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Reims/Cessna FRA150L Aerobat Model Reference

The FRA150L is a configuration-sensitive Reims identity associated with a higher-power engine context. The source explicitly connects it with eligible FA150L aircraft under the prescribed kit conditions. Serial eligibility therefore narrows the question but does not by itself establish the configuration of an individual aircraft.

Cessna A150K Aerobat G-BMEX on the ground
Cessna A150K Aerobat G-BMEX at Oxford Airport. This is an Aerobat-family example, not a photograph of every Aerobat variant. Photo: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized, WebP.

A higher-power French branch with conditional identity

FRA150L belongs to the 1972-1974 higher-power Reims Aerobat story, ahead of FRA150M. Its relationship to FA150L is not simply the next letter in a standard model series. The documented kit conditions connect eligible FA identities with the FRA configuration, and the O-240 context distinguishes the branch from the familiar O-200-powered Aerobats.

The Reims development history describes why this aircraft deserves more than the label French 150. Its engine, aircraft approval and dedicated flight-manual relationships form a coherent configuration question. The engine-installation references provide the broader comparison, but an eligible serial still does not establish which equipment is present. The distinction between a possible configuration and an established aircraft identity is central to reading this profile.

FRA150L: identity at a glance
Model Years1972-1974
Certification CategoryAcrobatic
Certified Serial EligibilityFRA1500121-FRA1500261; or FA1500121-FA1500261 when equipped with FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316
Type-design engine contextRolls-Royce Continental O-240-A

Generation and Certification

This model has its own engine, propeller and authority-recognized flight-manual relationships. Those relationships are the useful reason for a separate technical reference. They must be applied as a coherent configuration rather than mixed with base FA150L values or U.S. Aerobat documents. The actual kit and aircraft records remain necessary.

FRA150L covers the 1972-1974 higher-power Reims Aerobat identity. Its certification eligibility includes FRA1500121-FRA1500261 and the corresponding FA-prefix range when the prescribed kits are installed. This is not a second batch of aircraft to add to the FA history. It is a configuration-qualified way to establish the legal identity. The relationship differs from both standard F150L and the ordinary 1971 FA150L interval, which is why the full prefix and equipment evidence matter in a model comparison.

FRA150L is recorded as Aerobat / higher-power configuration in the Acrobatic category, with model years 1972-1974 and approval context A13EU. The manufacturer entry is Reims Aviation S.A. (Reims-Cessna); the manufacture/assembly location is Reims-Prunay, France. Its approval date is 1971-12-03, a model approval event rather than an individual aircraft's manufacture date.

FRA150L: certification models
ModelTCCategoryInitial Model Approval DateCore Cert BasisCertification / Identity NoteReference
FRA150LA13EUAcrobatic1971-12-03CAR 3 (1956-05-15) amended 3-4Higher-power Rolls-Royce Continental O-240 configuration[1]
Table sources:
Cessna A150M Aerobat G-BOFW with a checkered tail
Cessna A150M Aerobat G-BOFW at Sywell. The registration identifies this photographed aircraft; paint markings alone do not establish model identity. Photo: Aeroprints.com · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized, WebP.

Serial Numbers and Production

For FRA150L, the ordinary source assignments are 1972: FRA1500121 through FRA1500166; 1973: FRA1500167 through FRA1500211; 1974: FRA1500212 through FRA1500261. The serial guide retains source conflicts and exceptional identities alongside these intervals.

FRA150L: serial ranges
Model YearOfficial ModelSerial StartSerial EndExcluded / Override SerialsNotesPrimary Source
1972FRA150LFRA1500121FRA1500166--[1]
1973FRA150LFRA1500167FRA1500211--[1]
1974FRA150LFRA1500212FRA1500261--[1]
Table sources:
FRA150L: reims configuration
Range / Serial FamilyBase Prefix IdentityPossible Certified IdentityConditionPrimary Source
FA1500121-FA1500261FA150LFRA150LWith FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316 per A13EU.[1]
Table sources:

Engine, Propeller and Equipment Changes

The O-240 installation is the central technical reason to follow the FRA150L reference instead of borrowing O-200 Aerobat specifications. It has its own power/RPM context and propeller application. A higher engine-manufacturer rating must still be distinguished from the aircraft-installed rating stated in the records below. The two named kits, FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316, remain part of the eligibility condition for FA-prefix aircraft. An engine description in an advertisement alone does not establish that complete approval relationship.

The FRA150L factory installation groups specify 1972: O-240-A, 130 hp at 2800 RPM; 1973: O-240-A, 130 hp at 2800 RPM; 1974: O-240-A, 130 hp at 2800 RPM. Its named propeller applications are 1A135/BRM7150. Their diameter, static-RPM and configuration conditions are preserved together below.

FRA150L: engine serial ranges
OriginModel YearAircraft ModelFactory EngineInstalled hpRPM LimitFirst Serial in GroupLast Serial in GroupApplicability BasisAircraft Source
France1972FRA150LO-240-A1302800FRA1500121FRA1500166A13EU FRA150L / eligible FA150L with FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316[1]
France1973FRA150LO-240-A1302800FRA1500167FRA1500211A13EU FRA150L / eligible FA150L with FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316[1]
France1974FRA150LO-240-A1302800FRA1500212FRA1500261A13EU FRA150L / eligible FA150L with FKA150-2311 and FKA150-2316[1]
Table sources:
FRA150L: propeller applications
Aircraft ModelModel Year / ConfigEngineExact Propeller ApplicationMax DiaMin DiaStatic MinStatic MaxNotesPrimary Authority
FRA150LFRA configurationO-240-A1A135/BRM7150717024002500130 hp Reims Aerobat configuration.[1]
Table sources:
Cessna A152 Aerobat SP-KCU in flight over an airport
Cessna A152 Aerobat SP-KCU in flight. Operating capabilities and limitations must be established from the applicable aircraft documents. Photo: Grzegorz Jereczek from Gdańsk, Poland · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized, WebP.

Manuals, Maintenance and Research

D1015-13GB is the dedicated SGAC-approved AFM family for the L configuration. Its role differs from the standard/Aerobat owner's-manual families listed for the base models. Exact U.S. 150L performance, CG and speed tables are not substitutes for that AFM. Before comparing an FRA150L with the later FRA150M, identify the engine variant, applicable propeller and complete flight-manual coverage. This produces a coherent higher-power-aircraft comparison while leaving unresolved limits explicit rather than assembling a favorable specification from unrelated variants. The positive FRA150L publication leads are 1972-74: D1015-13GB (SGAC-approved AFM).

FRA150L: handbook applicability
Family / YearModelPublicationDocument ClassSerial / Year EffectivityAuthority BasisOperational StatusSpecial BoundaryReference
1972-74FRA150LD1015-13GBSGAC-approved AFMFRA1500121-FRA1500261CAA TAR 96/09 / Reims SGAC basisDedicated approved AFM familyNever inherit U.S. 150L/A150L performance automatically[1]
Table sources:
FRA150L: manual documents
PublicationTitleDocument ClassModel ApplicabilityYearsSerial EffectivityRevision ContextAuthority StatusUse BoundaryReference
D1015-13GBReims/Cessna FRA150L SGAC-Approved Aircraft Flight ManualAircraft Flight ManualFRA150L1972-1974FRA1500121 through FRA1500261SGAC-approved publication familyApproved Reims flight manualAuthority-recognized flight manual; exact aircraft supplements/amendments control[1]
Table sources:

Related Models and Technical Research

The F150L-versus-FRA150L comparison distinguishes the standard engine path from the O-240 Aerobat configuration and its document evidence.