Dragon Fly Srl. was formed by the Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni brothers at Cucdago in northern Italy to build a small side-by side two-seater which was, initially, designed for their own personal use as an easily transportable machine for use in archaeological exploration. Two prototypes of a single-seat model were built and flown in 1989 as a precursor to the two-seat production model. The Dragon Fly 333 is technically an ultralight, but is built to JAR Part 27 standard and was approved in 1996 under the Italian VLR (Very Light Rotorcraft) standard. Dragon Fly production was set initially at three per month, and the first production machine was delivered in late 1993. Production totalled 51 (up to c/n 51-97) by mid-1997. The all-metal Dragon Fly has an enclosed pod fuselage with fixed skid and a tubular tailboom carrying a T-tail with a two-blade tail rotor. The main two-blade rotor is mounted above and behind the cabin and is driven by a 105hp Dragon Fly/Hirth F30.A2 two-stroke engine. The Dragon Fly can also be delivered as a drone for military use. (R.Simpson "Airlife's Helicopter and Rotorcraft", 1998)