Meteor FL.55 / Super Meteor

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In 1953 Meteor took over the aeronautical designs and equipment of Francis Lombardi & Co. (formerly Azionari Vercellese Industrie Aeronautiche-AVIA) of Vercelli, whose products included the FL.3 of which 566 were built between 1939 and 1948. Meteor redesigned the FL.3 with tubular steel construction, a cut-down rear fuselage and bubble canopy. A total of 37 Meteors of various kinds was built during the period up to 1959 and several of these aircraft were sold as crop sprayers and with ski or float landing gears. The different Meteor models were:

FL.53, two-seat trainer and tourer, powered by a 65 hp Continental A65 engine (8 built).
FL.53BM, basic FL.53 fitted with 90 hp Continental C90-12F engine (4 built).
FL.54, three-seat FL.53 with 85 hp or 90 hp Continental (10 built).
FL.55, four-seat FL.54 with strengthened airframe and 135 hp Lycoming O-290-3 engine (4 built).
FL.55BM, basic FL.55 with modified fin and rudder and 150 hp Lycoming O-320-A1A engine (10 built).

MOUNTAIN RESCUE METEOR 55B version of the Italian Meteor (Lombardi) FL5 series. Four supplied to Switzerland.

FL.55CM, basic FL.55 with 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A1A engine (1 built).

Meteor FL.55CM (HB-EAE c/n 1134)

Super, basic FL.55 with enlarged vertical tail and 220 hp Meteor Alpha engine (1 built).

Meteor Super (220 hp Meteor Alfa 4 engine)

Bis, two-seat Super with 110 hp Meteor Alpha 2 engine (number built unknown).

This Meteor FL-55 has been modified in Italy for crop-spraying. Part of the insecticide tank can be seen in the cockpit behind the pilot’s seat.
From Italy comes another form of crop spraying using a wind generator forward of the undercarriage. The aircraft is the Meteor FL55 “Agricolo” I-FULU (150 hp Lycoming).

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