SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera

The FN.333 Riviera was originally developed by the Nardi Company at Aeroporto Forlanini, Milan, Italy. The first prototype Riviera was registered I-KISS, and was a three-seat aircraft. This plane made its maiden flight on 4 December 1952,[1] and was to be the only FN.333 powered by a 145 hp Continental fan-cooled engine. Beginning with the second prototype a more powerful engine was used, as well as the addition of a fourth seat. The second prototype made its first flight on 8 December 1954.[1] The Nardi Company lacked the resources to fully develop the Riviera, and as a result the third aircraft did not fly until 14 October 1956. Improved power for this aircraft was provided by a 240 hp Continental O-470-H engine. This aircraft was designated the FN.333S and was to be the basis for series production. Lacking further resources, Nardi sold the manufacturing rights for the Riviera to the much larger SIAI-Marchetti in March 1959.

Australian FN.333 at Sydney's Bankstown airport in 1971

This deal resulted in the first series of 10 production Rivieras being manufactured at the SIAI-Marchetti factory in Sesto Calende, Varese near Milano, Italy. The first S.I.A.I.-Marchetti manufactured Riviera was completed in February 1962, and by January 1963 the company had delivered four of the aircraft to customers in the USA.[1] The SIAI-Marchetti version had improved power provided by a 250 hp Continental IO-470-P engine, equipped with fuel injection, and manufactured for a pusher-style aircraft. In 1961 the Riviera became available in the United States, where it was initially sold through the North Star Company of Newark, New Jersey.[1] ServAir Inc. of Detroit sold the Riviera in Detroit, Michigan, and received its first Riviera on 13 July 1962. This aircraft, already complete and ready to fly, was placed in the cargo hold of a ship and transported directly from Italy, arriving in Newark, New Jersey. Excluding this example, most Rivieras were shipped partially assembled, and were then completed at Southwest Airmotive before delivery to their owners. Most of the 26 built by SIAI-Marchetti were sold to customers in the United States, but examples were also sold to Australia, Norway and Sweden.[1] A pure flying boat version, lacking landing gear and designated FN.333W, was planned but never built.

The Riviera is somewhat similar to the famous Republic Seabee of the 1940s. The major difference between the Riviera and the Seabee is the use of a high twin-boom tail arrangement on the Riviera while the Seabee uses a single conventional tail. The Riviera uses a tricycle landing gear, with the nose gear retracting into the nose and concealed behind two small nose gear doors. As a result, forward visibility is somewhat better in the Riviera than in the Seabee when taxiing or taking off on land.

The Riviera is powered by a 250 horsepower (186 kW) Continental IO-470-P six-cylinder flat engine mounted above the fuselage in a pusher arrangement. A three-bladed propeller was standard.

A Riviera landing

Out of an original production run of just 26 aircraft over six years less only half a dozen are believed flyable today. Riviera #0110 (N95DR) crashed while attempting an emergency landing in Minden, Nevada, USA. According to the Nevada Appeal newspaper dated May 24, 2007, the article "Air Crash victim from Germany" stated the accident occurred on Sunday, May 18, 2007

On October 25, 1968, FN-333, Serial # 007 was destroyed in an accident at Akron Municipal Airport. The pilot, Perry A. Strohl, Jr. was killed in the incident. The accident was described as follows:

1968-10-25 Hit a pole after losing engine power during take-off (final approach?) from Akron Municipal Airport, Ohio, at 15:22 hrs. Pilot was killed. Aircraft damage reported as "destroyed". The pilot flew the aircraft without maintenance release or preflight. Fuel selector was on empty tank, other tank had fuel. Pilot, commercial, age 46, 576 total hours, 20 in type. NTSB # CHI69A0045, File No: 3–4330.[2]

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59,[3] Seabee.com : Riviera Amphibian[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1-2
• Capacity: 2-3
• Length: 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) overall
• Hull length: 5.550 m (18 ft)
• Wingspan: 10.36 m (34 ft 0 in) over retracted wing-tip floats
• Width: 3.58 m (11 ft 9 in) wings folded
• Height: 3.23 m (10 ft 7 in)
  
• Wing area: 15.14 m² (163.0 sq ft)
• Aspect ratio: 6.5
• Airfoil: NACA 23000 series[4]
• Empty weight: 890 kg (1,962 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,350 kg (2,976 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,403 kg (3,093 lb)
• Fuel capacity: 300 L (79.3 US gal; 66.0 imp gal) in two wing tanks
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental O-470-H 6-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 180 kW (240 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell constant-speed feathering pusher propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 290 km/h (180 mph, 160 kn) at sea level
• Cruise speed: 265 km/h (165 mph, 143 kn) at 2,450 m (8,038 ft)
• Stall speed: 105 km/h (65 mph, 57 kn) flaps down
• Range: 900 km (560 mi, 490 nmi)
• Ferry range: 1,245 km (774 mi, 672 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 6.5 m/s (1,280 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 87.9 kg/m² (18.0 lb/sq ft) 0.1274 kW/kg (0.0775 hp/lb)
  
• Take-off run: 275 m (902 ft) on land
• Take-off run: 420 m (1,378 ft) on water
• Landing run: 200 m (656 ft) on land

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Colonial Skimmer
• Goodyear Duck
• Lake Aircraft Amphibian
• Republic RC-3 Seabee
• Thurston Teal

Related lists

• List of flying boats and floatplanes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera.

• Plane & Pilot, ed. (12 December 2015). International aircraft directory : the world's most popular aircraft (3rd ed.). Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc. ISBN 978-1560275909.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing. p. 2594.