P148

In August 1950 Giovanni P. Casiraghi started designing the P-148, a small training plane. This was so successful that already by the 2nd of February 1951 the prototype made its first test flight on the airfield of Villanova d'Albegna. In June of that year the airplane (NC 119) was presented at the International Aircraft Exhibition in Paris with the civilian call sign I-DIDA.

The P-148, a small, all metal design trainer was of a very sound construction. This airplane was constructed as a two seater with tail wheel configuration, and a horizontally opposed 4 cylinder type engine, the 190-HP O-435 A Lycoming was selected.

The AMI ( Aeronautica Militare Italiana, the Italian Airforce ) ordered a total of 100 of these trainers. The canopy was designed to have the shape of a big teardrop, which caused quite a few technical problems for the production, but gave the pilot a tremendous view. In some models there even was place for a third passenger, so roomy was the cockpit design.