1968 SIAI Marchetti S205-22R

rpadula

rpadula

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PancakeBunny
All,

I'm posting this for my friend Kurt in hopes of giving it a little more exposure. I first met Kurt and his dad Karl at my first job out of college. It was a lousy job in a not-so-great industry, but I got to like Kurt because he was my age and he would actually tell me ways to recreate the problems so I could actually fix the software. We've been in touch ever since, so I was quite shocked to receive word in his latest Christmas card that his dad had passed away from colon cancer (so public service announcement -- get yours checked if you're due!!!).

Anyway, the plane is a 1968 SIAI Marchetti S205-22R. It's listed on Trade A Plane for $29,500. Here is the text of the ad.

1968 SIAI -Marchetti S. 205 -22R N982WA Serial # 370 Coatesville, PA Don't miss this fabulous low time plane from the original owner. Only 1863 TT and 1597 TTE. Extensive Annual just completed, all discrepancies repaired and AD's complied with. Over $8300.00 spent to make this aircraft ready to go. This is a high performance IFR 4 place retractable that is well equipped with a spacious comfortable cabin that's great for taking trips or just pleasure flying. It has a laminar flow wing with exotic honey comb aluminum construction tha's zinc chromated with stainless steel cables and fasteners. Fast and economical - 220 HP engine - 130kt cruise - 11gal/hr The plane is equipped with: Bendix BX 2000 full IFR package - ADF - Mode C transponder with altitude readout - Insight Strike Finder (Great for IMC in the warm air) - yoke mounted GPS with HSI mode - 4 place stereo intercom with headsets (plug in your IPOD) - inflatable door seal - back up electric attitude indicator - 24V electrical system with dual batteries - battery maintainer - strobe light - good interior - recent paint - Looks and flies great! This is a well maintained and fully supported aircraft. We have all the original log books, factory service and parts manuals (rare). It's always been hangered. It is a beautiful and well flying aircraft. It must be sold due to terminal illness. See it on Ebay Motors Item number: 200574174079 Starting Bid $29,500 Call with any questions: 484 -678 -4715 Ask for George.​

I believe George was Karl's flying partner.

In case someone out there is looking for an interesting Italian plane, thanks for reading.
 
And Anthony will be by in 5.....4......3.......2........1

Edit: This is right down the road from me. Perhaps I can convince Anthony to go take a look with me. Does anyone know what kind of engine it has?
 
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AdamZ said:
Thanks anything special about the Franklin? Availabilty? TBO? anything else?
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Seems like people with Franklin engines like them. For a while, the Franklins were coming from Poland, but I think that stopped for some reason. Someone considering a less common plane like this one (I think it's pretty cool myself) would probably want to seek out the type/owners club and learn where the parts are, who the best mechanics are and so on.
 
AdamZ said:
And Anthony will be by in 5.....4......3.......2........1

Edit: This is right down the road from me. Perhaps I can convince Anthony to go take a look with me. Does anyone know what kind of engine it has?
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Sorry Adam, not a fan of the 205. Now if it were and SF-260, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I'll still look at it with you if you want, but I wouldn't want to be a tire kicker as Tom D. says. LOL.
 
The Reims Cessnas used to have Franklins, also the Morane Rallye 235 was available with this engine. Don't know how the parts situation is.
 
weilke said:
The Reims Cessnas used to have Franklins
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I don't think that's true. All of the R172 and FR172 variants had the Continental or Rolls Royce-Continental IO-360. There was an STC to fit a 220 Franklin in C-172 and C-175, though.

also the Morane Rallye 235 was available with this engine. Don't know how the parts situation is.
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There was a connection. Allied Aero Industries owned the rights to Franklin and Jacobs engines in the mid-1960s, and formed the Waco subsidiary to import and/or assemble the SIAI-Marchetti S.205 (as "Waco Sirius") and the SOCATA Rallye (as "Waco Minerva") -- both with the Franklin engine.
 
The typical high compression Franklin engine you see in fixed wing aircraft is the 6A 350 rated at 220hp.

The 6V 350 was originally designed for the Bell 47 helicopter and was rated for 235hp in that application. I have no idea how supportable that engine is, or what the potential crossover for parts with the other 350 variants is, but these are things I would want to know before even thinking about this airplane. This from a Franklin owner.

Oh, and: having known Tom for six years now I think his definition of a tire kicker is, anyone who shows up to look at an aircraft who doesn't purchase it :rofl:
 
alaskaflyer said:
Oh, and: having known Tom for six years now I think his definition of a tire kicker is, anyone who shows up to look at an aircraft who doesn't purchase it :rofl:
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Right, but at full price without an inspection. :D

Just kiddin Tom. However, in all humor there is truth! :D
 
Isn't the Franklin a 1500 hr TBO? I wonder if there's an stc for a lyc io360, or io540. Man, I bet that would a rocket.
 
Went to a Siai marchetti Site not many around apparently its one of those wonderful planes that gives you grief. One owner from Tx mentioned repetitive ADs on the gear that required die testing like every 25 hours. I have yet to see an Italian machine that is not beautiful but a mechanical PIA.

I still recall my best friends FIAT ah that was fun but there was a reason FIAT stands for Fix IT Again Tony.
 
My brother had a 128 when we were kids. Great car when it worked. Then again, Duc motorcycles have a really solid reputation for quality and dependability.
 
AdamZ said:
And Anthony will be by in 5.....4......3.......2........1

Edit: This is right down the road from me. Perhaps I can convince Anthony to go take a look with me. Does anyone know what kind of engine it has?
Click to expand...

Adam,
Are you looking for a partner on a high performance single? There's an A36 in need of a partner at Wings.
Dave
 
Wow, you don't see people post about these too often. A very good friend of mine bought a 1968 S205-22R about 5 years ago. It sat on the ramp for 4 years while the engine was being rebuilt 3 times. My only comment there is to be very careful where you send your Franklin to be rebuilt. Now that the engine is back and has been put through it paces, it runs great. I've never heard such a smooth running sounding engine before.

I have around 60 hours in the 1968 S205-22R and it definitely cruises at 130kts true on 11gph. It may be slow for a 220HP engine, but it can carry anything you can stuff in it. Seriously, you can stick 4 full sized adults, full fuel, all their baggage, maybe some gold bullion, a few weights for good luck and still be under gross. You give up speed for payload I guess. Also, one day with half tanks and just the two of us onboard, we managed a sustained 1,700fpm climb to pattern altitude. It was a bit on the cold side that day too though.

It does have some extremely short times between certain inspection intervals. That is kind of annoying. And, if you want to practice an emergency gear extension, you have to leave it down and take it into the shop to be reset.
 
AdamZ said:
Went to a Siai marchetti Site not many around apparently its one of those wonderful planes that gives you grief. One owner from Tx mentioned repetitive ADs on the gear that required die testing like every 25 hours. I have yet to see an Italian machine that is not beautiful but a mechanical PIA.

I still recall my best friends FIAT ah that was fun but there was a reason FIAT stands for Fix IT Again Tony.
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Not with an SF-260. Standard Lyc O-540 engine and most other parts except airframe are off the shelf American.
 
I own 1968 Siai Marchetti S205-22R ~ N946W. Recently I had to buy a cylinder for the franklin and found that everyone is running out of parts; that is if they are still in business. :mad:
Is there a place in the US that still has franklin parts for the S205 engine?:confused:
 
Mrdxi said:
I own 1968 Siai Marchetti S205-22R ~ N946W. Recently I had to buy a cylinder for the franklin and found that everyone is running out of parts; that is if they are still in business. :mad:
Is there a place in the US that still has franklin parts for the S205 engine?:confused:
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PM Tom-D if he doesn't reply. I believe he recenetly overhauled a Frankling engine of some variety.
 
bartmc said:
PM Tom-D if he doesn't reply. I believe he recenetly overhauled a Frankling engine of some variety.
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He also mentioned that it was the only Franklin that he had done in a long time and that finding parts is a crap-shoot.
 
Thanks for your reply weilke.
A crap shoot is exactly right. I found the cylinder in the Czech Republic after considerable research. Even though it had been adequately rebuilt, it looked like it had survived a crash landing.
 
For any other newbies to this thread (like me), this is what this airplane looks like-

1476504.jpg


Kind of a cross between an Arrow and a vintage Mooney.
 
This is exactly the kind of airplane that would benefit from the E/FB, Experimental Factory Built category I have suggested. If the plane were considered an experimental, an affordable engine swap kit could be developed for say, an IO-360, or IO-470 and the plane could live on. As it is, no one is going to go to the hassle of getting an STC for so few airplanes of so little value.
 
Dav8or said:
This is exactly the kind of airplane that would benefit from the E/FB, Experimental Factory Built category I have suggested. If the plane were considered an experimental, an affordable engine swap kit could be developed for say, an IO-360, or IO-470 and the plane could live on. As it is, no one is going to go to the hassle of getting an STC for so few airplanes of so little value.
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:yes:
 
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