States market as the Waco Meteor, although it had no connections of any form with the Waco Aircraft Company; the venture was relatively unsuccessful. During the late 1970s and 1980s, American airline pilot Frank Strickler became a major reseller of the type, being credited with re-launching civil sales of the SF.260 in the region, acquiring them from SIAI Marchetti in small batches and individually selling them on to US-based customers. Further development During the late 1970s, an improved model of the SF.260A, designated as the SF.260C, had replaced it in production. This model featured various improvements, including redesigned tabs on the ailerons, a strengthened wing, a re-profiled aerofoil for improved low-speed handling, and an elongated tail/rudder. The SF.260C was designed for compliance with the requirements of military specifications. The only structural difference between the SF.260C and its armed brethren, the SF.260W Warrior and SF.260SW Sea Warrior, is the presence of underwing hardpoints for attaching equipment and armaments. During 1980, SIAI Marchetti performed the first flight of a turboprop-powered SF.260TP, powered by an Allison Model 250 engine flat-rated at 350 shp. This variant was marketed towards the military trainer market, which soon adopted the type. In August 1986, Gates Learjet was approached by SIAI Marchetti to modify the SF.260TP for it to be compliant with the requirements of Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) FAR Part 23, thus allowing it to be certified for civil use. Modifications were made in order to achieve lower stall speed and greater payload capacity, these performance improvements were principally achieved through aerodynamic alterations, such as the adoption of 'shark's teeth' along the wing's leading edge. In 1991–1992, SIAI-Marchetti proposed an updated SF.260, with an enlarged cockpit canopy and a revised fuel system to meet the United States Air Force's Enhanced Flight Screener competition. While the bid was unsuccessful (with the Slingsby T67 Firefly being preferred, it formed the basis for future production, as the fuel injected SF.260E and the normally aspirated SF.260F. During 2005, a batch of thirty SF.260EA were delivered to the Italian Air Force for a total price of €33 million ($40 million). This model, which had been specially developed to meet an Italian Air Force requirement for an advanced piston-engine aircraft, is used for screening and principal training activities. Production of the SF.260 continued at low rate until 2017. A total of 976 aircraft, including prototypes, were built. Design The SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 is a