On January 29, 2023, the SOCATA Rallye 235C Gaucho (c/n 13074 built in 1990) has arrived at Turin/Aeritalia airport. The 33-year old aircraft was still bearing its SP-KNF still sporting Polish marks SP-KNF. It will flank the 180 HP Robin Remorqueur I-ITBF and the 260 HP Piper Pawnee I-PWNE of the Turin Aero Club for launching sailplanes. The aircraft, powered by a 235 HP (175 kW) Lycoming O-540, started its activity in Sweden, as SE-KNL, with an air-work operator named Nilsson & Co HB of Alings, then was owned by the Halmstad Sailing Club from 1992 and by Mr Grankvist of Kumla from 2006 to 2011 when the aircraft was exported to Poland. The Gaucho is a less then successful tailwheel agricultural variant of the Rallye family of aircraft having been produced in just 29 items. The agile Gaucho was designed for agricultural spraying with a small internal tank for liquid fertilizers. A number of them were soon converted for launching sailplanes but lacking the in-flight rewind mechanism of the towing cable. In February 2023 SP-KNF took the Italian identity I-TRNO.
In the picture: SOCATA Rallye 235C Gaucho SP-KNF just arrived at Turin/Aeritalia airport from Poland on January 31, 2023. (Aeromedia)
(Aeromedia, January 2023)
