Siai Marchetti SF 260

[hasegawa]

I first came across the SF.260 in FSX, thanks to a very well-made model from RealAir, who were also known for their beautiful Spitfire Mk.XIV among other airplanes.
Today the aircraft is available again in MSFS 2020, this time from another developer.

What I like about the SF.260 is that you really have to fly it by hand. It has no autopilot, is highly maneuverable, spirited, aerobatic, and very much a typical early military trainer of its era. While it has since been replaced in active service, you can still find examples today – sometimes even in private hands.

This is the pure trainer version, not the later armed SF.260W "Warrior". In its elegant lines and smooth shapes, it looks more like a stylish touring aircraft than a military machine — especially without camouflage. For sim pilots, it’s a bit unusual that the instructor sits on the right side of the cockpit

My first MSFS 2020 flight with the SF.260 took me from Aviano, a well-known NATO base, to Istrana – once an important base for Italian F-104 Starfighters during the first Cold War.

[Splitpin]

[hasegawa]

At the moment I'm going through “an Italian phase”.
My next “object of desire” is the Piaggio P. 180 Avanti. The SF. 260 would also be an elegant touring plane in its lines, but that's not what it was designed for.
It can also be used very well for aerobatic training.

[Naki]

Thanks for posting these. Big fan of the SF-260....being tempted to get this but not sure if it flies like the Realair SF260 which I had years back. Might wait until the civilian version comes out and reassess.

[hasegawa]

I also flew the RealAir SF-260 for many years and even reviewed it for FS Magazin back in the day. The current MSFS 2020 model certainly reminds me of the RealAir version in terms of overall flight dynamics. However, what made the RealAir SF-260 truly stand out was its handling during aerobatics, which was praised again and again by the community. I will still need to test this aspect more thoroughly in the MSFS version before giving a final verdict – but so far the resemblance is definitely there.

By the way, I had to check whether there ever was a dedicated civilian version of the SF-260, or if the privately owned examples were all converted military aircraft. It turns out that both existed: some aircraft were delivered directly from the factory for civilian use, while others entered private hands after military service.