 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."

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66

General characteristics

Performance

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Wikipedia