SIAI-Marchetti
SM.1019B
The SIAI‑Marchetti SM.1019B is an Italian light utility and observation aircraft that entered service in the early 1970s. Developed from the earlier SM.1019 prototype, which itself derived from the agricultural SM.1019 Auster‑type platform, the B variant was built by SIAI‑Marchetti in cooperation with Aermacchi to meet the Italian Army’s need for a versatile short‑take‑off and short‑landing (STOL) liaison plane. Powered by a 260 hp Lycoming IO‑540‑D4A5 flat‑six engine driving a three‑blade constant‑speed propeller, the SM.1019B could operate from unprepared fields, a 195 km/h cruise, and a maximum speed of 285 km/h. Its high‑wing configuration, fixed tricycle landing gear, and large flaps gave it excellent low‑speed handling, while the roomy cabin accommodated two crew members and up to four passengers or stretchers for medical evacuation. The aircraft’s robust airframe and simple maintenance made it popular with the Italian Army Aviation Corps, where it served for more than three decades, performing reconnaissance, command‑and‑control, and training missions. Although never exported in large numbers, the SM.1019B demonstrated the effectiveness of modestly powered STOL platforms and influenced later European utility designs. Its legacy endures in training schools, where pilots still practice STOL techniques on restored examples.