Piaggio P.149D / FWP.149

D-EFTU Piaggio FWP.149D c/n 091 - Seagull Formation - Hoogeveen airfield, Holland - 31 March 2005

The Piaggio P.149 was a 4-seat touring development of the P.148, a 2-seat side-by-side all metal trainer with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The prototype of the P.149 (I-PIAM c/n 171) with a 260 hp Avco Lycoming GO-435-C2 engine and a retractable tri-gear flew first on 19 June 1953. Two years later the P.149 was selected by the Federal German Air Force as a standard basic training and liaison monoplane. To meet their requirements a 2-seat military trainer version of the P.149 with glazed cabin roof, deeper rear fuselage and a 280 hp Lycoming GO-480 engine was developed, designated P.149-D. The Federal German Air Force (Luftwaffe der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) ordered 265 Piaggio P.149D for use as a 2-seat primary trainer and 5-seat liaison aircraft. Piaggio built 76, including one which was written off before delivery. Focke-Wulf built 190 under licence from Piaggio. The first Piaggio built P.149D (AS+401 c/n 250) was delivered to Memmingen Air Base in May 1957. In the mean time Focke-Wulf had started production in Bremen, Germany and delivered its first example in November 1957.

Five ex. German Air Force Piaggio FWP.149D's are based at Hoogeveen aerodrome in the Netherlands: D-EEGD; D-EERP; D-EFTU; D-EGIT and D-EIFE. These Piaggio's belong to "Stichting Vliegsport Seagull" and are well known as the "Seagull Formation". Piaggio FWP.149D s/n 091 was one of the 190 built by Focke-Wulf under licence from Piaggio and entered service with the Luftwaffe FFS-S as AS+404. In service with the Luftwaffe the aircraft was re-serialed 90+73. As most of the FWP-149's the 9073 was withdrawn from use in the period 1971-1973. In August 1975, the aircraft entered the civil-register as D-EFTU.