Aircraft overview

The General Avia F-22 Pinguino is an Italian two-seat light aircraft developed by General Avia and designed by Stelio Frati. It first flew in 1989 and was produced in small numbers during the early 1990s. The aircraft is a low-wing, all-metal design with fixed tricycle landing gear and side-by-side seating, aimed at private flying, club training and touring rather than high-volume airline-style instruction.

For buyers, the F-22 Pinguino matters because it represents a compact, efficient European trainer and personal aircraft from a respected designer, but with a much smaller fleet than mainstream Cessna, Piper or Diamond alternatives. That makes condition, documentation and parts support especially important in any purchase comparison.

Performance & specifications

Performance depends on engine fit and aircraft condition, but the General Avia F-22 Pinguino is typically associated with Lycoming four-cylinder powerplants in the 115 to 160 hp class, including O-235 and O-320 installations on different versions. Published figures for the type commonly place cruise speed in the roughly 110 to 125 knot range, with range around 500 nautical miles when equipped and operated for touring use.

• Configuration: two-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle gear light aircraft
• Powerplant: Lycoming piston engine, variant dependent
• Typical cruise: about 110 to 125 knots
• Typical range: about 500 nautical miles
• Service ceiling: commonly published around 13,000 feet

Cabin & avionics

The cabin seats two occupants side by side under a relatively clean, low-wing canopy arrangement. It is a compact cockpit rather than a large touring cabin, best suited to flight training, local flying and short to medium cross-country trips. Baggage capacity and useful load should be checked against the individual aircraft’s weight and balance report, especially if upgraded avionics, paint or interior work has been added.

Most F-22 Pinguino aircraft were delivered with conventional analog flight instruments and basic VFR or light IFR avionics appropriate to their era. Used examples may have been updated with modern radios, Mode S transponders, GPS navigators, engine monitors or tablet-friendly panel layouts. Factory-integrated suites such as Garmin Perspective or Garmin G1000 are not typical for this model.

Buying & value

The F-22 Pinguino sits in the used market as a niche European two-seat trainer and personal aircraft. Buyers should review airframe hours, engine time, corrosion prevention, landing gear condition, canopy condition, logbook continuity and evidence of compliance with applicable airworthiness directives and service information.

Key distinctions include engine variant, avionics standard, certification basis in the country of registration and the availability of maintenance knowledge for the type. Because fleet size is limited, a pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with European light aircraft and Lycoming installations is especially valuable. Compared with more common trainers, value is driven less by broad market liquidity and more by individual condition, documentation quality and ongoing supportability.