The Vulcanair SF.600 ''Canguro'' (
en: "Kangaroo") was a
feederliner developed in Italy in the late 1970s. Despite a number of attempts to put the aircraft into series production, only a small number were ever built. The Canguro was a high-wing
cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with a fuselage of rectangular cross-section and a high-set tail. The tricycle undercarriage was not retractable, and its main units were carried on
sponsons on the fuselage sides.
SIAI Marchetti
SIAI-Marchetti was an Italian aircraft manufacturer primarily active during the interwar period.
History
The original company was founded during 1915 as SIAI (''Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia'' - Seaplane Company of Upper Italy). As suggested ...
provided funding towards the construction of the prototype, and constructed this aircraft at the former
Aviamilano plant. After flight testing proved positive, the type was put on sale, but failed to attract buyers in any number, even when the original
piston engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
s were exchanged for
turboprops and retractable undercarriage was offered as an option.
Following their acquisition of SIAI Marchetti,
Agusta
Agusta was an Italian helicopter manufacturer. It was based in Samarate, Northern Italy. The company was founded by Count Giovanni Agusta in 1923, who flew his first airplane in 1907. The MV Agusta motorcycle manufacturer began as an offshoot o ...
continued to offer the design, and a contract for joint production was signed with
Sammi in South Korea in 1992, but nothing came of this. A similar venture to produce the aircraft in conjunction with
PADC in the
Philippines proved similarly fruitless. PADC acquired two aircraft, RP-C1298 and RP-3101. In 1997,
Vulcanair purchased the design from
Finmeccanica (Agusta's parent company), but although a small number of examples were produced, no series production was undertaken. Vulcanair next proceeded to use the Canguro's fuselage to develop the single-engine
Vulcanair Mission
The Vulcanair VF600W Mission is an Italian single-engined utility transport, under development by Vulcanair of Casoria.
Design and development
The Mission is based on the twin-engined Vulcanair Canguro but powered by a single Walter M601F-11 ...
.
Variants
;SF600
:1982-variant with two
Allison 250-B17C
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.
;SF600A
:1989-variant with increased mean take-off weight, two
Allison 250-B17F/1 turboprop engines, modification to the wing aerodynamics and modifications to the landing gear support structure.
Specifications (SF.600TP)
References
*
*
*
*
*
{{Portal bar, Italy, Companies, Aviation
1970s Italian airliners
SIAI Marchetti aircraft
General Avia aircraft
Canguro
The Vulcanair SF.600 ''Canguro'' ( en: "Kangaroo") was a feederliner developed in Italy in the late 1970s. Despite a number of attempts to put the aircraft into series production, only a small number were ever built. The Canguro was a high-wing ...
Agusta aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1978
High-wing aircraft
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft