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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF ITALIAN GENIUS. INNOVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT •

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'-' ; in association with

~~ Alenia Aermacchi
A Finmeccanica Company
Swiss movement, English heart

Cl 0 AVIATOR MKI AUTOMATIC

Swiss made I 26 jewel automatic movement I 38 hour power reserve I Adjustable

Italian leather strap I SuperLuminova.'"~-' hands and indexes I Water resistant to 5atm
Diameter: 42mm I Calibre: Sell ita SW200-l
CHRWARD
LONDON

E XC LU SI VE LV AVAILABLE AT c hristoph e rward.CO.Uk

 ontents
8 The genesis of Alenia 90 Flagship trainer
Aermacchi
96 Over the Falklands
10 Giulio Macchi
104 International programmes
14 First World War -The and consolidation
companies are founded
120 Into the 21 si Century
30 Inter-war years
122 Limited edition prints
52 The great race - the
Schneider Trophy 124 Survivors
62 The Second World War 129 Subscribe
70 Postwar rebuilding 130 Next month
80 Jet success

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Editor: Tim Callaway
editor@aviationclassics.co.uk
Publisher: Dan Savage
Contributors: Gregory Alegi. luigino Caliaro.
Colonel Douglas C Dildy. Keith
Draycott. l ewis Mejfa. Constance
Redgrave. Santiago Rivas

Designer: Charlotte Pearson

Reprographics: Jonathan Schofield

Group production editor: Tim Hartley

Divisional advertising manager: Sandra Fisher

sfisher@mortons.co.uk
Advertising sales executive: Lewis Broadhurst
lbroadhurst@mortons.co.uk
01507 529574

Subscription manager: Paul Deacon

Circulation manager: Sieve O'Hara
Marketing manager: Charlotte Park
Production manager: Craig Lamb
Publishing director: Dan Savage
Commercial director: Nigel Hole
Managing director: Brian Hill

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 Legacy, heritage
and the future
I
n 1978, one of the finest minds of the
20th century, philosopher, historian
and scientist]ames Burke, wrote and
presented a television series called
Connections; An alternative view of
change. As a teenager I watched this avidly
because it showed me a new approach to
history. History is not a linear, neatly
packaged process the way it is often taught.
Random events conspire to affect change.
People work motivated by their own reasons,
often to solve a particular problem or to make
a profit. Earlier work is improved upon or
provides a stimulus to become something
entirely different. To trace a path through the
development of anything can take you to some
very surprising places, seemingly
unconnected until you understand how you
got there. This was a revelation, one for which
I have been grateful my entire adult life. In
short, the series taught me how to think.
At the end of the penultimate episode of
Connections, James Burke explains why he
believes history to be so important to
humanity, a theme he expands on in the final
Renzo Catellani flying the
immaculate Aermacchi MB.326
from Vo laFenice at the Reggio
Emilia airport. Lulglno Callaro
6 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
part. It is a very simple but vital message:
"You can only know where you are going, if
you know where you have been." Producing
this issue has taught me one thing, the
message of Connections could be the motto of
Alenia Aermacchi.
This is a company with strong roots,
having grown into an international aerospace
giant over the last 100 years while staying in
the same area. It has produced extraordinary,
world beating aircraft throughout its history,
and I was astounded and ashamed to discover
how few I knew anything about and how
much I still have left to learn, not only about
the aircraft, but also the talents that created
them. That shame has now turned to delight
as the full picture emerged from my research.
The people behind this stor y are almost a
family, the developments they began
interweaving through the various companies
in a complex series of relationships.
Sometimes the co-operation between the
companies was officially frowned upon, the
work of Mario Castoldi at Macchi and
Tranquillo Zerbi at Fiat was based upon
Castoldi's need for powerful racing engines,
work they carried out often at an unofficial
personal level. Test pilots, engineers and
scientists you would expect to find in this
story, but this period of racing development
was initiated by a French industrialist who
wanted to connect the great seapor ts of the
world with commercial flying boats. The
international competition he financed was
instead to affect the development of high
performance aircraft for the Second World
War. Like I said earlier, history does not
conform to neat packages. The century
behind Alenia Aermacchi travels a varied and
fascinating road. It takes it from companies
that produced railway rolling stock, gun
limbers and wagon wheels to two companies
that still produce modern luxury yachts and
then into space.
All through this story one factor in the
success of Alenia Aermacchi is prevalent, its
sense of its own heritage. The company began
with military and commercial aircraft, but it is
high performance -yet cost effective-
trainers that have formed the keystone for
 Where are they
going? Here.The
latest in a long line of
excellent trainers. the
Alenia Aermacchi
MB.346 Master.
Alenia Aermacchi

The Aermacchi MB.339T-Bird 11 was an entry

into the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
c ompetition of 1994 and is now on display at
the Venegono fac tory. Alenia Aermacchi

60 years at Aermacchi, a development chain

that has resulted in today's superb M.346.
Fiat, through to Aeritalia and Alenia have
been at the cutting edge of combat aircraft
development for decades, a line that
culminates in the Typhoon and shortly the
F-35. From my research, I feel it is an
appreciation and an understanding of the
value of its legacy that has brought the group
such international success. The photographs
on these pages feature a collection of the
aircraft on display at the Venegono factory
complex, along with one of its most famous
products recently returned to flight Clearly,
this is a company which knows where it has
been. What will be just as fascinating is where
this solid foundation of knowledge will take it
in the next 100 years.
Happy l OO'h birthday Alenia Aermacchi!
As usual, I have been assisted in the
production of this magazine by some
remarkable and enthusiastic people. Aviation
Classics' old friend Colonel Douglas C Dildy
has been joined by Santiago Rivas and Lewis
Mejla in explaining the use of the MB.326 and
339 in Argentina and Peru, Colonel Dildy
adding to his histor y of the aircraft of the
Falklands War following on from the Harrier
and Mirage issues. Another old friend, companies in the lineage. There has also been
Luigino Caliaro, waited in the rain and fog for a tremendous amount of support from Alenia All best,
Tim
weeks until the weather cleared just long Aermacchi itself, and I would like to record
enough to get the airborne photographs with my deepest appreciation for the efforts of
the Vola Fen ice MB.326. I would also like to Marco Valerio Bonelli, Barbara Buzio and
thank the great Italian historian and aviation Bruno Frigerio who between them supplied
expert Gregory Alegi, who has supplied many many of the images that grace these pages,
fascinating insights into the people behind the not to mention a g reat deal of information.
aircraft, as well as vital information that To you all, if you will forgive my lack of
clarified the histories of the smaller your beautiful language, molto molte grazie. •
The genesis of
ALENIA AERMACCHI
A company family tree
A timeline of the company histories that developed into the Italian aerospace manufacturer
Alenia Aermacchi, a Finmeccanica company and a giant of the European aerospace industry.

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8 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI -lOOYEARS YOUNG

T
his issu e of Aviation Classics
will examin e the histo r y of
the Alenia Aermacchi in
d etail, including the a irc raft
produced by the companies
that me rged together to cr eate the
aerospace giant between 1913 and
today, the 100th Anniversar y of the
founding of the first of these
compa nies. The stor y follows two ma in
stream s, tha t of Fiat of Turin a nd that of
Macchi of Var ese, and incorporates
ma ny sh or t lived bus inesses along the
route . Many of these will feature in
sid ebars scattere d through the
magazine, wher e possible in
chron ological ord er. This char t is
intended to show the r elationship
between these compa nies, how they
cha nged , merged , s pilt and d eveloped
throu gh the last century, covering as
they do the majority of the histor y of
ma nned flight. Happy a nniversar y
Alenia Aer macchi, looking at what you
have achieved ove r the last 100 years,
we can only wonde r at what the n ext
century will b ring.

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- = A~rmacchi

- - Fial Aviazion~
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• Aeritalia 10 Alenia

• AircrafiCompany
~ Avionics and electronics company
r Company prior IO their Involvement
in avoatlon
=Acquired company
Macchi had been a name
synonymous with vehicle
making in Varese, northern
Italy, since 1840, when the
brothers Agostino and Giovanni
Macchi established a coach and
carriage works in the town. It
made all kinds of motor
vehicles , including trams, and
in the early 1900s it was the
presence of tramlines that
influenced the firm, now run by
a new generation of Macchis , to
open two new factories - a
coachworks and what later
became an aircraft workshop.

A
gostino and Giovanni Macchi
had established their coach and
carriage works in the town of
Varese in 1840 where it was
known as Carrozzeria Macchi.
The two brothers both raised families in the
town, Agostino having six children, Enrico,
Giulio, Giovanni, Giuseppina, Giulia and
Felicita; while his brother Giovanni had three,
Giuseppe, Luciano and Silvio. While little is
recorded about the early lives of the children
or their education, it is obvious that the young
Macchis were all well versed in the family
business, and indeed business and
engineering in general. I say obvious because
in 1905, four of the family, Giovanni, Giuseppe,
Enrico and Giulio, along with extended family
members Angelo and Pietro, formed a new
company. This was called Societa Anonima
Fratelli Macchi, roughly equivalent to the
Macchi Brothers Limited. The new business
was to build bodywork for coaches, trams and
trains, manufacture automobiles and act as a
wheelwright, servicing and manufacturing
wooden wheels for a wide variety of vehicles.
The driving forces behind the new venture
were brothers Giovanni and Giulio Macchi,
both of whom had seen the rapid
developments in modern transportation
towards the end of the 19th century as a
threat to the traditional products of the family
company. TI1ey had decided to diversify into
new areas in order to survive.
Giulio Macchi was born in 1866, and as
already noted, little is known about the early
life and education of either Giulio or his
brother Giovanni, but suffice to say Giulio was
a well respected businessman in Varese in
1905. He was a Rotarian and shareholder and
board member of the local bank, the Credito
Varesino, which still exists today. He also held
board member positions at Varese's electrical
power and Grand Hotel companies. While
busy with these duties, Giulio also found time
to work with Varese's local council on the
development plan for the city. It was his work
with the council and as a board member of the
Grand Hotel company that brought Giulio into
contact with famous art nouveau architect
Guiseppe Sommaruga, who desig ned the

beautiful Palace Grand Hotel on Campigli hill
just to the west of the town centre, a site we
will return to. This area was served by the
new electric tramway that ran westwards for
25km (15 miles) from Varese to Laveno on the
shore of Lake Magg iore. Interestingly, the
trams on this service were built by Macchi, so
it can be seen that Giulio was able to bring all
his business interests together in the
development plan for Varese.
Varese lies to the north west of Milan, west
of Como and south of Lugano, on the shores of
Lake Varese. It is a beautiful city with many
parks and woodlands, despite the area being an
industrial centre for companies such as Agusta
helicopters, Cagiva motorcycles, Ignis
electronics and Ficep machine tools. It is
interesting to note that so much of Italy's
aerospace industry developed in the area,
companies such as Caproni, SIAI and of course
Aermacchi were all associated with the region
around Milan and Varese. These developments
were spurred by the proximity of the industrial
centre of Milan and the wide range of small
Although taken after the end of the First World War. this image shows
t he location of the Macchi Varese factory. at the foot of Campigli hill
below the splendid Palace Grand Hotel. Alenia Aermacchi
scale businesses in the region, whose skills in
working with wood and fabric lent themselves
to the construction of early aircraft The many
lakes in the region were also useful in the
development of seaplanes, of which more later.
To return to 1905 and the formation of the
new Fratelli Macchi company, the building of
new premises to allow for large scale
production required investors, and it is
testimony to the reputation of the family name
that 49 shareholders from industry and
finance were attracted to invest in the new
venture. The site for the new coachworks was
selected alongside the main road on the north
side of Campig li hill, almost in the shadow of
the Palace Grand Hotel. Giulio had been
much impressed by American mass
production techniques and brought in
machine tools that would allow for the mass
manufacture of wooden wheel rims, hubs and
spokes. This enabled the new company to
maintain quality control while minimizing
costs, factors that helpe d it become successful
in bidding for military contracts to produce
Carlo Felice Buzio. the aviation pioneer who
was to persuade Giulio Macchi to move
into aircraft production. Alenia Ae rmacchi
wheels for towed ar tillery and other army
equipment. These contracts were to be a
major source of support for the company
through its development years while it was
establishing itself.
In 1907, the Macchi brothers joined with
the Banca di Legnano to form Wolsit, or
Wolseley Italiana, with a view to producing
Wolesely automobiles under licence in
Legnano. This venture was badly hit by a
financial crisis at the time, so in 1909 the
alliance was liquidated after only a few
vehicles had been produced. From this point
on, the Macchi broth ers were actively seeking
other avenues to diversify into. A remarkable
character, Carlo Felice Buzio enters the story.
Buzio was a keen sporting aviator with many
contacts in the French aviation industry in
particular, as it was leading European aircraft
development at the time. He was also well
known in the Italian Army's Battaglione
Aviatori, and was very active in promoting
aviation in Italy in both civil and military
circles. The Italian Army had used aircraft >-
 --
---
The wing workshop at Varese.The wooden structures of early aircraft called for great
c raftsmanship and skill from the workforce, despite the mass production nature of the task.
Alenia Aermacchi

in its campaign against Turkish forces in

"THIS SUCCESS IN ATTRACTING Libya in 1911, Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti
becoming the first man to drop bombs from
THE ORDER FROM THE ARMY an aircraft, an Etrich Tau be. He attacked the
MEANT THAT MACCHI HAD TO oasis at Ain Zara, dropping fo ur 1.5kg bombs Nieuport Macchi company, the
QUICKLY GET UPTO SPEED IN by hand. The Battaglione Aviatori had a first a ircraft were a lrea d y being
produced at the Macchi brothers
NEW MANUFACTURING number of different types, but none were
factory in Varese, such as this
TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS. IT produced in Italy, making the country Nieuport IVG. Alenia Aermacchi
dependent on foreign suppliers. Buzio was
WAS DECIDED TO FORM A aware that the Italian Army was organizing a
COMPLETELY SEPARATE competition to find an Italian supplier of
COMPANY, SOCIETA ANON IMA militar y aircraft, and sought a company to approached Giulio Macchi with this proposal
NIEUPORT-MACCHI" form an alliance with himself and his French in 1912, and together they convinced the
contacts to produce aircraft in Italy. He board of Macchi to move into this brand new
area of development.
In October 1912, the Paris Air Show,
forerunner oftoday's massive exhibition, was
the location for talks between Macchi and
Nieuport, at the tim e producer of some of the
most advanced aircraft in France. Agreement
for licence production of Nieuport designs
was reached swiftly, with a contract being
signed by Giulio Macchi and Leon Bazaine,
Nieuport's managing director, in November
the same year. The first two Nieuport
monoplanes were imported from France to
give the new manufacturer experience with
the type, the initial 10 members of staff
learning much from studying the new
machines. By the following year, the staff had
increased to 49 and serious production had
begun, as the army had issued a purchase
order for 84 aircraft of which it stipulated 70
had to be built in Italy, with a due delivery
date to the Battaglione Aviatori of April 1913.
This initial order was for several types to be
split between Macchi, Caproni, SIT, Wolsit
and Asteria, but the army's competition found
that none of the aircraft designed in Italy were
satisfactory, so in the end the bulk of the
order was given to Macchi with its proven
Nieuport designs.
This success in attracting the order from
the army meant that Macchi had to quickly get
up to speed in new manufacturing techniques
and skills. Much of these and the attendant
Women were a major part of the workforce in early aviation, a quiet revolution in engineering organization required was not consistent with
factories the world over. Here women cover wings and aile ron s in fabric at the Varese plant. the firm's existing products, so it was decided
Alenia Aermacchi to form a completely separate company,

12 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 ~~ -
I II

Societa Anonima Nieuport-Macchi, to produce

nothing but aircraft. New manufacturing
facilities were constructed alongside the
existing works at the Campigli hill site and
nominal capital was raised between Macchi
and Nieupor t in a 70-30 split in investment
This investment in the new company is
testament to the constructive and friendly co-
operation between the two manufacturers, an
agreement which was to profitably succeed for
many years. Pilots and engineers from
Nieuport moved to Varese, including Henri
Amman, a design engineer from Paris who
became one of the three managers of the new
company alongside Giulio Macchi and Carlo
Buzio. The new company was formed on May
1, 1913, making Macchi the longest
continuous aircraft manufacturer in Europe
and arguably in the world.
Giulio Macchi proved to have both a
passion and a vision for aviation. When the
two companies split he chose to manage
Nieupor t Macchi on September 30, 1914, then
later the company that emerged from it,
Aeronautica Macchi. This was a task he was
to continue with great success until his death
on December 15, 1934. That he managed the
company with a talent for organization is
borne out by the fact that by December 1915
the company had grown to 623 employees and
had produced 160 aircraft for the Italian Army,
a remarkable achievement by a remarkable
and dedicated man. The stor y of the aircraft
that he produced, along with all the other
companies which were to go into making the
aerospace g iant known today as Alenia Stress c alc ulations we re tested rigo rously. often to the destruc tion of the test samp le. Here. a
Aermacchi, is told in the following pages. • Macchi Pa ra sol. the first design by the c ompany, has its wing loaded with sa ndbags to a ssess
Words: Tim Callaway its structural stre ngth . Alenia Aermacchi

Ale n ia Aermacchi 13
First World War
Societa Anonima
Macchi-Nieuport
U
The foundation of Varese-based Macchi aircraft company took place nusually for the time, the first
on May 1, 1913, with an agreement to produce aircraft between aircraft produced at the new
French manufacturer Nieuport and Italian coachbuilder Fratelli Varese factory were monoplanes.
These were Nieuport IVs in both
Macchi. The factory began production to meet an order from the single-seat and two-seat IVG and
Italian Army, building 160 aircraft in two years. From Italy's entry IVM versions, a number of which had already
into the First World War in 1915, this figure was to pale into been bought directly by the Italian Army's
insignificance as the company built 24% of Italian aircraft in the Battaglione Aviatori, so was a known quantity
to the major customer. During the Italo-
following three years. Turkish war in libya, the Battaglione
Specialisti used several Nieuport IVGs, one of
which made the second military
reconnaissance flight on October 23, 1911,
piloted by Captain Riccardo Moizo. The first
had been carried out only a few hours earlier
by Moizo's commanding officer, Captain Carlo
Piazza, in a Bleriot XI. Production began at
Varese in 1912, when two Nieuport-built
examples were supplied from France to allow
the staff of the new factory to familiarise
themselves with the construction of the type.
A Nie uport IVG mono pla ne. the first type of Nie uport airc raft pro duced by Macchi at Varese. Altogether, 56 Nieuport IVs were built at
Alenia Aermacchi Varese by December 1915, each aircraft being

The Macchi Pa rasol seen with the add itional centreboard on the upper wing. intend ed to improve directional stability. Alenia Aermacchi

14 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

assembled and tested at the factory, before
being disassembled and moved the 35km (22
miles) south to the army hangar and field near
Malpensa for acceptance ground and flight
testing, a site which is now the main
international airport for Milan. This
arrangement for the aircraft built at Varese was
to continue until facilities were developed at the
much closer Venegono airfield in the 1970s.
FIRST DESIGN
With the establishment of tooling and a
production line for the Nieuport IV in the new
factory at Varese, the company began
developing its first own design, the Macchi
Parasol. This was produced to improve the
downwards view from the cockpit of the
Nieuport IV by raising the wing from the
sides of the fuselage, where it blocked the
crew's view, to a shoulder-mounted position,
supported on short struts, that attached to the
upper fuselage longeron. The aircraft used
many of the parts of the Nieuport IV, but
assembled in a different way. Production
began in 1913, with 42 being built and issued
to two squadrons of the Italian Army.
Macchi test pilot Clemente Maggiora set
two new altitude records in the Parasol taking
Two Nieuport 11 s of 75 Squadriglia based at Verona. via Luig ino Ca lia ro
a single passenger to 3750m (12,300 ft) and
two to 2700m (8860ft) . Stability problems led
to a number of modifications, including the
fitting of an ancillar y vertical surface above
the centre section of the wing. These aircraft
remained in service until October 1915, when
they were replaced with more modern types.
As well as these two types of aircraft, the
Varese factory also produced 12 Caproni
Parasols and 50 Farman Type 1914 pusher
biplanes, both types being also produced in
numbers by other companies. The latter were
used as reconnais sance aircraft, fighters and
bombers by the squadrons of the Italian
Army, equipped with a Fiat machine gun in
the front cockpit. The Farmans remained in
service in the defensive fighter role until the
end of the war because their stability and
good handling characteristics made them easy
to fly at night. Several were to remain in
service in Libya until as late as 1922.
When the United States entered the war,
the shortage of training facilities in the US
and France meant that US Army and Navy
pilots were trained in Italy, making extensive
use of the Farmans at military flying schools
specially provided by the Italian Army. By
December 1915 the Varese factor y had built
The Nieuport-Macchi-built aircraft were
moved to the flight test centre at Malpensa.
some 35km south. on specially modified
trucks. Alenia Aermacchi
160 aircraft and had a staff of 623, a
remarkable achievement in a completely new
field for the company, but this was just a
precursor to what was to come.
INTO THE WAR
Italy's entry into the First World War, joining
the Triple Entente of France, Great Britain
and Russia on May 23, 1915, was to change
everything for the Macchi company. In
France, Nieuport's new technical director,
Gustave Delage, was producing the first of his
excellent sesquiplane designs, the Nieuport
10. This aircraft had orig inally been designed
as Nieuport's entry in the Gordon Bennett
T rophy race of 1914, which was cancelled due
to the outbreak of the war. By 1915, the
design had been converted to become a two-
seat reconnaissance machine, but the
Nieuport 10 was also used as a sing le- seat
fighter with a single drum-fed Lewis .303
machine gun mounted above the centre
section of the top wing.
As with the Nieuport IVs, the first~
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 15
FIRST WORLD WAR
Nieuport 10s were delivered from the French
factories to both the Italian Army and the
Varese factory. These replaced the earlier
types in Italian service from mid-1915
onwards and 240 were built by Macchi
between 1916 and 1918. They saw action in
both the two-seat and single-seat form, the
first Nieuport 10s being used by the 1st
Squadriglia Caccia in the defence of Udine.
The Nie uport 10 was also to score the first
Italian aerial victories of the war against the
Austro-Hungarian air forces, feats that made
household names of many of the pilots. The
two-seat version of the aircraft also became a
trainer as it was superseded by more
advanced types, g iving good service in this
role until long after the war's end.
The poor climb performance and
maximum speed of the Nieuport 10 in the
fighter role gave rise to a smaller, lighter
single-seat aircraft based on the design.
Delage essentially shrank the two-seater
to produce the first of one of the most
successful families of First Word War fighters,
the Nieuport 11. Its relatively small size
meant it was often called the Bebe or baby,
and like its larger forebear it was a
sesquiplane, with the lower wing being
much narrower than the upper. The
lig htweig ht design was powerful and agile for
the time, characteristics which made it very
popular with pilots. Altogether 450 were built
by Macchi in 1916 before it was replaced
on the production line by the Nieuport 17,
which had a more powerful engine and a belt-
fed Vickers machine gun mounted in the
upper fuselage, synchronised to fire through
the propeller.
Most of the 150 Nieuport 17s built by
Macchi were constructed during 1917. The
production line at Varese was unable to cope
with the sheer volume of the military orders
so a new plant of similar s ize was built at
Cocquio, about 10km (six miles) north-west of
the original plant at the far end of Lake
Varese, still on the tram line between Varese
The more powerful and structurally stronger
Nieuport 17 had a Vickers belt-fed machine
gun mounted on the upper fuselage
synchronised to fire through the propeller.
via Luigino Caliaro
The Nieuport 11 was fitted with a drum-fed Lewis .303 in machine gun on a mount over the
centre section of the upper wing. via Luigino Caliaro
and Laveno. As the output from both factories
increased, the ground and flight test centre at
Malpensa airfield was also developed, with
new hangars and offices being built. The
Macchi company's factor y and test facilities
had more than doubled in size in just four
years after its formation, its workforce having
grown from 625 in 1915 to 2681 by 1917.
DEFINING A FIGHTER
The experiences of Italian Army front line
squadrons fighting in the mountainous
northern front revealed the shortcomings of
the Nieuport fighter designs. In 1916, an
Italian aircraft mission to France included
Captain Ermanno Beltramo, the leader of the
19th Squadriglia based at Campoformido.
While in France, Beltramo met with Pierre
Dupont, the designer for Rene Hanriot's
aircraft company. He explained to him that a
fighter on the Italian front needed to be strong
and durable and have a high rate of climb due
to the nature of the terrain. The introduction of
new types of fighters by the Austro-Hungarian
air forces also meant any new fighter had to
have equal or better manoeuvrability than
such aircraft as the Albatros D.II, in order to
maintain air superiority.
Hanriot developed the HD.1 fighter design,
the D standing for Dupont, in response to this
information, but it was not taken up by the
French authorities which preferred the SPAD
VII as its new fighter. In Italy, it was a different
story as the strong, nimble and pleasant to fly
HD.1 found favour with the Direzione Tecnica
Aeronautica Militare, the Military Aviation
Engineering Directorate. Given Macchi's
valuable experience in producing French
fighters, production of the new aircraft was
assigned to the Varese factory. Like Nieuport
before it, Hanriot, which was building the HD.1
for the Belgian Air Force, delivered several
examples to Italy while local production geared
up. Macchi was to produce 156 HD.1s in 1917
and 696 in 1918 against orders for 1300
machines. With the end of the war the
remaining orders were cancelled, but around
70 aircraft were built in 1919 before this
cancellation, meaning that Macchi was by far
the largest producer of the aircraft.
The Hanriot HD.1 was to serve with
distinction in Italy, and was the favoured
mount of many Italian fighter aces, including
Silvio Scaroni with 26 confirmed victories,
Flavio Baracchini with 21 and Mario Fucini
with 13. It equipped 16 of the 18 Italian fighter
squadrons on the front line by November
1918. At the end of the war, a number of
HD.1s were supplied to other countries,
including Switzerland, which similarly valued
the climb performance of the aircraft. When
US Navy aircrew began training in Italy, many
were taught to fly the HD.1, resulting in the
type being adopted in s mall numbers by the
service postwar where it was used as a trainer.
FIRST FLYING BOAT
If all this development and production were not
 FIRST WORLD WAR

One of the 150 Nieuport 17s built at Varese. via Luigino Caliaro Hanriot HD.1 s of 71 Squadriglia based at Sovizzo. via Luigino Caliaro

"THE HANRIOT HD.l WAS TO

SERVE WITH DISTINCTION IN
ITALY... THE MOUNT OF MANY
ITALIAN FIGHTER ACES"
enough, dwing the night of May 25, 1915, an
event occurred which was to radically affect
the Macchi company and resulted in a new line
in combat aircraft being developed. An Austro-
Hungarian Lohner L flying boat suffered
engine failure, which forced the crew of
Lieutenant Wenzel Wosecek and Ensign Willi
von Recino Bachich to land at Commacchio.
Here, they encountered an Italian Customs
patrol, which captured them before they had a
chance to destroy their aircraft. The L type,
serial number L.40, was taken to the naval air
station at Porto Corsini. Examination and
testing of the captured aircraft by the Italian
Navy resulted in a decision to copy the flying Pierre Dupont designed the Hanriot HD.1 after meeting with the Italian Aircraft Commission.
boat, a task that was given to Macchi. More than 900 were to be built in Italy and met with great success. via Luigino Caliaro
The company moved fast, developing a
copy within a month of receiving the original,
as well as opening a new facility on the shore two-seat cockpit It could also carry four light wings of the L.2 were retained, but an entirely
of Lake Varese at Schiranna to deal bombs, but only 10 of this version were built, new fuselage, strut-mounted tailplane and
exclusively with flying boat production. The all of which were used as trainers. very refined hull were designed. The original
workload of managing the expanded company L.1 had a maximum speed of 105kph (65mph),
was spilt, with Carlo Buzio taking over at THE M.3 EMERGES which was improved in the M.3 to 144kph
Schiranna and Henri Amman becoming The next development of the flying boat line (90mph). The armament remained
exclusively responsible for landplanes. The was so far removed from the original Lohner unchanged, as did the eng ine, but the
flying boat hulls were built by two aircraft that in 1917 its initial designation of increase in performance made the M.3 a
experienced sub-contractors, Cantieri L.3 was changed to M.3 to recog nise Macchi's much more viable fighting aircraft. In 1916, an
Baglietto at Varrazze and Picchiotti at ownership of the design. The swept, two-bay M.3 was used to set a new altitude record >-
Viareggio, both of which were yacht and boat
builders, and remain so today.
The new Macchi L.1 was powered by a
150hp Isotta-Fraschini V.4A engine and was
successfully test flown by Lieutenant Giovanni
Roberti over Lake Varese, resulting in an
order for 48 aircraft in September 1915. The
first of these were delivered to Italian
maritime bomber and reconnaissance units
based in the Adriatic, with 140 being built
when production ended in 1916. It was
replaced on the production line by the Macchi
L.2, which had been desig ned to improve the
performance of the original.
The wings were swept and shortened in
span to improve the maximum speed and the
manoeuvrability of the flying boat, and were
fitted with two sets of interplane struts instead
of the three of the L.l. A more powerful160hp
Isotta-Fraschini V.4B engine was fitted and the
L.2 was armed with a single machine gun on a A restored Hanriot HD.1 in the colours of fighter Flavio Baracchini of 76 Squadriglia. Baracchini
flexible mount on the starboard side of the achieved 21 victories in this aircraft. Constance Redgrave

Ale nia Ae rmacchi 17

FIRST WORLD WAR

The Macchi M.3 was such an extensive

redesign that it was the first of the flying
boats to have a Macchi designation.
Note the extensively modified tailplane.
Alenia Aermacchi

The shortcomings of the Lohner design soon led to the Macchi L.2 with two sets of interplane
struts and swept wings. Alenia Aerma cchi

The compact and stylish Macchi M .S single-

for seaplanes of 5400m (17,700ft) , a height it fitted, and 340 of this gem of an air craft were seat fighter flying boat had equivalent
reached in just 41 minutes. produced, some under licence by performance to the land plane fighters of
More than 200 M.3s were built and Aeromarittima in Naples. During production, the day. Alenia Aermacchi
supplied to the Italian Navy, which used them the engine was upgraded from the 160hp
as day and night bombers, photographic Isotta-Fraschini V.4B to the 190hp V.6 and the into the Macchi desig n family, Alessandro
reconnaissance, escort and patrol aircraft, as wingtip floats were redesigned, resulting in Tonini. He was to produce four flying boat
well as for a short time in 1917, a fighter. The the designation M.5 Mod. The powerful and designs and a landplane fighter between 1917
M.3 also proved its value in special operations, compact flying boat was considered a delight and 1918, starting with the Macchi M.8 of
conducting several commando missions far to fly, being both light and agile, and equipped 1917. This was a development of the two-seat
behind enemy lines. The performance of the five maritime squadrons as a fighter and flying boat designs, but featured Warren truss
M.3 meant it remained in service after the convoy escort. interplane struts, sometimes called 'W' struts,
war's end, with one being used by the Italian Its success was evident from the fact that which were not only stiffer than the earlier
Military Mission in Argentina, after which the Italian Navy's first aces flew the M.5, strut layout, but also did away with much of
time it was donated to Paraguay in 1919. Lieutenant Orazio Pierozzi with seven the rigging normally featured on biplanes of
Interestingly, a number were modified to carry victories and Lieutenant Federico Martinego the time, and reduced drag.
a pilot behind a two-seat passenger cockpit and and Sub-Lieutenant Umberto Calvello with Aside from the two-seat side-by-side
used by a Swiss company for charter and air five each. The US Navy and Marine Corps cockpit, a forward gunner's position was
experience flights from the Swiss lakes. airmen that trained in Italy also flew the M.5 included, fitted with a Lewis gun mounted on
The M.3 was followed by the M.5, which towards the end of the war. One of them, a Scarff ring, although the aircraft usually flew
was an entirely new design developed by Ensig n Charles Hammann, won the first with just a crew of two, the observer manning
Carlo Buzio and Captain Luigi Calzavara of Medal of Honor awarde d to a United States the gun for defence or attack. A total of 57
the Italian Navy's Engineering Division of naval aviator when he landed on the Adriatic Macchi M.8s were built, 27 of which were
Military Aviation. The first prototype, known after one of his colleagues had been shot manufactured under licence by Fratelli Zari in
as the Type M, had a single-step hull and went down during combat on August 21, 1918. Bovisio. Four squadrons of the Italian Navy
through a number of revisions, including a Hammann picked up his colleague, and were equipped with the M.8, which were used
new tailplane and g reatly modified despite the unusual load and danger of attack, for patrol and anti-submarine duties. Several
sesquiplane wings which used the 'V' flew safely back to base_ The M.5 was to M.8s were used by the American
interplane strut remain in service until the Expeditionary Forces in Italy, both for
layout, similar to the rr~~i=~;;;~;;;;~~i~ll mid-1920s, such was the training and for war time missions from their
Nieuport fighters. efficiency of the design. base at Porto Corsini. The aircraft was not to
Referred to variously remain in service long after the end of the
as the Ma, M his and DEVELOPING war, but a single example was provided to the
Ma his in these THE BREED Swedish Navy for trials which were conducted
g uises, the aircraft During 1917, an experiment until1921, when engine failure caused the
that emerged was a with a new wing-strut layout aircraft to be badly damaged.
single-seat fighter of parallel steel tube struts Tonini followed the M.8 with the M.9 of
flying boat, with a resulted in the prototype of 1918, which was generally similar in design but
performance to the Macchi M.6, but had a 280hp FiatA12 engine replacing the
match the land-based comparative trials against 170hp Isotta-Fraschini V.4B of the earlier
fighters of the day, the M.5 showed there to be aircraft. The wings were 0.6m (2ft) shorter and
with a maximum little advantage in the new there were various other detail changes to
speed of 189kph design so only a single adapt the design to the more powerful engine.
(117mph) . example was produced. At Sixteen aircraft were delivered to the Italian
The first US Navy airman to be
Single or twin awarded the Medal of Honor, Ensign this time, Carlo Buzio Navy by the end of the war, with a further 14
machine gun Charles Hammann. who flew the brought a colleague from completed in 1919. Several of the postwar M.9s
armament could be Macchi M.S in Italy. Edifo(s collection his pioneering aviation days were built with a four-seat enclosed cockpit, for

18 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

use as passenger and mailplanes in Switzerland
by Ad Astra Aero, which had also boug ht a
number of modified three-seat M.3s.
Aside from work on the two-seater
designs, Tonini also redesigned the 'V' strut
layout of the M.5 single-seat fighter flying
boat, which did suffer from some problems
with stiffness in the wings. T his produced the
M.7, of which 17 production examples were
delivered to the Italian Navy, just too late to
see wartime service. In 1919, Argentina and
Sweden both bought two M.7s, and in
1921 Brazil bough t three more. This aircraft
will appear again later in this edition in a
modified form.
LAST WARTIME DESIGNS
The last of the wartime flying boat designs
was the M.12 bomber, which was generally
similar to the M.9, but had a completely
redesigned fuselage with a twin-boom and
twin-fin layout and slightly longer wings of
17m (55ft 9in) span. It was powered by a
450hp Ansaldo 4.E.28 engine, and was
intended to carry a crew of three in the
widened fuselage but the end of the war, and
the cancellation of many military contracts,
stopped development after only a few had
been built A civil varian t with five seats and
an 18m (59ft) wingspan was intended as a
passenger and mailplane, but failed to attract
orders due to the large numbers of war-
surplus aircraft flooding the market.
The last of the aircraft types produced by
Macchi in wartime was also the first original
Macchi land plane figh ter desig n, the M.14,
again a product of Alessandro Tonini. The
Warren truss or 'W' struts were a feature of
this single-seat sesquiplane, the prototype of
which made its first fligh t in the spring of
1918. Althoug h the first M.14 was destroyed
in a flying accident in June, 10 more were built
for evaluation by the army in 1919. Powered
by a llOhp Le Rhone 9] rotar y engine, the
M.14 was capable of 182kph (113mph), but
was produced at a time when armed forces
were contracting rapidly from their wartime
levels of equipment. No orders for the M.14
were received, the 10 production aircraft
serving as trainers.
During the First World War, more than
11,000 aircraft were built in Italy, of which
2677 were built by Macchi, with 766 being
flying boats. The company employed 2825
people at the end of the war and had
undergone massive and rapid expansion to
cope with the size of the military orders. The
star t of the war saw Macchi operating from a
single factory, by the end there were three,
one dedicated to flying boat production. With
the cancellation of many contracts in 1918 and
1919, the company was about to undergo an
equally rapid scaling down of its operations. •
Words: Tim Callaway
FIRST WORLD WAR
One Italian name has been
F
iat has always
synonymous with automobiles been a company
since its formation in 1899, interested in
development and
when Giovanni Agnelli and a diversification, as
group of investors founded a its history clearly proves.
company in Turin as the Developments in aviation at the
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili beginning of the 20th centu ry attracted
the firm's attention, particularly as it was
Torino or FIAT, which changed already building lightweight and powerful
to Fiat in 1906. What is less racing car engines. In 1908, the decision was
well known is that it also built made to enter this field and the company's
a wide variety of tractors, first aero engine, the SA 8/75, was developed
from its racing programme. This was an air-
railway locomotives and rolling
cooled VS and gave the company valuable
stock, as well as aircraft experience, which led to the S.55 and S.71 and
and aero engines, the latter the four-cylinder liquid-
beginning in 1908. cooled S.53. Although
these were built in
relatively small numbers,
they did lead to Fiat's first
mass-produced aero
The Caproni Ca .33 wa s powered by three Fiat A.12 engines. Editor's collection
The SIA. 7B powe red b y a Fiat A.1 2 was a two-seat bomb er and reconna issance a ircraft.
Alenia Aermacchi
20 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
engine, the excellent A10 of
1914. This was a straight six-
cylinder 9.5 litre engine that
produced 100hp in its initial
versions and weighed 190kg
(420lb). Between 1914 and 1915,
Fiat was to produce 1070 of these
engines which powered aircraft such as
the Farman Type 1914, produced under
licence by a number of manufacturers, and the
Caproni Ca.2, Ca.32 and Ca.33 three-engined
bombers.
The A10 was a great success, but was to
lead to the definitive Fiat engine of the First
World War, the A12. This was more than
twice the capacity of the A10 at 21.71litres
and weighed 415kg (915lb), but even its initial
versions produced 245hp, which was to rise to
300hp during its development. An astounding
13,260 of these tough and reliable engines
were produced between 1916 and 1919,
powering 18 different types of aircraft from
every Italian manufacturer, as well as the
British Airco DH4 and DH9, the French
Breguet 14 and the IVLA22 from Finland.
This success did not go unnoticed by Fiat's
management, which decided if aero engines
could bring this level of business into the
company, then aircraft production was a
natural extension of this. In 1916, Giovanni
Agnelli and technical director Guido Fornaca
at Fiat supported the foundation of the Societa
Italiana Aviazione, commonly known as SIA,
to build aircraft to be powered by Fiat
engines. The first buildings were acquired in
Turin, on the Via Madama Cristina and the
Via Nizza, producing the Farman Type 1914-
a development of the MF. ll, under licence, as
the company's first aircraft- which was
designated the SIA.5. These were followed by
the Savoia Pomilio SP1, SP2, and SP3 which
were modifications and developments of the
basic Farman design, before the company
started work on the first design of its own, the
SIA.7 of 1917.
To return to the aero engine division, in
1917 it had developed what was the largest
and most powerful aircraft engine in the world
at the time - the 57.2 litre A14liquid-cooled
V12, which produced 725hp. This
performance was all the more remarkable as
the A14 only weighed 800kg (1763lb) despite
its huge displacement, showing just how far
aero engine development had come during

The first mass p roduced Fiat aero engine. A.12. Some 13.260 of these
engines were produced between 1916 and 1919.Constance Redgrave
The SIA.9 was powered by the Fiat A .14. Edifo( s collection
the First World War. By the end of the war,
500 A.14s had been built
The design for the SIA.7 was formulated by
two Fiat engineers, Torretta and Carlo Lerici,
and was intended from the outset as a two-
seat machine, with a very hig h performance
to enable it to excel in a number of roles. The
wings and tailplane were fabric-covered, but
the fuselage was plywood-skinned and fitted
with the 250hp Fiat A.12-1 engine which gave
the aircraft a maximum speed of 200kph
(124mph). The first production version was
the SIA.7B1 which was intended as a bomber
and reconnaissance aircraft, capable of
carrying 60kg of bombs. It was fitted with a
single 6.5mm Fiat Revelli machine gun on a
flexible mount in the rear cockpit for defence.
Service trials were conducted by the Italian
Army in November 1917, which revealed a
number of shortcomings in the orig inal
desig n, noting particularly the poor pilot's
view from the cockpit and the relative
fragility of the wing structure. Despite these
results, the performance was sufficient for an
order to be placed, which resulted in 501
SIA. 7B1s being built. Aside from service with
the Italian Army against Austro-Hungary, two
of the aircraft were sent to the US for
evaluation for production under licence for the
US Army Ai r Corps.
It was not selected for production, but 19
were bough t for use by the American
Expeditionar y Force at Foggia, in Italy, in
February 1918. One of the pilots who
FIRST WORLD WAR
The 700hp V12 Fiat A.14 engine. Constance Redgrave
assessed the aircraft in Italy was Fiorello La
Guardia, who was serving as a major in the
US Army Air Services, while on leave as a
member of Congress, and was later to become
mayor of New York. In December 1917, the
shortcomings noted by the military trials
were addressed with the introduction of the
SIA.7B2, which had strengthened wings and
raised cockpits, as well as a more powerful
300hp version of the A.l2 engine. Another 71
of this version were built, entering service in
March 1918, conducting bombing and
reconnaissance missions on the Austro-ltalian
front until July, when the SIA.7 was withdr awn
to training units.
The SIA.9 was the last development of the
design, powered by the larger 700hp FiatA.14.
The increase in power came at the expense of
additional weight, meaning the SIA.9 was only
5kph (3mph) faster than the SIA.7. The Italian
Navy ordered 200, of which 62 were delivered
by the end of the war, seeing service over the
Adriatic. In 1918, Fiat dropped the SIA name,
changing the company's title to Fiat Aviazione.
The company continued production of the
SIA.9 under the new designation of Fiat R 2,
building an additional 129 of the type which
were to remain in service until 1925. Fiat The cockpit of the Farman and its derivatives,
realised the limitations of the SIA b uilt under licence by SIA. was very open.
infrastr ucture and sought to amalgamate with hence t he warm dress of thi s pilot.The Fiat
other companies to strengthen its aircraft A.1 2 straight six e ngine is clearly visible on
division. As will be seen later in this issue, the rear of the fuselage c upola .These a ircraft
these were to include some famous names. • were used a s bombers and reconnaissance
Words: Tim Callaway machines. Alenia Aermacchi
Ale nia Aermacchi 21
FIRST WORLD WAR

The interior of a single-seat SVA cockpit.The

gun lever on the control stick has a safety
Heavy naval guns under construction at the Ansaldo Genoa works in 1914. Note the field cage around it to prevent inadvertent firing.
artillery piece on the breech of the centre gun giving the weapon scale. Editor's collection Editor's collection

saldo COMPANIES
ARE FOUNDED

Giovanni Ansaldo and Company SAS was

founded by a group of successful businessmen in
Genoa in 1853 to build and maintain railway
3
locomotives and other equipment. It diversified into
new areas until it was bought in 1904 by the Perrone family, who
added iron and steel manufacturing and weapons to the company
portfolio. By 1916, this included aircraft, among which was the
fastest and most successful Italian aircraft of the First World War.

An early Sopwith Baby, the type first produced
under licence by Ansaldo in 1916. Note the
early-style cowling similar to the Sopwith
Tabloid and Sc hneider. Editor's collection
A later Ansaldo-built Sopwith Baby with the
later Pup-style cowling. Editor's collection
B
y the turn of the 19th century,
Ansaldo was largely a railway
equipment company with seven
factories employing more than
10,000 people, and was one of the
largest heavy engineering concerns in Europe.
The expansion into new fields started with the
development of shipyards, but it was after
1904, with the acquisition of Ansaldo by the
powerful Perrone family, that weapons and
metal production were added to the company.
These ranged from ar tillery and large
calibre naval guns to battleships, with a rapid
expansion caused by the outbreak of the First
World War that resulted in the company
employing more than 80,000 people in 1918.
Attracted by the success of other
companies in the field of aviation and the size
of the orders for military aircraft, the
company directors decided to diversify stiU
further towards the end of 1915. The first
aircraft production undertaken by Ansaldo
was to build the Sopwith Baby under licence,
beginning in 1916. These were the floatplane
variant of the Sopwith single seater, and were
mostly used as shipborne and coastal
reconnaissance and patrol aircraft and trainers
by the Italian Navy. Ansaldo built them at its
factory at Borzoli, about 5km north-west of
Genoa, giving the company vital experience in
modern aircraft production techniques and
standards which was to stand it in good stead
considering what was to happen next.
The story of what became known as the
Ansaldo SVA series (SVA standing for Savoia,
Verduzio, Ansaldo) began in 1916 at the
Direzione Tecnica Aeronautica Militare (The
Military Aviation Engineering Directorate, or
DTAM) . Here, two design engineers,
Umberto Savoia and RudolfVerduzio, were
working on a new lightweight single-seat
fighter based around the Societa Piemontese
Automobili SPA.6A 205hp six-cylinder inline
engine. Interestingly, they were assisted by
Verduzio's apprentice, a young eng ineer
called Celestino Rosatelli, who will feature
prominently later in this story. One of the
design requirements was to build a high
performance aircraft with as little use of
strategic materials as possible, hence the
concentration on wooden construction
throughout the airframe. The obvious
potential of the design prompted the DTAM to
request production bids from industry, a
contract won by Ansaldo in 1917, which built
the prototype at its Borzoli factory. It made its
first flight on March 19, 1917, in the hands of
Sergeant Mario Stoppani and was found to be

22 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

extremely fast and very stable. If anything, the
type was a little too stable to truly succeed in
fighter-type manoeuvring, but its high speed
and long range made it the ideal platform for
reconnaissance and bombing missions.
The SVA basic design was a conventional
biplane with Warren truss interplane struts,
which replaced the traditional bracing wires,
reducing drag. The fuselage was plywood-
skinned with angled flat sides which tapered
to a triangular cross section toward the rear. A
triangular fin and tailplane was fitted with
relatively large rudder and elevators . The
lower wing had parallel leading and trailing
edges with slightly outward tapered tips. The Single-seat SVA fuselages under construction by Ansaldo. Note the wooden frame under the
upper wing was similar, but of greater span, plywood skin. via Luigino Caliaro
and it had a pair of outward-tapering ailerons
on the trailing edge of roughly half the span of deliveries began to the Italian Army in the soutll-east along the coast from Genoa, and
the wing. TI1ere was nothing unusual about autumn of 1917, where the majority were used were used as defensive fighters for naval bases
the design for tile period, except its as trainers while operational versions were and as maritime patrol aircraft These early
combination of features produced a being developed. As it became apparent that versions had a standard armament of two belt-
remarkably efficient and low-drag airframe, the SVA series would be built in considerable fed Vickers .303 machine guns synchronised
equipped witll a powerful and fuel-efficient numbers, Ansaldo expanded production to to fire through tile propeller and mounted on
eng ine. It was these two factors that gave the include the Bolzaneto factory, some 4km either side of the for ward fuselage. In the later
aircraft its impressive straig ht line speed and furtller north from Borzoli. There were an SVA.4 version, one gun was omitted to allow
long range. additional 50 of tile ISVA floatplane variant additional cameras to be carried, and tile two-
The first SVAl was produced only as a built for tile Italian navy, tile 'I' in the seat SVA9 was completely unarmed, acting as
prototype, but was to be followed by 65 SVA2s, designation standing for Idroplane or seaplane. a navigation leader for SVA bomber formations
the first single-seat production version. Initial These were built at La Spezia, some 95km and as a trainer. >-

Ale nia Ae rmacchi 23

FIRST WORLD WAR
"ITS COMBINATION OF
FEATURES PRODUCED A
REMARKABLY EFFICIENT AND
LOW-DRAG AIRFRAME,
EQUIPPED WITH A POWERFUL
AND FUEL-EFFICIENT ENGINE. IT
WAS THESE TWO FACTORS THAT
GAVE THE AIRCRAFT ITS
IMPRESSIVE STRAIGHT LINE
SPEED AND LONG RANGE:'
The SVA2 and the ISVA were followed by
the SVA3 and 4. These were essentially the
same aircraft, but the SVA3 was built by AER
at its factory at Orbassano. Aside from the
standard SVA3, AER also produced a number
of the SVA.3 ridotto or 'reduced' in the spring
of 1918. This was intended as an airship
interceptor and had wings of reduced span,
with several being fitted with an additional
upward-firing machine gun for attacks from
below in level flight. The SVA4 was the first
mass-produced reconnaissance fighter version,
entering service in early 1918. As production of
the SVA series increased, it became obvious
that the existing factories were an insufficient
The SVA.3 was produced by AER at its factory
at Orbassano. via Luigino Caliaro
One of the SVA.Ss of the 87ma Squadriglia, 'La Serenissima', with their famous winged lion
insignia. Note the rack below the cockpit for bombs or cameras. Edifo(s collection
production base to meet the demand for the
aircraft. Ansaldo was particularly interested in
establishing a manufacturing base in the Turin
or Milan area, which it saw as the centre of the
aviation industry of the time. The first factory it
acquired was that of the Societa Italiana
Transaerea (Sin in Turin, which became
Ansaldo No. 3 Aeronautical Workshops in 1918.
The definitive version of the SVA series,
the SVA5, was produced next, in fact the
majority of the 1248 SVAs built were of this
model. The major difference between this and
the earlier versions was the increase in fuel
capacity which gave the aircraft an additional
two hours of endurance . They were also fitted
with clips on the sides of the fuselage which
could carry two reconnaissance cameras or
light bombs. Altogether, six Italian Army
squadrons were equipped with the SVA.5,
deliveries beginning in February 1918. As
with the earlier versions, they were initially
powered by the 205hp SPA.6A, but this was
replaced with the high- compression version
of the engine which produced 230hp. Some of
the later SVA.5s were equipped with the
Isotta-Fraschini 250hp V6 engine, which
raised the maximum speed from 230kph
(143mph) to 240kph (150mph) making them
the fastest aircraft of the conflict.
A rare air to air photograph
of an SVA in flight.The
narrowly tapering but strong
fuselage is evident in this
view. Alenia Aermacchi
Typical of SVA operations was that of
February 28, 1918, where the long range and
speed of the type was used to best effect. Its
high speed meant the SVA could penetrate deep
into enemy territory without the need for escort
and with a high chance of success on any given
mission. A flight of four SVAs of the 1st Sezione
took off from Sovizzo, three carrying two 25kg
(55lb) bombs, the fourth with a pair of
reconnaissance cameras. The pilots were
Captains Natale Palli and Palma de Cesnola,
with Lieutenant Orsini and SergeantArigoni.
They flew more than 250km (155 miles) over
the Alps to Innsbruck, in Austria, where they
attacked the rail yards and photographed the
results in a mission lasting more than three
hours. On May 21, 1918, Lieutenants Arturo
Ferrarin and Antonio Locatelli flew a pair of
SVAs on a photographic reconnaissance
mission to the German Zeppelin airship base at
Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, a distance
of710km (440 miles), both returning safely.
Both Captain Palli and Lieutenant Ferrarin
will appear again in this story. Palli flew a SVA
two seater that led the SVA5s of the formation
from the 87ma Squadriglia, 'La Serenissima',
which made the famous long-range leaflet raid
on Vienna; and Ferrarin was to successfully fly
an SVA from Rome to Tokyo - both of these epic
flights are covered in detail later in this issue.
Although the aircraft was flown largely as a
reconnaissance bomber, the SVA had a number
of vict01ies in air-to-air combat. Lieutenant
Michele Allasia, an ace with five victories, shot
down two enemy aircraft while flying the SVA.
The SVA.6 bomber version was produced
as a single prototype, as was the SVA.8, before
two two-seat versions, the SVA.9 and SVA.10,
were developed. As already mentioned, the
SVA.9 was fitted with wings of longer span and
was unarmed, acting as a formation navigation
leader and trainer. The SVA.10 was similar,
but powered by the Isotta-Fraschini 250hp V6
engine and armed with a single fixed forward-
firing Vickers machine gun and a Lewis gun
on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit. It
served as an armed reconnaissance aircraft
and light bomber.
The pressure on production of the new
versions of the SVA series meant that Ansaldo
was still looking for businesses it could acquire
to expand the already prodigious output at its
 FIRST WORLD WAR

The Ansaldo factory in July 1918 with both single- and two-seat SVA fuselages under construction. Editor's collection

four plants. In 1918, the 10,000sq m Pomilio

factory on the Corso Marche and Francia in
Turin was bought by Ansaldo, becoming the
Ansaldo No. 5 Aeronautical Workshop. This
included the attendant airfield and soon SVAs
were being produced in large numbers,
alongside the outstanding orders for Pomilio-
designed aircraft. With the end of the First
World War, Ansaldo, like all the other aircraft
companies in the world, under went a massive
downsizing as military orders for large
numbers of aircraft were cancelled. Ansaldo
concentrated its aircraft production solely in
the former Pomilio factor y, changing its name The line-up of SVA.9s and 1Os in Rome. prior to the beginning of the famous flight to Tokyo on
from the Ansaldo No. 5 Aeronautical Workshop February 14. 1920. via Luigino Caliaro
to Aeronautica Ansaldo.
Aside from equipping the Italian Army and
Navy, SVAs were also used by American
Expeditionary Force units operating in Italy
during the First World War. They were also to
be widely exported in the postwar years,
ser ving with the Brazilian Navy and the air
forces of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay
and Uruguay in South America, Latvia, Poland
and the Soviet Union in Europe, as well as a
single example supplied to the Yugoslav Royal
Air Force. The Polish Air Force used the
single- and two-seat SVA as a trainer at the
Advanced Pilots School from 1919. The success
of this family of aircraft was to continue into the
1920s with new designs for military aircraft
being produced by Ansaldo and, again, A line-up of two-seat SVA.9s and single-seat SVA.Ss with a pair of Macchi built Hanriot HD.1 s. a
successfully exported. • Words: Tim Callaway typical combination of types in squadron service in 1918. Alenia Aermacchi

Ale nia Ae rmacchi 25

 The Pomilio PC suffered from
stability problems in its early form.
This is a rare photograph of the
type. Editor's collection

Societa Anonima COMPANIES

Costruzione Aeronautiche ARE FOUNDED

Ottorino Pomilio & Co 4

Founded in Turin in May 1915, Pomilio was to build a wide variety of aircraft types in its
short three-year history, mostly its own designs or developments of others. The company would
produce more than 1200 aircraft before the First World War ended and it was sold to Ansaldo. The
Pomilio brothers would begin again in the US, forming a new company in Indianapolis in 1918.

I
t is impossible to tell the story of the
Societa Anonima Costruzione
Aeronautiche Ottorino Pomilio & Co,
or the Ottorino Pomilio Aeronautical
Construction Company, to give it its
full name, without telling the story of its
founder, Ottorino Pomilio. He was born in
Chieti on October 8, 1997, later attending the
University of Naples, where he achieved a
degree in eng ineering in 1911. His interest in
aviation led him to the Higher School of
Aeronautics in Paris, where he completed a
degree in aeronautical construction.
At this time, Pomilio also completed his
pilot's licence and was a regular flyer of some
note; in 1913 he set a new Italian height
record along with a co-pilot named Pettazzi.
Also in 1913, Pomilio joined the Italian Army
Aviation Battalion at Mirafiori on the south
side of Turin. Here he was part of the
Direzione Tecnica Aeronautica Militare (The
Military Aviation Eng ineering Directorate, or
DTAM) , where he worked as a designer with
the rank of lieutenant. It was here he met and
began to work with another of the great
pioneering engineers of Italian aviation, Major
Umberto Savoia.
The two designers began working on a
series of developments of the single-engined
Farman MF.ll and Type 1914 designs that
were being built under licence by SIA, a
subsidiary of Fiat as mentioned earlier. Seeing
the potential of the desig n work and the
numbers of aircraft required by the Italian
military, Pomilio founded his own aircraft
factory in May 1915 on the Corso Marche and
Francia in Turin, developing the flat adjacent
land into an airfield to allow flight testing to
take place. Meanwhile the desig n
development at DTAM continued, the first of
these innovations becoming the Savoia
Pomilio SP1, which was an enlarged version
of the Far man design. Like the Farman, it had
a central nacelle containing the pilot, observer
and pusher eng ine, strut-mounted on the
lower of the biplane wings with the tailplane
set on struts behind the wings and fitted with
twin fins. Only the prototype of the SP1 was
built, by SIA in Turin, but it was to serve as a
development aircraft for further modification.

A Savoia Pomilio SP.3 with the

observer's nose gun fitted.
Editor's collection

The Pomilio PE was a major success for the
company, with more than 1000 being built.
Editor's collection
Savoia and Pornilio began work on an
improved version of the aircraft, the SP.2, with
the new Pomilio factory building the
prototype. Sergeant Almerigi made the first
flight of the SP.2 on July 10, 1916, which was
also the first flight from the new Turin
airfield. More than 300 SP.2s were to be built
by Pomilio and SIA, equipping 12 bomber and
reconnaissance squadrons of the Italian Army
by the spring of 1917. The aircraft was
powered by a 250hp FiatA12 engine, which
gave it a maximum speed of 120kph (75mph) .
This disappointing performance prompted
Savoia and Pomilio to produce the SP.3 in
1917. The wingspan was shortened and the
weight reduced, as well as the design of the
fuselage nacelle being aerodynamically
cleaned up. A more powerful 300hp version of
the Fiat A12 engine was fitted, all of which
brought the maximum speed up to 145kph
(90mph). Again, SIA and Pomilio produced
the aircraft, with 350 being built
The final development of the basic Farman
aircraft was the SP.4 of mid-1917. This had two
150hp Isotta-Fraschini V.4B engines mounted
between the wings, a major change to the
design. About 150 SP.4s were built under
licence by the AER factory at Orbassano and
like the other SP aircraft were used as bomber
and reconnaissance aircraft However, the SP.4s
Test pilot lieutenant Mario de Bernadi with the aircraft he first flew and demonstrated. the
prototype Pomilio Gamma IF. Editor's collection
The Pomilio P.D also featured a
were also used on special operations, landing
spies and saboteurs behind enemy lines.
While this development work with Savoia
was going on, Pomilio was also collaborating
with another of the great Italian pioneering
aviation engineers, Corradino d'Ascanio.
d'Ascanio did not just pioneer new aircraft
designs. He had filed a patent on June 30,
1916, for a 'universal automatic clinometer for
aircraft and other flying machines'. This device
was to indicate the inclination of an aircraft in
both pitch and roll, and is the forerunner of
the modern artificial horizon, one of the most
important aircraft instruments.
Together with Pomilio, they had begun
work on a two-seat fighter, known initially as
the C.1 and later the PC. This was a
conventional single-engined two-seat biplane
design with a structure of both welded steel
tube and wood frame. Powered by a 260hp
FiatA.12, the PC was intended for use as an
armed reconnaissance aircraft, with
production beginning in April1917. Its entry
into service was not a happy one, as the type
was discovered to be dangerously unstable
when loaded. By June 1917,80 PCs had been
built before they were re placed on the
production line by the improved version, the
PD. The engine cowling of the PC was
reconfigured and a ventral fin was added,
much improving the stability of the aircraft A
total of 465 PDs were built before the type was
improved still further.
The Pomilio PE was the fully developed
version of the design, which featured a new
tailplane and fin of increased area which
fully resolved the stability issues of the PC.
It was also fitted with a 300hp version of the
Fiat A.12 engine, which gave it a maximum
speed of 195kph (121mph). All three
versions of the design had been fitted with
a single drum-fed Lewis gun on a flexible
mount in the rear cockpit for self-defence,
but many of the PEs were also fitted with a
fixed forward-firing Vickers machine gun.
The 1000-strong workforce at the Turin
factory was able to produce 150 PEs per
month, the type being a great success for
Pomilio, with 1071 being built before the war's
end, equipping around 30 squadrons of the
Italian Army.
The last design produced by the Turin
company was the Pomilio Gamma, a highly
agile single-seat fighter. The prototype first
flew in early 1918 powered by a 200hp SPA.6A
engine. T rials by the Italian Army showed the
type was fast and extremely manoeuvrable,
but Jacked a satisfactory rate of climb. The
SPA engine was replaced by a 250hp Isotta-
Fraschini V6, in which form it was known as
the Gamma IF with a maximum speed of
225kph (140mph) and a much-improved climb
rate. A small number were ordered, but the
end of the war meant the Pomilio Gamma
never entered service.
In mid-1918, with the Gamma programme
under way and a new version of the two
seater, the PF, on the drawing boards,
Ottorino Pomilio accepted the offer from
Ansaldo which wished to buy his Turin
factory and airfield. By the time the takeover
was complete, Pomilio had built more than
1200 aircraft at the plant, production
continuing under Ansaldo with a mixture of
the PE and Ansaldo types. Ottorino Pomilio,
along with his brothers Ernesto and
Alessandro, emigrated to the United States,
where Pomilio's reputation as an aeronautical
engineer had been established by trials of the
PE in America in 1917. During these, the PE
had set a new US speed record of 210kph
(130mph) over a 480km (300 mile) course.
The brothers established the Pomilio
Brothers Corporation of lndianapolis,
producing fighter and bomber designs
such as the FVlr8 and BVIA2, in 1919. •
Words: Tim Callaway
Alenia Ae rmacchi 27
FIRST WORLD WAR

Major Gabriele d ' Annunzio and

Captain Natale Palli in the
cockpits of their SVA. an image
signed August 9, 1918, the
day of a daring raid
over Vienna. via
Luigino

The Flight over Vienna was an air raid conceived by Italian poet
and nationalist patriot Gabriele D'Annunzio. An enthusiastic
supporter of early aviation since making a flight with Glenn
Curtiss in 1909, he served as a volunteer soldier then airman in
the Italian forces during the First World War. He took part in a
number of daring raids before organising what must be one of the
greatest feats of aviation in that conflict.

Major Gabriele d ' Annunzio. arc hitect of the
daring raid. Editor's collection
G
abriele D'Annunzio was born on
March 12, 1863, in Pescara, the
son of the mayor, a wealthy
landowner. He studied literature
at the University of Rome La
Sapienza and worked as a journalist, writer,
poet and playwright, including collaborating
with French composer Claude Debussy on a
musical play, The Mar tyrdom of St Sebastian,
while living in France in the early 1900s. He
was also elected to serve in the Chamber of
Deputies fo r a three-year ter m, prior to th is, in
1897. When he returned to Italy, he witnessed
the demonstration fligh ts of Glenn Curtiss in
the Cur tiss No.2, known as the Reims Racer,
at an air show at the Brescia motor racing
circuit in September 1909, and became one of
the many passengers to make their first flight
there. This eig ht-minute experience was to
make D'Annunzio a stau nch supporter of
aviation fo r the rest of his life.
With the outbreak of the First World War,
D'Annunzio began to vigorously campaign fo r
Italy to join the war on the side of the Triple
Entente of Britain, France and Russia. He
supported the Italian Army as a volunteer,
par ticularly being associated with the elite
Arditi shock troops, but his experience with
aviation soon led to his joining the Ser vizio
Aeronautico, the Italian Army's aviation
division. He won g reat distinction as an
observer and writer on a number of daring
raids, including the Italian Navy's torpedo
boat raid on Austrian shipping in the harbour
of Bakar in Febr uary 1918. Although this raid
had little militar y effect, D'Annunzio fully
exploited the propaganda value of these
actions to bolster Italian morale. During these
exploits he suffered a number of wounds,
including losing the sight of an eye. By the
end of the war, this ch arismatic and
swashbuckling figure h ad won no fewer than
six medals for bravery.
In early 1917, D'Annunzio had conceived
what was to be one of the greatest exploits of
aviation during the First World War. The idea
was to fly from Padua, in nor th-east Italy, all
the way to Vienna- 500km (310 miles) -to
drop propaganda leaflets to encourage the
Austrians to abandon their alliance with
Germany and Hungary. Given the distance,
the appearance of Italian aircraft over Vienna

28 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


would severely damage Austrian morale as
they would simply not expect to see enemy
aircraft that far from the combat area.
D'Annunizio correctly assessed the
consternation this action would cause among
the civilian population, and was writing a
carefully worded leaflet himself to maximise
the effect. However, at the time, an aircraft
capable of such a long-distance flight over
enemy territory was not available, and the plan
was shelved for the moment. Later in 1917, the
Anslado SVA series of aircraft entered service,
which not only had the range, but were the
fastest combat aircraft in service anywhere in
the world at the time, with a maximum speed
in the SVA5 model of 230kmh (140mph).
In August 1918, the 87ma Squadriglia,
named La Serenissima, were based at San
Pelagio airfield between the municipality of
Due Carrare and Padova, and were equipped
with Anslado SVA.5 single-seat fighter
bombers and SVA9 and 10 two-seat
reconnaissance versions. The aircraft of the
squadron were distinguished by the painting
of the Winged Lion of St Mark on the sides of
its fuselages. D'Annunzio convinced the
Comando Supremo (Headquarters) of Regio
Esercito (Royal Italian Army) that its new
aircraft could carry out the flight, and star ted
to plan the raid in detail. For the raid, a group
of highly experienced pilots were selected.
The 10 single-seater SVA.5s were piloted by
Antonio Locatelli, Girolamo Allegri, Lodovico
Censi, Aldo Finzi, Pietro Massoni, Giordano
Bruno Granzarolo, Giuseppe Sarti, Francesco
Ferrarin, Masprone and Contratti. The last
SVA was one of the squadron's two seaters,
piloted by Captain Natale Palli, with the now
Major Gabriele d'Annunzio, himself, on board
as observer.
The first attempt to fly the mission
occurred on August 2, 1918, but the formation
was thwarted by heavy fog. On August 8, a
second attempt was abor ted due to a strong
wind. Finally, on August 9, the formation took
off from San Pelagio at 05.50 and headed east.
They arrived over Vienna at 09.20 and flew
over the Austrian capital for some time at
around 800 metres (2600ft), taking
photographs and dropping 50,000 leaflets on a
green, white, and red card, the colours of tl1e
Italian flag. These were written by D'Annunzio
himself in Italian, and were rather poetic in
nature, including a reminder that the flight
FIRST WORLD WAR
l eaflets flutter down over Vienna on
August 9. 1918. a daring and
imaginative ra id. via Luigino Caliaro
had brought "instead of explosives, the three
colours of liberty". A fu rther 350,000 leaflets
were also dropped, calling for the end of the
alliance between Austria-Hungary and
'Prussia' as Germany was referred to, which
were translated into German.
The formation flew for more than lOOOkm
(621 miles), 800km (500 miles) of which was
over enemy territory, an incredible
achievement for the day, with only one aircraft
lost. The formation returned to San Pelagio at
12.40, having flown an undisturbed return
route via Wiener Neustadt, Graz, Lubiana and
Trieste. The SVA.5 of Lt Giuseppe Sarti was
forced to land near the Wiener Neustadt
airfield due to a technical issue, Sarti setting it
on fire before it could be captured.
The raid was a huge propaganda success
and today is still remembered as 11 volo su
Vienna (The Flight over Vienna). A fitting
tribute to these intrepid aviators has recently
been restored by GAYS Torino, the actual
aircraft used by Palli and D'Annunzio for the
raid. It is exhibited at the Gabriele d'Annunzio
Museum - called 11 Vittoriale degli ltaliani - in
Gardone Riviera. •
Words: Luigino Caliaro and Tim Callaway
 Inter-war years
As has already been
mentioned, Fiat had begun
aircraft production in 1916
Fiat - consolidation
with the formation of the
Societa Italiana Aviazione (SIA)
in Turin. In 1918 Fiat d ecided
to drop the SIA name, renaming
and expansion
the company Fiat Aviazione,
but continuing the
production of its two seat
reconnaissance aircraft and
light bomber, the SIA.9,
albeit under a new name.

T
he SIA.9, powered by the
700hp Fiat A14 V12 engine,
was the first aircraft
produced by the newly
named company under the
new designation Fiat R.2. These were
purchased by the Italian Army and the
Turkish Air Force, for whom 129 were
built. TI1e shortcomings of the original
design, mostly relating to the structural
strength of the wing structure, were
addressed by a redesig n by one of the
g reat aircraft eng ineers of the period,
Celestino Rosatelli. Rosatelli was born on
April 8, 1885, in Belmonte in Sabina near
Rieti. He quickly gained a reputation for
his skills in mathematics, as a result he was
sent to study at the School of Engineering in
Rome, from which he graduated in 1910.
In 1915 he joined the army and was sent to
work at the Direzione Tecnica deii'Aviazione
Militare (the military aviation eng ineering
directorate, or DTAM) in Tmin. Here,
Rosatelli was an assistant to Rudolf Verduzio,
who at the time was working with Umber to
Savoia on a new fighter design which would
become the incredibly successful Ansaldo
SVA series. Rosatelli's work at the DTAM
attracted the attention of Giovanni A.gnelli,
The Fiat R.2 was a Rosatelli redesign of the SIA.9 from the First World War. Alenia Aermacchi
Celestine Rosatelli. one of history's great
a ircraft designers with one of his first
creations for Fiat. the BR. Alenia Aermacchi
who, in 1918, requested that he be assigned to
the project desig n office at the new Fiat
Aviazione, an office he was quickly to become
the director of. His first task was the redesign
work on the SIA9, the new designation R.2
being recognition of his work as it took his
initial, something that was to be a feature of
his entire career at Fiat with the BR (Bomber
Rosatelli) and CR (Caccia or Fighter Rosatelli)
series of aircraft.
Rosatelli further developed the two seat
light bomber in his next design series, the
BR.1 to 4, essentially upg rades to the
successful basic R.2 design. The first of these,
simply known as the BR, first flew in 1919
powered by the FiatA14 and featured a larger
fin and tailplane. A small number were built for
the Italian Army before Rosatelli developed the
BR.l , replacing the conventional struts with a
Warren truss desig n, redesigning the radiator
and the undercarriage. About 150 of these
were built, making it the most numerous of the
series. In 1922, a BR was modified into the
R.700, a specialised racing variant which set a
new world absolute speed record of 336kph
(210mph) , then was entered into the Coupe
Deutsche de la Meurthe prize race on
September 30.
Fransesco Brach established a speed of
288kph on the first leg before a fuel pump
failure forced his retirement from the
competition. The BR seties eventually
equipped 15 light bomber squadrons of the
Italian Army, the air divisions of which became
the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) on
March 28, 1923. The next development, the
BR.2, also had a stronger undercarriage, as it
was powered by the heavier and more
powerful 950hp Fiat 54.4 litre A25 V12 engine.
In this form the aircraft had a maxinlum speed
of 240kph (140mph). This variant was also
developed into the R. 22 in 1926, a specialist
reconnaissance aircraft of which 25 were built.
The R.22 had a smaller wingspan and shorter
fuselage with an all metal structure replacing

30 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 INTER-WAR YEARS

Fiat BR.3s, nearest the camera, during a

parade of the Regia Aeronautica, which was
formed in March 1923. Alenia Aermacchi

"CELESTINO ROSATELLI WAS The Fiat CR.l was an unusual inverted

EXTREMELY BUSY ATTHISTIME, sesquiplane layout. with the lower
wing of greater span than the upper.
ASIDE FROM THE BR SERIES HE Alenia Aermacchi
WAS ALSO WORKING ON THE
CR.l, HIS FIRST FIGHTER
DESIGN, AND THE CR.20, HIS
SECOND. "

the wooden components of the bombers. It

was powered by the 570hp Fiat A.22 engine,
another V12 of 27.5litres and about half the
weight of the A.25.
The next major production version was the
BR3, which featured yet a third new
undercarriage and carried both a radio and a
reconnaissance camera. Altogether 100 of
these were built, the last batch being fitted
with Handley-Page leading edge slats to
improve low speed and approach performance.
Aside from the Regia Aeronautica, 20 of these
were also supplied to the 30th Squadron of the
Chinese Nationalist Air Force. A further two
were exported to Sweden, and one more to
Hungary. The last of the developments was the
BRA which was almost a complete redesign,
but by this time the design was 15 years old
and largely outclassed, so it attracted no
orders and only the prototype was built
Celestino Rosatelli was extremely busy at
this time, aside from the BR series he was also
working on the CR.l, his first fighter design,
and the CR.20, his second. The CR.l was
unusual, in being an inverted sesquiplane
design, with the lower wing being of greater
span than the upper. Powered by a 320hp
Isotta-Fraschini Asso V8 engine, the fighter
was successful in trials and 240 were ordered.
They entered service with the Regia
Aeronautica's 1st Fig hter Group in 1924 and
equipped 12 Squadrons in total. Three )lo A rare shot of a Fiat CR.20 Asso in flight. 204 of t his version we re built. Editors Collection

Ale n ia Ae rmacchi 31
 INTER-WAR YEARS

The Fiat BR.l featured Wa rren truss interp lane struts a nd a modified The Fiat TR. l was built with an a ll metal structure and an enclosed
u nd ercarriage. Alenia Aermacchi cockpit. Editor's Collection

different engines were tested, resulting in the

CR.2 (Armstrong Siddeley Lynx), CR.5 (Alfa
Romeo Jupiter) and CR.10 (Fiat A.10) , but
these were only produced as prototypes.
Later in the 1930s, in-service CR.1s were
upgraded with improved Asso eng ines of
450hp, which meant the fighter did not
leave service until1937. The CR.20 was also a
single seat fighter, but with an all metal
structure, making its first flight on June 19,
1926. This was a major success for Fiat, with
250 of the 410hp Fiat A.20 powered initial
version being ordered. This was followed by
46 of a two seat floatplane version, the CR.20
Idro, and 235 of the CR.20bis of 1930 with an
upgraded undercarriage. Like the CR.1, the
CR.20 was fitted with the upg raded 450hp
Isotta-Fraschini Asso Caccia engine to
produce the CR.20 Asso, 204 of which were
built, along with a small number of two seat
trainer and communications aircraft called the
CR.20B. By 1933, 27 Regia Aeronautica
squadrons were flying the CR.20, using it
operationally in Libya and Abyssinia in 1935.
The CR.20 was also supplied to the air forces
of Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Paraguay,
Poland and Spain, with two being sent to the
Soviet Union for trials.
In 1925, Fiat acquired SAl CM, renaming it
CMASA, expanding its aviation interests into
seaplanes and flying boats as is described
here. The following year the company also
purchased the Ansaldo aviation interests, as
will be told in a separate article, making Fiat
one of the largest manufacturers of aircraft in
the world. >-
INTER-WAR YEARS

Mention must be made at this point of

another great Italian engineer, and a man who
was to establish Fiat's international reputation
for many years and take the company into the
jet age. Giuseppe Gabrielli was born in
Caltanissetta on Sicily on February 26, 1903.
He went on to study at the Polytechnic
University of Turin before attending the
Aeronautical Institute of the RWTH Aachen
University, where he was tutored by the
director, the great Dr Theodore von Kflrman,
a Hungarian aerodynamicist who was later to
work on flying wings with J ack Northrop (see
Aviation Classics Issue 19 - The Northrop F-
5). During the 1920s, Gabrielli worked for
Piaggio as a designer where he helped
establish its aircraft division. In 1930, he
returned to the University of Turin, where he
became Professor of Aeronautical
Construction. ln 1931, one of the founders of
Fiat, Giovanni Agnelli, approached Gabrielli
and asked him to join the Fiat design
department. He agreed initially to split his
time between designing for Fiat and teaching.
This was to begin an association that brought
a new designation to the Fiat company, G,
which was to be associated with some of its
most successful aircraft into the 1970s. His
first aircraft for Fiat was the G.2, a six
passenger three engined monoplane airliner,
which was built in small numbers in 1932.
This was used by the Fiat owned ALl airline in
Italy and VARIG in Brazil, which kept its
single example in service until1946. Agnelli
wisely later based Gabrielli with the CMASA
design team in Pisa to avoid any possible
friction between him and Rosatelli in T urin.
Most of the aircraft he designed in the inter-
war period were built in small numbers, but
his two fighter desig ns were to be among the
best of the war. Although it first flew in 1937,
The Fiat CR.32bis was the close support
fighter ve rsion with two additional machine
guns and the ability to carry a small bomb
load. Alenia Aermacchi
Giuseppe Gabrielli (left) was t utored by the director of the Aeronautical Institute of the RWTH
Aachen University, the great DrTheodore von Karman (right). a Hungarian aerodynamicist who
was later to work on flying wings w ith Jack Northrop. Editofs Collection
the Fiat G.50 will be covered in the Second
World War section of this issue for continuity.
To return to Rosatelli, his next aircraft for
Fiat was the CR.30, which first flew in March
1932 powered by the 600hp Fiat A.30RA
eng ine. In July, two prototypes won the speed
circuit contest at the International Aviation
Meeting at Zurich with a speed of 340kph
(21 1mph) . This performance resulted in an
order for 121 aircraft from the Regia
Aeronautica, two of which were converted
into seaplanes as the CR.30 Idro. A further 55
CR.30s were built for the air forces of Austria,
the Republic of China, Hungary, Paraguay and
the Spanish Nationalists. A sing le example
was also purchased by Venezuela in 1938. The
prototypes were conver ted in to two seat
trainers called the CR.30B, followed by a large
number of the fighters as they were retired.
This work was undertaken by CANSA, as was
the construction of 20 more new build
CR.30Bs. This was followed by a remarkable
aircraft, the Fiat CR.32, a powerful, compact
and very agile biplane fighter that made its
first flight at Turin on April 28, 1933.
The CR.32 was powered by the 600hp Fiat
A.30RA-bis V12 eng ine, which gave it a
maximum speed of 360kph (224mph) which,
when combined with its superb handling,
meant the Regia Aeonautica quickly ordered
the fig hter in quantity, eventually placing
orders for 1080. It was built in four main
variants, the standard CR.32 twin machine
gun armed fighter, the CR.32bis, a close
support fighter with two additional machine
guns and the ability to carry a small bomb
load, the CR.32ter with many detail
improvements, and the CR.32quater, a radio
equipped reduced weight version of which
337 were built for the Regia Aeronautica. The
CR.32 saw operational service in the Spanish
Civil War, some 400 being used by Italian
units in the country with 131 being supplied to
the Spanish Air Force.
The aircraft was the mount of many aces of
the conflict and was able to fight effectively
against faster and more modern monoplane
fighters and bombers. In 1938, Hispano
Aviaci6n acquired a licence from Fiat and built
100 CR.32s, designated the HA-132-L Chir ri.
Some of these were converted to two seat C.1
aerobatic trainers and remained in service
until 1953. Due to the misleading results in
combat in the Spanish Civil War, at the
beginning of the Second World War, the CR.32
equipped two thirds of the Italian fighter
force. These saw action in East and North
Africa, Greece and Crete, but by mid 1941
most had been replaced by more modern
types as they were no longer a match for
modern monoplane fighters.
Aside from Italy and Spain, the CR.32 was
supplied in numbers to the air forces of
Austria, the Republic of China and Hungar y.
Hungarian CR 32s were used against
Yugoslavia in April1941, then against the
Soviet Union from June 1941 onwards. In
addition to these, Paraguay received five
CR 32quaters in 1938, with Venezuela being
supplied with nine the same year, using
them until1943. The replacement for the
CR32, the Fiat CR42, will be covered in the
Second World War section of this magazine, as
will the last bomber desig n by Celestino
Rosatelli for Fiat, the BR 20. In 1936, with
CR 32 production ending, Fiat purchased the
Gabardini factory and airfield at Cameri,
consolidating the Italian aircraft industry
still further and readying the company for
the levels of military orders and mass
production that would soon come as the
outbreak of the Second World War loomed. The Fiat CR.32ter had a number of a erodynamic and structural improvements ove r the original
• Words: Tim Callaway d esign. Alenia Aermacchi

Ale nia Ae rmacchi 35

INTER-WAR YEARS

Officine Ferroviarie
Meridionali and Industrie
Aeronautiche Romeo
- foundation and consolidation
In engineering history, the
name of Alfa Romeo will forever
be associated with some of the
fastest and most elegant cars
ever built. What is less well
known is that the name Romeo
is also associated with railways
and aircraft, a series of
businesses all founded by one
man - Nicola Romeo.

N
icola Romeo was
born on April 28, The first OFM-produced aircraft was the
1876 in Sant'Antimo, Ro.l . a licence-built modified version of
the Fokker CV-E. Edito r's c ollection
the son of a primary
school teacher. His
father was to have a tre mendous
influence on his lile as from an early Automobile Factory holding company to Societa anonima lng
age he ensured Romeo was well- Company) taking over Nicola Romeo e Co Ong Nicola Romeo and Co
versed in mathematics. the directorship and Company) as it was now managing the mining,
He worked his way through overseeing the automobile and railway companies. ln 1920, the
college to obtain a degree in conversion of the ALFA company was renamed Alia Romeo, the
engineering from the Technical factory to produce famous automobile manufacturer of which his
University of Naples in 1899, moving military vehicles, name is most often associated.
Nicola Romeo at an Alfa
to Liege in Belgiwn that year, where weapons and At this time, Romeo was becoming
Romeo car race in 1934. He
he graduated in electrical was to found a wide range equipment for the interested in the possibilities of aviation, having
eng ineering. On his return to Italy he of engineering companies. First World War. seen the success of other companies. To
worked as a representative of Belgian Editor's colle ction In 1918, at the end achieve similar success, by 1923 he considered
industrial machinery companies, of the First World War, the OFM Naples railway factory and its
before founding the first of his own Romeo had bought the whole of the ALFA workforce suitable as an aircraft producer. The
companies - Societa in accomandita semplice company, investing the profits he made back first aircraft contracts were won from Fiat, to
Ing Nicola Romeo e Co Ong Nicola Romeo and into his own company- lng Nicola Romeo and produce aircraft parts, and later the inverted
Co Ltd) - producing h eavy mining equipment Co Ltd. This grew and diversified with the sesquiplane Fiat CR1 fighter under licence, as
in 1905. This was extremely successful, acquisition of three factories producing railway Fiat's factories were fully employed with other
especially in the production of compressed air locomotives and rolling stock: one in Rome, projects. Considering what was to happen later
systems and powered mining tools. one in Saronno and the Officine Ferroviarie in 1969, these Fiat contracts could be seen as a
In 1915, Romeo bought the majority Meridionali (OFM or Southern Railway premonition of things to come.
shareholding of the Anonima Lombarda Workshops) , which was situated in Naples. To A great deal of confusion exists regarding
Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA, the Lombardy reflect this, he changed the name of his the use of the name Industrie Aeronautiche
Romeo OAR) in relation to aircraft production
in Naples. Although this name was used
occasionally, it was not an officially registered
company name until 1934. However, the
aircraft produced in Naples by OFM from
1925 onwards frequently carried the

The Ro.30 was only produced in small

numbers as it was quickly replaced by
the Ro.37. Editor's c ollection
inscription Aeroplani Romeo painted
somewhe re on the airframe. All the aircraft
built by the company were popularly known as
both OFMs and Romeos, but all were g iven
the designation prefix Ro.
In 1925, Romeo began negotiations with
Fokker, in the Netherlands, to build its general
purpose Fokker CV-E two-seat biplane. In 1926,
a Romeo-owned aircraft factory was
established in Pomig liano d'Ar co, a province of
Naples, under the OFM company.
The first completed CV-Es were built by
OFM workers gaining vital experience in the
Dutch Fokker factories late in 1926. These were
modified with an improved undercaniage,
ventral fin and provision for an observer's
machine gun on a flexible mount In this form,
known as the Romeo Ro.1, the first Naples-built
versions rolled out of the new factory in March
1927. Given the nature of Romeo's business
interests, it is unsurprising that the engine was
a 420hp Alfa Romeo Jupiter IV engine, built
under licence from Bristol, in England.
Alfa Romeo was by now establishing a fine
reputation for lightweight and powerful
automobile engines designed by Vittorio Jano,
so producing aircraft engines was a natural
progression for the company within the Romeo
group. However, by 1928, Nicola Romeo had
left the Alfa Romeo automobile company to
concentrate on his other concerns after
financial di.fficulties had caused a division in
the management This was a tremendous first
success for Romeo, with 330 being built, some
of the later aircraft having a third seat provided
between the pilot and observers' cockpits.
In late 1927, an attempt was made to create
a fighter version of the design by reducing the
wingspan from 15.3m to 12.5m. Known as the
Ro.1 ridotto (or reduced), this project
remained as just a prototype. The improved
version of the aircraft, the Ro.1bis, was
powered by a 550hp Piaggio Jupiter VIII, fitted
with a four-bladed propeller, of which 132
were built. The Ro.1s were to remain in
frontline service until 1935, taking part in
operations in Libya between 1924 and 1927,
then again in the Cyrenaica region in 1931,
and finally in the war in Ethiopia in 1935. After
this, the type was steadily withdrawn to
training units, mostly being retired by the
outbreak of war in 1939. With the Ro.1
production line establish ed, OFM turned its
attention to its own first designs.
In response to an Italian Air Ministry
specification for a light training and touring
aircraft, issued in 1928, the company
produced its next aircraft- the Ro.5, a two-
seat parasol-winged monoplane. Almost ever y
Italian aircraft manufacturer entered the
competition, the aircraft being put for ward for
comparative trials in Februar y 1929.
Interestingly, th ere was no clear winner, 10 of
the submitted projects being deemed to have
met the requirement.
The Ro.5 was bought by a number of flying
schools, clubs and private owners, as well as a
batch being supplied to the Regia Aeronautica
which used it as a basic trainer and liaison
aircraft. A wide variety of engines were fitted to
the aircraft, the majority being powered by the
85hp Waiter Vega or the 80hp Fiat A 50 seven-
cylinder radial. It was built in two versions, the
standard open cockpit Ro.5 and the Ro.5bis,
with an enclosur e over the cockpits. This was
developed still further into the Ro.6 with the
addition of the 85hp version of the Fiat engine.
1929 was a busy year for the company; not >-
One of the three Ro.l Os built. a
licensed version of the Fokker
F.VII/3m. Edifo(s collection
INTER-WAR YEARS
only were the Ro.1 and 5 in production, but
OFM then built its second Fokker design
under licence, the Fokker F.VII/3m tri-motor
1Q.seat transpor t aircraft. This was a high-wing
cabin monoplane and one of the most
successful transport aircraft of the period, used
by air forces and airlines across Europe and
the US, setting many distance and speed
records around the world.
Known as the Ro.10, three examples were
built in Naples for the two airlines Avio Linee
Italiane and Ala Littoria, powered by three
215hp Alfa Romeo Lynx seven-cylinder radial
engines. Again, these were licence-built
versions of a British eng ine, the Armstrong
Siddeley Lynx. Also in 1929, OFM chief
designer Alessandro Tonini, who had worked
at Macchi on the flying boat fighter designs,
suffered some serious health problems, so
Romeo hired Giovanni Galasso to work as a
designer at OFM.
Galasso had studied industrial and
mechanical engineering at Turin Technical
University before working at the Direzione
Tecnica deii'Aviazione Militare (The Militar y
Aviation Engineering Directorate, or DTAM)
in T urin. He then moved into industry, joining
first Ansaldo then Fiat, working on the Fiat
AS.1 ligh t aircraft among others.
The Ro.41 was originally designed as a
fighter. this is one of the 28 used in the
Spanish Civil War a s an interceptor in the
p rotec tion of Seville. Editor's collection
The ship-based Ro.43 floatp la ne was a hig h performance a irc raft. b ut its light structure c ould
b e ea sily damaged, particularly d uring winc hing operations. Editor's collection
38 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
In 1930, after only a year, Galasso was
made head of the technical depar tment at
OFM, bring ing a number of his former
colleagues from Turin to Naples to form a
new design team. The first aircraft was the
Ro.25, a trainer built in single- and two-seat
versions. Only the two prototypes were built
in 1930, one of which was a seaplane.
This was followed later the same year by
the Ro.26, a two-seat aerobatic biplane trainer
which was built in small numbers, again as
both a land and seaplane.
In 1932, Galasso developed the Ro.1
reconnaissance biplane design into the three-
seat Ro.30, which made its first flight that
year. Unusually, in this aircraft the pilot was
seated in front of the wings, the obser ver in a
glazed cabin between the wings and the
gunner in an open cockpit behind them. The
Ro.30 was built in two versions, powered by
either the 530hp Alfa Romeo Mercurius (a
licence-built Bristol Mercury IVS.2) or the
Piaggio 126-RC35 Jupiter (a licence-built
Bristol Jupiter) of the same power, both being
nine-cylinder radial engines. Only a few
Ro.30s were built, as it was quickly replaced in
production by the Ro.37. As a side shoot to
their powered aircraft developments, in 1933
OFM also designed and built the Ro.35, a
single-seat glider with a wingspan of 14.5m.
Only one of these was produced, and given
the civilian registration I-AB BB, but little
more is known about it.
To return to the Ro.37 development, this
was to be the major next success for the
company as 294 would eventually be built for
the Regia Aeronautica. Again, designed under
the leadership of Giovanni Galasso, the Ro.37
was a biplane two-seat light bomber and
reconnaissance aircraft intended to replace
the Ro.1 in service.
The prototype made its first flight on
November 6, 1933 and was powered by the
600hp Fiat A.30 V-12 engine. It carried two
The main instrument panel in the pilots'
cockpit of an Ro.37bis. Editor's collection
Breda 7.7mm machine guns mounted in the
nose and a third on a flexible mount in the
rear cockpit. A bomb load of 180kg (3971b)
could be carried either under fuselage racks
or in a ventral magazine for small munitions.
The Ro.37bis replaced the Fiat engine with
the 610hp Piaggio P.IX RC.40, a licence-built
version of the Gnome-Rhone 9K Mistral nine-
cylinder radial. Altogether 325 of this version
of the aircraft were built, both for the Regia
Aeronautica and the air forces of Afghanistan,
Austria, Ecuador, Hungary, Spain and
Uruguay. The largest of these overseas
operators by far was Spain, who used 68 of the
Ro.37bis between 1936 and 1945.
Aside from its use in the Spanish Civil War,
the Ro.37 also saw operational use in the
Second World War with the Regia
Aeronautica, in both Nor th Africa and the
Balkans, but its vulnerability to modern
fighters quickly cur tailed the use of the type,
the last having been withdrawn before Italy
surrendered to the Allies in September 1943.
Although the numbers of Ro.37s built were
impressive, the next Galasso desig n -the
Ro.41 - was to surpass even this, with 743
being built. Originally conceived as an open
cockpit biplane fighter, it was extremely
manoeuvrable but underpowered and
something of an obsolete concept for the time.
The prototype first flew at Capodichino
airfield on June 16, 1934 in the hands of
Niccolo Lana. This was followed by the
second aircraft on Januar y 31, 1935. It was
tested by the Regia Aeronautica, which
ordered 50, the first entering service in J uly.
Powered by the Piaggio P.VII C.45 of 390hp,
the fighter could achieve 320krn/h (200 m ph)
and was armed with a pair of 7.7mm Breda
machine guns. The Ro.41 was used
operationally as a fighter, 28 serving in the
Spanish Civil War as interceptors and as
fighter bombers over Rhodes in the opening
months of the Second World War. They were
also used as nig ht fig hters over Tobruk in
August 1940, but were quickly withdrawn as
more modern types became available.
It was as a trainer that the Ro.41 excelled,
its superb handling proving ideal in that role,
with 30 of the two-seat variant being ordered
in 1937. Eventually, 510 single-seat and 233
two- seat aircraft were to be produced, the
majority serving as trainers.
The Ro.41 proved popular and reliable, so
much so that it was the first aircraft ordered
back into production after the Second World

An unusual formation of five Ro.43s in civilian markings. Flights like this were often made in the
1930s to promote Italy abroad. Editor's collection
War, with Agusta building 12 sing le-seat and 13
two- seat aircraft under licence in 1946, which
were used as military trainers unti11950. The re
was an improved version- the Ro.41bis- with
a larger engine and shor ter wingspan, a single
example of which was produced in 1937, but
such was the performance of the original that
this failed to attract orders.
As production of the Ro.41 began in 1934,
Nicola Romeo significantly changed the
organisation of the company on October 27
by splitting the OFM railway workshop and
the aircraft business, creating, or possibly
just officially recognising the aviation
company as Industrie Aeronautiche Romeo
(IAR), a name which had been in common
usage for some time.
Just after this split, on November 19, 1934,
the first flig ht of the last design produced
under the original management took place.
This was the Ro.43 reconnaissance seaplane,
which had been under developme nt from the
Ro.37 landplane since 1933. It was produced
to a Regia Marina specification of that year for
a catapult-launched reconnaissance aircraft for
use on capital ships.
After comparative trials against other types,
the Ro.43 was ordered into production in 1935,
with more than 200 being built. The Ro.43 was
Observation Group of the Regia
Aeronautica. Editor's collection
powered by a 700hp Piaggio PX R nine-cylinder
radial engine, which gave it a maximum speed
of 300km/ h (186mph), but this performance
came at the cost of a lightweight structure.
This caused structural and seaworthiness
issues, particularly from damage caused when
winching the aircraft back on to its launching
vessel from the water. However, the type was to
remain in service onboard ships until June
1942 taking part in some of the most important
naval actions in the Mediterranean such as the
battles of Calabria in July 1940 and Matapan in
March 1941. After this, the Ro.43 was used as a
coastal patrol aircraft until the armistice in
September 1943.
The company was to ch ange further in
1935 when OFM was sold to Societa Italiana
Ernesto Breda, a company that was founded
in Milan in 1886 to produce railway
equipment, but had diversified, beginning
aircraft production in 1921.
Later, between 1935 and 1936, Romeo also
sold JAR to Breda, which combined the two
compan ies into a single organisation on
October 1, 1936.
Giovanni Glasso remained as head of the
design department of the new company,
which was named Industrie Meccaniche e
Aeronautich e Meridionali (Southern
INTER-WAR YEARS
An early Ro.41 photographed during flight
trials in 1937, flown by Sgt Major Mario Rugi.
Editor's collection
Mechanical and Aviation Industries), often
shortened to Meridionali or IMAM. The
aircraft produced by IMAM will be dealt with
later in this magazine.
Nicola Romeo's industrial successes had
brought him many awards and national
recognition in Italy. Among these, he had been
invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order
of the Crown of Italy on May 24, 1925, and in
1929 he was named a Senator of the Kingdom.
After the sales of his companies he moved
to his home in Magreglio on Lake Como,
where he died on August 15, 1938, aged 62.
The value of Romeo's business and
engineering contributions to European industry
is incalculable, so it is particularly gratifying
that his name lives on today in the excellent
reputation of the Alfa Romeo car company. •
Words: Tim Callaway
INTER-WAR YEARS
Macchi-Nieuport to
Aeronautica Macchi:
Flying boats and light aircraft - a golden age
Although officially still known
as the Societa Anonima
Macchi-Nieuport, the Varese-
based company had, for the
last three years of the First
World War, been doing far
more than just producing
Nieuport designs under
licence. It had been building
its own designs, particularly a
successful range of flying
boats, a line it would continue
into the peacetime years.
T
he last of the Alessandro Tonini
designs for Macchi during the
First World War had been a
landplane fighter, the Macchi
M.14.
He had also worked extensively on
developing the flying boats, but his next
aircraft were a complete change, the M.l6
light sports single seater and the M.20 two-
seat trainer. The M.l6 was a small 6m- (19ft
Sin) span biplane powered by a 30hp Anzani
3Y radial. The fuselage was extremely deep at
the front, accommodating not just the pilot
and the engine, but a pronounced bulge below
The US Navy acquired three Macchi M.16s and used them at trials
40 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
The uniquely bulbous Macchi M.161ight
sports single seater. powered by a 30hp
Anzani 3Y radial. Editor's collection
the wing was also the attachment point for the
main wheels.
The M.20 had an increased span of 8m
(26ft 3in) and was 1.32m (4ft 4in) longer- at
5.75m (18ft 10.5in) - to accommodate the
second cockpit. It was powered by the 45hp
version of the Anzani to lift the greater load,
but was other wise similar in all respects to the
M.16. They were desig ned in response to a
specification issued by the Lega Aerea
Nazionale (National Air League) which sought
light aircraft that were both simple and cheap
to operate and capable of flying from
unprepared strips.
1
I I
I,', '~ ·' ' .. . .. .I
The prototype M.16 first flew in 1919 and
the following year set a new altitude record for
light aircraft of 3770m (12,370 ft) while
competing in the Coppa Mappelli, an event it
won outrig ht in 1921. More than 20 of this
strange-looking machine were built for private
use, despite the availability of cheap war
surplus aircraft - the advertising of the time
described it as the motorcycle of the sky!
Three more were boug ht by the US Navy,
which equipped them with floats and used
them as test and evaluation aircraft as the
M.16idro. The last vers ion, the M.16G, was
fitted with a 40hp ABC Gnat II flat twin engine
to boost performance. The M.20 also first
flew in 1919, being supplied in small numbers
to flying clubs and schools to act as a
basic trainer.
While development of the light civil aircraft
was going on in the Varese factory, the
Macchi seaplane depar tment at Schiranna, on
Lake Varese, was not idle.
Carlo Buzio and his team had achieved
great success with their militar y flying boats,
and with the Swiss charter flying company Ad
Astra Aero interested in conversions of the
M.3 and M.9 as passenger aircraft, they began
to explore the commercial potential of flying
boats in the civil market.
They star ted work on the first of these -
the Macchi M.18 - intending it to have an
enclosed passenger cabin and open cockpit
for the crew. However, the Italian Navy was
looking for new seaplanes to replace its
wartime aircraft, so it was as a three-seat
 INTER-WAR YEARS

bomber that the M.18 first flew in 1920.

With its Warren truss struts and pusher
engine, the sesquiplane design was
recognisable as a development of the earlier
M.9, and was initially powered by a 150hp
Isotta-Fraschini V.4B six-cylinder engine. This
would be replaced in production by the 250hp
Asso 200 from the same manufacturer. The
pilot and observer sat side by side in an open
cockpit, the gunner having his own separate
cockpit ahead of them in the nose.
Aside from the standard bomber and patrol
aircraft, the type was also produced with folding
wings as the M.l8AR to equip the Italian Navy's
seaplane tender Guiseppe Miraglia. Another 20
of these folding wing aircraft were bought by
the Spanish Navy for its seaplane tender
Dedalo. These were used against rebel forces in
Morocco and during the Spanish Civil War, over
Majorca, and on coastal patrols.
The Portuguese Navy also bought eight
M.18ARs in 1928, followed by the Paraguayan
Navy which bought two in 1932, using them in
the Chaco War (between 1932 and 1935)
against Bolivia as reconnaissance and bomber
aircraft- one was destroyed in an accident in These magnificent aircraft will be covered in a M.7 had been delivered to the Italian Navy
1935, the other remai.ned in service until the separate article later in this magazine. While by the war's end, with two more being
mid-1940s. working on the M.16 design, Alessandro bought by Argentina and Sweden and three
Tonini also produced a two-seat by Brazil.
GREAT COMMERCIAL SUCCESS reconnaissance Jandplane powered by the The M.7ter was to be produced in much
Aside from the military variants, some 70 civil 320hp FiatA.12bis six-cylinder engine. The greater numbers, with more than 100 being
aircraft were produced for a variety of charter fuselage resembled the earlier Nieuport built in two versions for the Italian Navy, the
firms such as the Swiss Ad Astra Aero, as well designs, but the wings were developed from standard M.7ter and the M.7terAR, which had
as the Italian Societa Incremento Turistico the Warren truss strut braced units of the folding wings for use aboard the seaplane
Aereo Roma (SITAR) and Societa ltaliana Macchi flying boats. tender Guiseppe Miraglia.
Servizi Aerei (SISA), the latter using them for Known as the M.15, the prototype first By 1924, six Squadriglia of the Italian Navy
pilot training for its Adriatic Sea operations. flew in 1922 and two were built, serving with were equipped with the M.7ter, which were
The civil flying boat was produced in three the 115th Squadriglia from 1922, becoming eventually to be relegated to a training role as
versions: the Economico (Commercial) was the 30th Squadriglia on the establishment of more modern types replaced them. Some
similar to the military three-seat aircraft; the the Regia Aeronautica in March 1923. The civilian flying schools acquired ex-military
Lusso (Luxury) had an enclosed three-seat fate of the two aircraft is uncertain, but there aircraft, using them again as trainers for flying
cabin for VIP transport; and the delightfully are no records of their existence after boat pilots, some as late as 1940. One short-
named Estivo (Summer) had similar January 1925. At the same time as desig ning Jived design that came out of the M. 7ter was
accommodation for three passengers, but the M.15, in 1923 Tonini had completed a the M.26, of 1924, which was intended to
returned to the open cockpit layout. redesig n of the M.7 single-seat fighter flying replace the M.7ter in the recently
The M.18 proved to be a great commercial boat of the First World War. This was known consolidated Italian military air service - the
success for Macchi, and was to begin a line of as the M.7ter, and featured a more efficient Regia Aeronautica. This was a very much
passenger flying boats. Mention must be hull desig n, modified tailplane and a new cleaned-up development, with a 296hp
made at this point of the work that Macchi wi ng structure, which was both lighter and Hispano-Suiza HS 42 V-8 engine g iving the
was putting into racing seaplanes to compete stronger and of slig htly reduced area. M.26 a maximum speed of 244kph (152mph).
in the international Schneider Trophy races. As already noted, only 17 of the original Only two were built, the Regia >-

The Macchi M.18 lusso (luxury) had an e nclosed cabin

three-seat cabin forward of the cockpit. Alenia Aermacchi

•- - . J
INTER-WAR YEARS
The ultimate biplane fighter flying boat. the aerodynamically clean Macchi M.71 of 1930.
Alenia Aermacchi
Aeronautica deciding on an eng ine upgrade to
the M.7ter instead to save money and extend
its service life.
The second prototype was used by the
military flying boat school at Vigna di Valle as
a trainer for a number of years, but it was the
only M.26 bought However, the M.26 is
significant, because it was the first design by a
remarkable engineer, and one of the great
characters of aviation, Mario Castoldi. His full
story will be told in the Schneider Trophy
section of this magazine because those
beautiful racing aircraft are the designs with
which his name is most often associated.
1924 was an impor tant year for another
reason, the company finally ending its
association with Nieuport, becoming simply
Aeronautica Macchi. At the same time as the
M.26 redesign, Castoldi was also working on
the wing design for a new and much larger
flying boat, the twin-engined M.24. In a
The Macchi M.15 was intended as a two-seat
reconnaissance and general purpose aircraft. but only two
were built and the project cancelled. Alenia Aermacchi
reverse of the M.18 story, the M.24 was
intended as a bomber that later was produced
as an airliner.
The first M.24 was a sesquiplane, powered
by two 250hp FiatA.12 engines mounted
between the wings in tandem -one pushing,
one pulling. A large aircraft, with a span of 22m
(72ft 2in), the M.24 had a crew of three -a
pilot, observer and gunner in a similar
arrangement to the M.18, but with the addition
of a second gunner's position aft of the wings
on the upper fuselage for rearward defence.
Aside from the two defensive Vickers 7.7mm
machine guns, the M.24 could carry either
800kg (1874lb) of bombs or a torpedo. Early in
1925, a pair of M.24s set off from Macchi's Lake
Varese factory and flew to Amsterdam,
Copenhagen, Stockholm and Leningrad before
returning, a feat that impressed, firstly, the
Regia Aeronautica and later the Spanish Navy
into ordering the type in numbers.
The Macchi M.41 bis of 1929 was an
incredibly sleek machine for a flying boat.
Alenia Aermacchi
The sesquiplane layout was used on the
Macchi M .24 and the developed version.
the M.24ter. Alenia Aermacchi
TONINI'S SUCCESSOR
The military version of the aircraft was later to
be upgraded with the 510hp Isotta-Fraschini
Asso 500 V-12 engines to become the M.24ter.
In a parallel development, in 1927, the wings
were modified to an equal span layout to
produce the M.24bis, offered in civil and
military versions with either the Isotta-
Fraschini or Lorraine Dietrich engines
as an option.
The civil airliner versions featured an
eight-seat enclosed cabin forward of the
cockpit, which was moved further aft under
the engines. This was used by the Italian
airlines SITAR and SISA in Mediterranean
services and by Aero Espresso on its route
from Brindisi to Constantinople and Athens.
Before the development of the M.24bis ,
Macchi's chief designer Alessandro Tonini
was in poor health. In 1926, he accepted a
post in the design team at Romeo, in Naples,

in the hope that the warmer climate would aid
in his recovery. Mario Castoldi, thoug h a
relative newcomer to the firm, was recognised
for his talents and made technical director as
Tonini's successor.
His work was to continue on the Schneider
Trophy aircraft, but in 1928 he oversaw the
development of two unusual all-metal
prototypes, the M.40 and the M.53.
The M.40 was a two-seat reconnaissance
floatplane, with the crew of pilot and observer
in separate tandem cockpits, and powered by
a 380hp Fiat A 20 V-12 engine in the nose. It
was intended for use by the Italian Navy as a
catapult-launched reconnaissance aircraft to
equip capital ships, but after comparative
trials in 1928 it was not selected for
production.
The M.53 was a single-eng ined, single-seat
floatplane designed in 1927 for a remarkable
purpose. The Italian Navy's submarine Ettore
Fieramosca, then under construction, was to
be fitted with a watertight hangar to enable it
to become a seaplane carrier.
Both Piaggio and Macchi tendered to
provide the seaplane that would fit this
hangar, the twin-float monoplane M.53 being
the result. Powered by an 80hp Blackburn
Cirr us four-cylinder engine, the w.ings on the
M.53 were desig ned to be removed quickly
and easily for stowage in the hangar. The
prototype first flew on October 25, 1928.
However, in 1930, the plan for a submarine
seaplane tender was cancelled, the hangar
being removed from the vessel in 1931. Only a
single M.53 was built as a result. While work
was progressing on these two prototypes, in
1927 the Italian Navy organised a competition
to replace the M.7ter in service. Castoldi
produced an upgraded version of its 1924
M.26 desig n, powered by a 420hp Fiat A20 V-
12 engine and designated the M.41.
Due to budget restrictions, the competition
was eventually abandoned, with only a single
M.41 being built.
In 1929, the need to replace the M.7ter was
resurrected, only this time the specification
called for a fighter bomber. A modified
version of the M.41- the M.41bis - was
proposed, capable of carrying a 60kg bomb
load in addition to its tw.in Vickers 7.7mm
machine gun armament. A total of41 ofthe
new type were built, equipping two
Squadrig lia of the 88th Maritime Fighter
Group between 1930 and 1938, when they
were replaced by the IMAM Ro.44.
Another Government competition was
announced in 1928 by the A.ir Ministry, this
one being to produce a light aircraft to be
used as a basic trainer and tourer by the Reale
Unione Nazionale Aeronautica (RUNA)
national flying schools.
The comparative trials held in February
1929 attracted 10 successful entries, includ.ing
the Macchi M.70. Powered by an 80hp
Blackburn Cirrus II or a Columbo S.53 four-
cylinder engine, the M.70 had a maximum
speed of 155kph (96mph) and was considered
to be a forgiving and delightful a.ircraft to fly. It
was produced in both land plane and floatplane
versions, used by flying schools all over Italy as
a trainer and tourer, as well as in air races such
as the 1930 Circuit of Italy.
In order to facilitate its use by private
owners, the wings could fold to allow easy
storage, and the cockpits were large enough
to allow the wearing of parachutes. These
features made the M.70 popular with
operators and pilots alike, but failed to attract
significant orders, the little aircraft only being
built in small numbers. The last development
of the Macchi single-seat fighter flying boat
line was the M.71 of 1930. This was as a result
of the Italian Navy deciding to equip more of
A Macchi M.C.94, airborne overTrieste harbour.
Italian state airline Ala Littoria used all 12 of the
INTER-WAR YEARS
its ships with catapults to enable them to
carr y reconnaissance and fire-support aircraft.
Macchi began with the M.41bis design and
improved the aerodynamics with a reduction
in external bracing and other modification.
The wings were able to fold in order to
minimise the space the aircraft required
aboard ship, and the structure was
strengthened to take the loads of catapult
launches. Powered by the 420hp Fiat A.20 V-
12 engine, the M.71 could achieve a maximum
speed of 256kph (159mph) and was armed
with the standard pair ofVickers 7.7mm
machine guns. After two prototypes were
built, a production order for 10 M.71s was
placed. These were to serve aboard the
'Alber to da Guissano' class of cruisers, but
also saw use at coastal stations before being
replaced by the IMAM Ro.44.
DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS
In 1933, the A.ir Ministr y was looking to
replace the Savoia-Marchett.i S.78 biplane
reconna.issance and bomber flying boat with a
more modern monoplane design.
Mario Castoldi began work on a ver y
unusual-looking aircraft, the M.77. This was a
pusher, single-engined four-seat monoplane
powered by the 850hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso
750R W-18 eng ine.
The pilot's and observer's cockpits were in
tandem and open, but the two gunners were
provided with a nose and mid-upper turret in
which a single Breda 7.7mm machine gun was
mounted. The bomb load of up to 600kg
(1323lb) was to be carried internally in side
bays in the metal fuselage.
A single prototype was built and first flew
in 1935, but development problems delayed
its acceptance, so the competition was
cancelled and the contract awarded to the
CANT 2.501, which had already flown ,...
aircraft t hat were built. Alenia Aermacchi
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 43
 The almost completely unknown Macchi M.C.99 was
a military patrol and bomber development of the
M.C.94 design with inline engines. Editor's collection

44 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


successfully. With a lack of official interest,
the M.77 project was shelved. The Italian
state-owned airline Ala Littoria had been
formed in 1934 by amalgamating all of the
small companies the n operating, such as SISA
and Societa Aerea Mediterranea (SAM). As a
result, the airline's fleet was made up of many
ageing types, and in 1935 it approached
Macchi to produce a new airliner flying boat
to replace these.
The result was another Castoldi design,
the M.C.94, with the C in the designation
being recognition of Castoldi's work. This was
a high-wing amphibian with two 740hp Wrig ht
Cyclone SGR-1820 radial eng ines in pods
mounted on struts above the wing. The
undercarriage retracted into the leading edge
of the wing, but this was only ever fitted to the
prototype as it caused more problems than
the weight was worth.
The 11 production aircraft were pure flying
boats, with an enclosed cockpit for the crew of
three and a cabin for 12 passengers. After being
displayed at the first international air show in
Milan in October 1935, the first aircraft entered
service with Ala Littoria in 1936, operating over
the Adriatic routes. Three of the aircraft were
sold to the Argentinean airline Corporaci6n
Sudamericana de Servicios Aereos in
December 1938, but several remained in
service in Italy during the Second World War.
The M.C.94 was an impressive performer,
setting a number of records for aircraft in its
class in 1937. These included a h eight record
of 6432m (21,102ft) carrying a 1000kg
(2,200lb) payload, and a speed record of
248.967kph (159.778mph) over a 1000km (620
mile) closed circuit with the same payload.
Interestingly, a single military development of
the M.C.94 was produced - the M.C.99-
intended for use as a maritime patrol aircraft
and bomber, and fitted with inline engines
The Macchi M.70 was a lso produced as the M.70idro floatplane. Alenia Aermacchi
rather than radials. Very little is known about
this aircraft, which did not go into production.
Also in 1935, the Government h ad become
concerned that the aircraft industry in Italy
had become too centralised, too many
factories in too small an area.
To this end, the Government encouraged
the establishment of subsidiary companies.
Macchi was to establish two - Aeronautica
Umbra in 1935 and Aeronautica Sannita in 1939.
These companies are detailed separately here.
With the success of the M.C.94, Castoldi
began work on an expanded version of the
design in 1938, to replace larger aircraft in the
Ala Littoria fleet.
The result was the M .C.100, of similar
layout to the M.C.94 but with a 1.42m (4ft
9.75in) greater wingspan, and three engines
mounted in pods above the wing instead of two.
The eng ines were 800hp Aifa Romeo 126RC
nine-cylinder radials which gave the M.C.100 a
maximum speed of 310kph (193mph).
The two pilots were seated side by side in
an enclosed cockpit, the wireless ope rator
having a separate compartment further
forward in the nose.
INTER-WAR YEARS
Despite only being a little larger than the
earlier twin, the cabin could accommodate
more than twice the number of passengers of
the M.C.94, with 26 passenger seats.
On January 7, 1939, test pilot Colonel
Irenaeus Moretti, assisted by a man we will
hear much more about later in this magazine,
Matio Carestiato, took the M.C.100 on its first
flight from Lake Varese. Flight testing proved
more than satisfactory, and three were ordered
by Ala Littoria, including the prototype.
In May 1940, the M.C.100s began
operating between Rome, Algiers and
Barcelona. With the beginning of the Second
World War, the three aircraft were used as
transports between Italy and Libya until May
1941, when they were used on the route
between Rome and Sardinia. Two were lost in
accide nts, and by July 1943 only the prototype
remained, its fate being unclear. With the war
seen as inevitable, even while the M.C.94 was
being designed, Macchi was to turn its
attention to other types of aircraft, expanding
on its success with the racing seaplanes,
which will be described later. •
Words: Tim Callaway
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 45
INTER-WAR YEARS

The 1920 Rome-

Tokyo record flight
As already recorded in this issue,
the charismatic figure of poet and
writer Gabriele D'Annunzio had
been responsible for initiating the
remarkable leaflet raid on Vienna
during the First World War,
personally taking part in the
flight. He was to lay the
foundation for a second and
equally remarkable flight in a
speech at Rome's Centocelle One of the Ansaldo SVA.9s used on the flight. via Luigino Caliaro
airfield in July 1919.

A
fter the end of the First World one, as he was already well aware of their The complex undertaking would be financed
War, Gabriele D'Annunzio was skills and courage from the wartime mission. by the Italian Government, which made
Honorary Comandante of the D'Annunzio had fully intended taking part in available 20 million Lire, an incredible figure
87ma Squadriglla, the famous the flight along with his pilot from the Vienna for the period. This would finance the
'La Serenissima' unit that had raid, Captain Natale Palli, but neither airman preparation of suppor t airstrips and the
flown the raid on Vienna. In July 1919 the was to do so. Sadly, Palli had frozen to death placement of spares, maintenance personnel
squadron was based at Centocelle airfield in the Alps after crashing at high altitude. By and fuel and oil supplies along the route,
near Rome, when D'Annunzio addressed the September 1919, D'Annunzio was deeply as well as provide for the security of the
pilots and proposed an even longer-ranged embroiled in the seizure of the city of Fiume, landing sites.
undertaking- a flight now Rijeka, in Croatia. He To undertake the flight, the Italian 'Stato
from Rome to Tokyo. His -------=:=::::====:;:::;;;;"! supported the intention that the Maggiore dell'Aeronautica' (staff of the
stated aim for the flight city become part of Italy, due to its airforce) decided to use a fleet made up of 15
was to "promote and population being mostly Italian, aircraft, four multi-engined Caproni bombers
celebrate the name of Italy and led the occupation forces. This and 11 Ansaldo SVA9 two-seat reconnaissance
in that far-off region, and task was to occupy him until machines. The Caproni flight was made up of a
to galvanise the spirits and December 1920, when his single Ca.4 triplane along with a Ca.5 and two
prestige of the numerous independent forces surrendered, Ca.33 biplanes, all of which were three-
brave Italians living around his movement having failed to engined aircraft The original plan called for
the Orient". To this end, he gain international support outside these aircraft to set off first- between January
enlisted the aid of]apanese the city. 8 and February 2, 1920- to be followed later
fellow poet Haruki-Kichi His idea for the long-range by the much faster and longer-ranged Ansaldo
Shimoi to promote the flight was not to falter from his five-ship flight, which would result in all the
flightin Japan and assist absence, however. Once the idea aircraft arriving at Tokyo at the same time.
with organisation there. for the flig ht was widely accepted, Four of the 11 SVA.9s were positioned along
His choice of 87ma support grew rapidly. The Italian the route to act as spares, with two more
Squadriglla was a natural aviation industry demonstrated a SVA.9s flying ahead of the main formation to
keen interest in the mission, act as route-proving and pathfinder aircraft.
judging it an excellent As it was to turn out, the two pathfinder
Hand starting the SVA.9s Lieutenant Arturo Ferrarin opportunity to demonstrate aircraft were the only two crews to make it all
at Seoul. Korea. photographed in the year of his to foreign markets Italian the way to Tokyo. Weather, rough landing
via Luigino Caliaro triumph. 1920. via Luigino Caliaro capabilities and products. strips and mechanical problems took their toll

A letter of greetings carried on the flight from
Rome to Tokyo. via Luigino Caliaro
The four intre pid airmen of the flight during
the celebrations in Tokyo. via Luigino Caliaro
of the aircraft along the arduous route. It must
be remembered that many of the countries and
people the aircraft were flying over had never
seen an aircraft before; this was entirely new
territory for aviation for much of the route with
hitherto unknown conditions and the problems
these could create. To put the flight in
perspective, the epic crossing of the Atlantic by
Alcock and Brown had occurred in June 1919,
only seven months before. The England to
Australia air race of 1919 was still going on,
with only two of the six entries completing the
flig ht, the second taking 206 days to cover the
distance. The fact the Rome to Tokyo flight was
attempted at all in 1920, let alone successfully
carried out, is testament to the courage and
indomitable spirit of these Italian pioneers.
The two pathfinder SVA.9s were crewed by
Lieutenant Arturo Ferrarin with his mechanic
Gino Cappannini, and Lieutenant Guido
Masiero and mechanic Roberto Maretto. They
left Centocelle airfield in Rome on Februar y
14, 1920, the intention being to fly the following
route: Centocelle - Gioia del Colle- Valona -
Thessaloniki - lzmir - Aydin - Antalya - Aleppo
-Baghdad- Basrah - Bushehr- Bandar Abbas
- Chah Bahar- Hyderabad- Karachi - Delhi-
Allahabad -Calcutta- Rangoon - Bangkok-
Ubon - Hanoi - Canton - Foochow - Shanghai
- T singtao- Peking - Mukden- Sinuiju- Seoul
- Taegu - Osaka- Tokyo.
Problems did not set in for tl1e two aircraft
until Delhi, whe n Ferrarin made a hard
landing because he had arrived after dark.
While his aircraft was being repaired, Masiero
took off for Calcutta but suffered an eng ine
failure on take-off, destroying the SVA.9
without injury to the crew. Once his aircraft
was repaired, Ferrarin flew on to Calcutta,
while Masiero and Maretto we re forced to
continue there by train. Later, between Hanoi
and Canton, the aircraft were forced to land in
A p eriod map of the route taken by the flight from Rome to Tokyo. via Luigino Caliaro
Portuguese Macao to wait for the weather to
clear. Whe n it came time to leave Canton, the
rough airstrip had suffe red from heavy
flooding, causing Masiero to crash on take-off,
again without injury. With no spare aircraft in
Canton, Masiero and Mar etto were forced to
travel to Shangh ai by boat to pick up another
of the pre-positioned spare machines.
After arriving in Foochow, Ferrarin was
delayed by seven days while he and Cappannini
waited for a typhoon to pass, tl1en delayed a
further week on being reunited with Masiero
and Maretto in Shanghai as the Chinese had
organised a seven-day celebration of their
arrival. This delay was repeated in Tsing Tao for
four days, as the Japanese, who held the city as a
mandate from the T reaty of Versailles, also laid
on a huge celebration, and withheld the fuel for
the next leg of the flight to ensure their guests
attended. After skirting yet another typhoon, a
further seven days of celebrations on arrival in
Peking caused yet anothe r delay before the
aircraft were allowed to continue. The perils of
pioneer aviation were not all obvious ones!
INTER-WAR YEARS
The huge Caproni Ca.4 triplane bomber.
one of which started the flight with the
bomber formation. Edifo(s collection
The two aircraft left Osaka at 10.00 on May
31, 1920, landing at the Yoyogi Army Field at
Tokyo at 13.30, successfully completing a
remarkable voyage. If the celebrations at their
interim stops were impressive, this was
nothing compared to what awaited the intrepid
aviators in Japan. A huge crowd awaited their
arrival, and the Emperor ordered no less than
42 days of celebrations to mark the event. For
completing all the flying stages between Rome
and Tokyo, Ferrarin was awarded the title of
Samurai, a singular honour.
The success of the raid represented a great
triumph for both the Italian Air Force and the
aeronautical industry. The two small biplanes
flew for a total of 112 h ours, covering
18,000km (11,185 miles) at an average speed
of 160km/ h (99.5mph) . As a particularly
fitting tribute, in the early 1970s the Italian
national airline Alitalia named its second
Boeing 747 airliner Arturo Ferrarin, the first
being named Neil Armstrong, a pioneer of a
similarly difficult and dangerous fligh t. •
Words: Luigino Caliaro and Tim Callaway
Ale n ia Ae rmacchi 47
INTER-WAR YEARS

The Ansaldo A.l bis Balilla had a

long career despite its shortcomings
as a fighter. Alenia Aermacchi

-fighters and Fiat '~==;;;;;;.,___.., TheA.300/6had

a complete
Like the other companies at the end of the First World War , the reduction in internal red esign.
Editor's collection
military order s caused many problems for the Ansaldo company and the P errone
family as they attempted to revert to peacetime production. A financial crisis with
its bank in 1919 added to this, but two aircraft designs were to save the company
from failure - one a wartime product, the other produced soon after.

T
he first of the two aircraft, strictly
speaking, belongs in the First
World War section, but appears
here, the majority of its service
history having taken place after
the end of the conflict.
The aircraft was the Ansaldo A1 Balilla,
designed by Umberto Savoia, Rodolfo
Verduzio and Giuseppe Brezzi, the first two of
whom had been responsible for the highly
successful Ansaldo SVA series.
Brezzi began to revise the SVA5 design in
an attempt to produce a successful fighter,
something the SVA had never really been.
The lower wing was increased in span and
chord, and the interplane struts revised to
give greater stiffness to the wings. One
interesting feature was the addition of a
jettisonable main fuel tank to reduce the risk
of fire. On activating a lever in the cockpit, the
tank was dropped through a hatch in the
bottom of the fuselage.
The prototype was finished in July 1917
and delivered to the Grosseto airfield for
testing. Problems led to extensive testing and
modification work, including the enlargement
of the wings and rudder, so it was not until
December that the type was accepted.
The modified aircraft - known as the
A1bis- was sent to the 91st Squadriglia for
service trials. These revealed the type was not
as manoeuvrable or easy to fly as the fighters
then in service, but was faster.
Production did not begin until July 1918,
with 100 being ordered and supplied to the
70th, 74th, 241st and 404th Squadriglia, where
they were mostly used for local air defence
rather than front line missions.
Despite its lacklustre performance, 200
A1s were delivered by the war's end, 47 of
which remained in service with training
squadrons after the conflict.

48 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


ANSALDO A.300 VARIANTS
A.300 - -
prototypes and test aircraft
A.300/2 - initial production version
ordered by Italy. 70 built
under licence in Poland
A.300/3- three-seat reconnaissance
version. about 90 built for
Italy. Spain. Belgium. Russia
and Poland
A.300/4- definitive production
version. 700 built from 1923.
mostly for Italy. with 30
exported to Poland and a
small number to Turkey
A.300/5- prototype with a French
450hp Lorraine 1 2 engine.
not adopted
A.300/6- a major internal redesign
of the A.300/4. improving
performance with a
lighter structure
A.300C - prototype airliner with a
four-seater cabin filling the
interplane space
A.300T - prototype civilian version.
only one built
A.400 - prototype of upgraded
version abandoned after
the Fiat takeover
An early A.300. one of the most
produced but little-known aircraft
of the period. Alenia Aermacchi
An Ansaldo A.1 bis restored to pristine condition by the Gruppo Amici Velivoli Storici (GAVS) in
Turin. Alenia Aermacchi
In 1919, a Polish Army commission under
General Katkovski visited the Ansaldo works
in Turin -they were touring Europe to source
equipment for use in their war against the Red
Army in the Ukraine.
Ten A.1bis were ordered, arriving in
Warsaw in January 1920, followed by an
additional 25 ordered later that year.
Agreement was reached for the Lublin factory
in Poland to produce 100 of the A.1bis under
licence, but by 1925 only 57 aircraft had been
built and production was terminated after a
number of accidents were caused by
structural failure.
By 1927, the A.1bis had been replaced by
the French SPAD 51CL The aircraft was also
supplied to the other side in this conflict, the
Red Army ordering 30, of which only 18 were
delivered in April1922.
The aircraft were ordered and supplied
without weapons, the intention being to fit
Russian guns and synchronisation equipment.
These would not fit the aircraft, so kits were
ordered which meant the Soviet A.1bis were
not armed until 1926, by which time there
were only 12 left. They began operations as
unarmed reconnaissance machines in the
INTER-WAR YEARS
Kharkov region, their entire ser vice life being
spent in the Black Sea area until they were
retired in mid-1928.
One other country in the region bought
the type - Latvia, which ordered 13 in 1921.
These remained in service until the early
1930s when a lack of spar e parts forced their
withdrawal. Prior to this, in 1919, six aircraft
were used on a tour of North America in an
attempt to further sales, with four more flying
as a specially marked aerobatic team in a tour
of South America, but only one aircraft was
bought by the Mexican Air Force in 1920.
The development of the SVA and A.1 also
led to the one of the most produced aircraft
of the period, the Ansaldo A.300, which first
flew in early 1919. Unlike the A.1, the A.300
was easy to fly and manoeuvrable, powered
by a 230hp FiatA.12bis V12 engine which
gave it a maximum speed of 300kph
(186mph) . Orig inally intended as a two-seat
light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft,
around 850 were to be built between 1920
and 1929, serving in a variety of air forces in
these roles and as a fighter, transport and
trainer. The A.300 was built in nine models,
as listed here. >-
The A.300T c ivil transport. only one of
which was built. Alenia Aermacchi
INTER-WAR YEARS

An AC.2 on display in the superb Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle -
a must see for any aviation enthusiast. Constance Redgrave

The A.300/ 4 became the backbone of the
newly formed Regia Aeronautica's
reconnaissance force, operating throughout
Italy and seeing operational service in Libya
and Eritrea. A.300s were built for Spain,
Belgium, Turkey and Poland, with between 15
and 20 A.300/3s delivered to the Red Army
Air Force in Russia.
In 1922, Ansaldo began building the AC.2,
followed in 1924 by the AC.3, which were
licence-built versions of the French Oewotine
0.1 and 0.9 fighters.
The first AC.1 was a direct copy of the 0.1
design, which was used as a basis to produce
the slightly smaller AC.2 derivative. This was
a single-seat parasol-winged fighter powered
by a 300hp Hispano-Suiza HS 42 V8 engine -
112 were built and delivered to the Regia
Aeronautica in 1925. A s ingle AC.4 was built
after this, powered by the 410hp FiatA.20
eng ine, but was not developed.
Oewotine then developed the 0.9, powered
by a 420hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter IV nine-
cylinder radial, which was not taken up in
France, but 150 were built by Ansaldo as the
AC.3. These were to remain in service with
Regia Aeronautica in the ground attack role
until1938. Utilising the Oewotine designs,
Ansaldo began developing a two-seat version of
the parasol fighter - the A.115, with a modified
wing. Two versions were built- the A.115 and
A.115bis- but were not put into production. In
1925, two prototypes of an improved design-
the A.120 and the A.120bis- were flight-tested,
using the Lorraine 120b and the Fiat A.20A
engines, respectively.
However, in 1926, Ansaldo's aviation
interests were sold to Fiat, which renamed the
company Aeronautica d'Italia and used the
factory as part of its aircraft division. Fiat Avio
concentrated on the production of its excellent
aero eng ines.
Under the new manageme nt, the A.120
Ady was produced, powered by a 550hp Fiat
A.22T Altogether, 57 were built, mostly for
the Regia Aeronautica, but two were sold to
Austria and a further 12 to Lithuania, which
used the aircraft until1940.
An upgraded version of the aircraft, with a
new radiator and an improved rear cockpit, was
known as the A.120R, six of which were built for
Austria. Altogether, 77 A.120s were built, and
they were the last aircraft to carry the Ansaldo
name. • Words: Titn Callaway

The Ansaldo A.l20 Ady was the last type to carry

the manufacturer's name. Editor's collection

50 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


The Ro.44 was a single-seat
ftoatplane fighter. Editor's collection
Industrie Meccaniche e
Aeronautiche Meridionali - IMAM
In 1935 and 1936, the aviation intere sts of the Romeo
holding company - OFM and IAR - had been sold to
Societa Italiana Ernesto Breda, more commonly known
simply as Breda. These two companies were consolidated
in October 1936 into the Industrie Meccaniche e
Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM), but continued
producing aircraft with the original Ro designation prefix.
A
fter the takeover by Breda,
Giovanni Galasso remained as
the head of the design
department in Naples, and
continued developing the
aircraft he had formerly produced for Romeo.
The first of these was the IMAM Ro.45, a
developed version of the two-seat Ro.37
reconnaissance biplane with an 820hp Isotta
Fraschini Asso XI.RC40 engine. This first flew
on December 10, 1935 and had a maximum
speed of 350kph (218mph), only 20kph faster
than the Ro.37, which was not seen as a
significant performance increase so it
remained a prototype only.
The second desig n was also modified from
an existing type; the Ro.44 single-seat
floatplane fighter being developed from the
Ro.43 two-seat catapult launched seaplane.
The Ro.44 was intended to equip the capital
ships of the Italian Navy, acting as a catapult-
launched fighter to operate against spotter or
reconnaissance aircraft at sea. The design
itself was essentially an Ro.43 with the rear
cockpit removed, the fin and rudder modified,
and a pair of Breda 12.7mm machine guns
fitted in the nose. As such, it suffered from all
the structural damage problems that beset its
larger brethren, being an extremely ~,;,;;;;;....._ _ _--; The first prototype of the Ro.Sl .
lightweight air frame to achieve the required
performance.
Test pilot Nicolo Lana first flew the
prototype in October 1936, with 51 being
ordered by the Air Ministry to equip the 88th
Maritime Fig hter Group. This order was later
reduced to 35 aircraft which were produced in to be lacking. The small fin and rudder
two batches, starting in February 1937. Only
161 Squadriglia was using the Ro.44 when the
Second World War star ted, the aircraft taki ng
part in strafing missions over Crete and in
patrols over the Aegean Sea. They were
quickly relegated to seaplane training schools
as their relative fragility and maximum speed
of only 316kph (196mph) made them
vulnerable to more modern fighters.
In 1936, Giovanni Galasso began work on his
first monoplane desig n - another fighter
aircraft, the IMAM Ro.51. This was in
response to an Air Minis try requirement of
that year for a new fighter for the Regia
Aeronautica, which included monoplane in the
specification for the first time.
The initial prototype had a fixed
undercarriage and first flew in 1937, powered
by an 828hp Fiat A.74 14 cylinder radial
engine that gave it a maximum speed of
INTER-WAR YEARS
with the sma ll fin and rudder and
fixed undercarriage. Editor's
489kph (304mph) . In comparative trials
against the excellent Fiat G.50 and Macchi
C.200, the Ro.5l's performance was found
were also found to give the aircraft a lack
of directional stability so the prototype was
returned to the company for modification.
A second prototype, the Ro.51/ 1 was
produced with a retractable undercarriage,
but by this time the shortcomings of the
design were obvious. In an attempt to replace
their own Ro.44 Iloatplane fighter with a more
modern type, the second prototype was
modified to have a single central float with
wingtip outriggers. However, during trials
on Lake Bracciano, the left wing float
collapsed, dragging the aircraft into the water
where it sank.
With so many other successful designs
competing for the fighter competition,
the Ro.51 was abandoned, the company
moving on to more advanced desig ns that
would come to fruition during the Second
World War. • Words: Tim Callaway
Ale n ia Ae rmacchi 51
INTER-WAR YEARS

e Great ce
The Schneider Trophy

The Schneider Trophy was

designed by E Garbard and
represents the Spirit of Flight
kissing the waves. Trounce

When Jacques Schneider announced his proposal for an international seaplane competition to be
called the Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider, he could have had little idea of what he was
starting. The competition was aimed at stimulating growth and development in civil aviation, and was
the seaplane equivalent of the Gordon Bennett Cup for landplanes. Although the races themselves
became more about speed than technical innovation, Schneider was to fire the competitive spirits of
many countries with his contest, which would produce some astounding aircraft.

J
acques Schneider was the son of a
French industrialist and armaments
manufacturer who had become a
successful financier and
businessman. He was also a keen
balloonist and had set several records in the
pursuit of his interest. On witnessing the
demonstration flights of Wilbur Wrig ht at Le
Mans in 1908, he became equally interested in
heavier than air flight, supporting
competitions and record breaking flights
since a serious accident prevented him from
continuing flying himself. In 1912, Schneider
was a race referee at the Monaco meeting,
and noticed that seaplanes were far behind
land planes in development. His own
experience with hydroplane aviation had led
him to believe that seaplanes were the key to
the future of commercial aviation, as they
could reach any major city with a por t, river
or harbour without the expense of
constructing airfields.
He decided to organise an international
competition to encourage development of this
form of aircraft, announcing the details at the
Aeroclub de France on December 5, 1912.
The competition rules s tated the participants
had to fly at least 280km (174 miles) over a
triangular course, a tremendous distance at
the time and a real test of reliability. They
would also have to successfully complete a
two and a half mile waterborne navigation
test. In the 1921 competition, the flying course
was increased to 350km (217 miles) with only
one take off allowed. After that year the
entries also had to moor on the water without
a crew for six hours, before flying the course
with the weight of whatever water had leaked
aboard. In 1928, given the incredible
challenge to aircraft desig ners the
competition represented, it was decided to
hold the contest every two years to give more
time for development.
The prize would be 25,000 gold francs
along with a beautiful trophy of the same
value. Any country winning the event three
times within five years would win the trophy
outright for their national aero club. The
competition would be refereed by the
Federation Aeronautique Internationale
(FAI) and the aero club of the host nation.
Finally, the winning nation would host the
following year's contest. The Schneider
Trophy as it came to be known soon became
one of the most prestigious events in
aviation, attracting entries from major
companies around the world.

52 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 INTER-WAR YEARS

French pilot Maurice Prevost won the 1913 event

in a Deperdussin seaplane at an average speed
of 73.56kph (45.71 mph). Edito(s collection

A Macchi M.12 was entered into the 1920 race. but suffered engine
problems. Edito(s collection

EARLY RACES
The first contest was held on April16, 1913, and consisted of 28 laps of
a 10km (6.2 mile) course at Monaco. It was won by French pilot
Maurice Prevost in a Deperdussin seaplane at an average speed of
73.56kph (45.71mph) . There were only three other entrants, none of
whom finished the entire course. Englishman Howard Pixton won the
second contest on April20, 1914, again at Monaco, flying a Sopwith
Schneider at an average speed of 139.74kph (86.83mph).
The First World War meant that the contest was not run again until
September 10, 1919, at Bournemouth in England. Here, 10 laps were
flown of a 37km (23 mile) course, or at least that was the idea. Poor
organisation and heavy coastal fog played havoc with the entrants, the The Macchi M.19 was intended to enter the 1920 race but a hull
Supermarine Sea Lion of Vincent Nicholl sinking after colliding with a redesign meant it did not compete until 1921 . Edito(s collection
floating object in the fog. Only one aircraft completed 10 laps, the
Savoia S.13 of Sergeant Guido J annello of Italy who recorded an
average speed of 176.66kph (109.77mph) . However, judges decreed
thatjannello did not pass one of the markers, so he was disqualified,
but because of the conditions and Jannello's superb effort, Italy was to
host the 1920 race at Venice.

ENTERTHE MACCHIS
The 1920 Schneider Trophy was held between September 19 and 21,
with the flying section of the contest taking place over 10 laps of a
37.5km (23.3 mile) course like the earlier British event. The French Giovanni di Briganti flew a Macchi M.7bis to victory in the 1921
entered a single Nieuport-Delage NiD.29G, the Italians entered aircraft contest. Edito(s collection
from two manufacturers. The first were a pair from Savoia, an S-12bis
and an S-19, the former, flown by Luigi Bologna, winning the contest at
an average speed of 172.6kph (107.2mph). The other was the first
Macchi aircraft entered in the event, an
M.12. As already mentioned, the M.12
was a three seat flying boat bomber
built for the Italian Navy. The
fuselage was wider than previous
Macchi designs, and tapered back
INTER-WAR YEARS
into a twin boom rear fuselage, each with a
single fin, supporting the tailplane that ran
between them.
Powered by a 450hp Ansaldo 4.£.28, the
M.12 had a maximum speed of 190kph
(118mph) which would have been sufficient to
win, but the aircraft failed to complete the
course due to engine problems. What made
this particular race more interesting was the
addition of a new rule. In order to better meet
Jacques Schneider's original ambition of
promoting the development of passenger
seaplanes, all the entries were required to
carry 300kg (660lb) of ballast to represent the
weight of passengers.
The Italian designs being flying boats
rather than floatplanes could carry this with
ease, but the French entry, which was
essentially a fighter on floats, had more
difficulty in loading the weight. In the event,
the French entry did not fly, leaving the field
clear for an Italian victory.
The fact that the 1920 race was to be held
in Italy had spurred Macchi to design new
seaplanes for the competition, as the
international stage the event represented was
seen as an ideal opportunity to advertise its
aircraft. The new ballast rule also favoured the
firm's flying boat approach so it had begun
The two Macchi M.33s were powered by used Curtiss D-12 engines
from the 1923 race. which proved unreliable but Giovanni de Briganti
managed to place third. Alenia Aermacchi
54 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
work on Alessandro Tonini's Macchi M.19,
designed for the 1920 contest. After testing, a
hull and rudder redesign necessitated by the
powerful torque force from the engine meant
it had not been ready to take part. It was
finished in time for the 1921 event, again at
Venice, but by the time the contest was
announced the weight rule had been relaxed
as it was seen as too limiting.
There were two new r ules introduced in
1921, the already mentioned six hour
mooring requirement and a 5000 franc entry
fee to discourage unrealistic entries. The
M.19 joined a field of four Macchi aircraft, the
other three being a pair of Macchi M.7bis's
and an M.18. Two Savoia aircraft, the S.21
and S.22 were also entered, and a French
Nieuport-Delage NiD-29SHV completed the
field. The race took place between August 6
and 7, 1921, and was flown over 16laps of a
24.6km (15.28 miles) course. The Macchi
M.19 was a single seat s ingle engined flying
boat with a 650hp Fiat A.14 V12 engine
mounted in the upper wing.
The tremendous power of this engine had
already proved to be a double edged sword,
and so it proved to be in the contest. On lap
12, the crankshaft broke , fracturing the fuel
line and setting the aircraft on fire, pilot
The Macchi M.39 of 1926 was powered by the 31.4 litre Fiat AS.2 V12
engine. Ale nia Ae rmacchi
Arturo Zanetti managing a safe landing on the
water. Piero Corgnolino in a Macchi M.7bis
also was forced to retire on his last lap, but
the second aircraft flown by Giovanni di
Briganti successfully completed the course at
an impressive speed of 189.66kph
(117.85mph). With only one more victory the
trophy would permanently belong to Italy.
The 1922 competition was held on August
10 to 12 in Naples, and flown over 13 laps of a
28.5km (17.7 mile) course. This saw the entry
of another new aircraft from Macchi, the
M.17. Again an Alessandro Tonini design, the
single seat M.l7 resembled a modified M.7
with a 260hp Isotta-Fraschini V6 mounted as a
pusher in the centre section of the top wing.
Two M.l7s were built, flown in the contest by
Piero Corgnolino and Arturo Zanetti who
finished in fourth and third position
respectively, Zanetti achieving a speed of
213.63kph (132. 75mph).
Savoia had entered the S.51, an extremely
streamlined design which was flown to second
place by Alessandro Passaleva but was beaten
by only by 5kph (3.1mph) by Captain Henr y
Biard in the British Supermarine Sea Lion 11
who achieved 234.51kph (145.72mph).

With the British victory, the 1923 competition
was held at Cowes on the Isle of Wig ht over
September 27 and 28. The course laid out was
much longer at 68.9 km (42.9 miles) , over
which five laps had to be flown. With fewer
turns to be flown, this course favoured straight
line speed. Italy did not furnish an entr y in this
year, developing a longer term approach to the
competition by developing completely new
aircraft. The British and French entries were
outclassed by a new contender, the United
States, who entered a pair of Curtiss CR-3
biplane floatplanes. Lieutenant David
Rittenhouse of the US Navy won comfortably
at a speed of 285.29kph (177.27mph), his team
mate, Lieutenant Rutledge Irvine, coming a
clear second. The appearance of these highly
specialised racing aircraft was to change the
nature of the event, which was to become
more about speed than any other factor from
this point on. This meant that the concentrated
developments associated with the event also
changed, with more emphasis being placed on
the most aerodynamically efficient air frame
and the most powerful yet reliable eng ines.
The load lifting and commercial aspects of the
orig inal intent were subsumed by the quest for
sheer performance.
Note must be made of the 1924 event, as
France, Italy and Britain were unable to
complete their new aircraft in time. Instead of
taking a cer tain and easy victory, the US
sportingly declared the contest void for that
year, preferring to postpone the competition
to between October 23 and 26, 1925.
NEW APPROACHES
For the 1925 competition, Macchi designed a
brand new aircraft, the M.33, a departure
from the former biplane designs. The sleek
hulled fuselage tapered into an elegant
rearward swept fin that supported the
tailplane. The monoplane wing was mounted
on the top of the hull, low to the water so
requiring only shor t support struts to the
outrigger floats. The engine was mounted in a
INTER-WAR YEARS
pod on struts above the forward edge of the
centre section, below which the cockpit was
positioned at the centre of gravity and lift,
reducing the stresses on the pilot. The engine
proved to be the M.33's undoing. The entire
effort to enter the race was privately financed
by Macchi, little support was forthcoming
from the Italian Ministry of Aviation which
was limited by its available budget.
There was also a shortage of lightweight
and powerful racing engines in Italy, which Arturo Ferrarin in the cockpit of one of the
meant the two M.33s built were powered by training M.39s with the longer wing.
used Curtiss D-12 eng ines from the 1923 race. Alenia Ae rmacchi
These were supplied by the US through the
Ministry of Aviation, the only contribution it
could make. Although their rated power was
507hp, these proved unreliable and were fitted
with old fashioned flat plate radiators instead
of the conformal surface radiators of the
newer eng ines. T he problems of high drag
and unreliable low power were added to with
the discovery of wing flutter on the M.33 at
high speed. At Chesapeake Bay, a course of
50km (31 miles) had been laid out, the
competitors needing to complete seven laps.
The first M.33, flown by Riccardo Morselli, Handling the racing seaplanes called for
suffered engine ignition problems, and was d edicated groundcrew, as these men
unable to compete. The second aircraft was recover Arturo Fe rrarin's Macchi M.39.
flown by Giovanni de Briganti, managed to Alenia Ae rma cc hi
place third at an average speed of 271.08kph
(168.44mph) . He achieved this even after
making an error on the course which cost him
time, and never using full power to conserve
his engine and prevent flutter. Second was
Britain's Huber t Broad in the Gloster Ill, but
the contest was won by Lieutenant James
Doolittle at an average speed of 374.28kph
(232.57mph) in the Curtiss R3C-2 floatplane.
One more victory and the trophy would be
retained by the Americans.
Most importantly this was to be the last
biplane to win at the event. Supermarine had
entered the S.4, and despite crashing during
testing, pilot Henry Biard being rescued, it This view of the Macc hi M.39 clearly shows
was obviously the shape of things to come for the conformal radiators b uilt into the upper
the development of the Schneider aircraft. surface of the wing. Alenia Aerma cchi
INTER-WAR YEARS

One of the three Macchi M.52 on its launching dolly. Alenia Aermacchi Fine tuning the Macchi M.52s j ust prior to the 1927 Venice race.
Alenia Aermacchi

A shot of the
Macchi M.52 in
flight showing the
swept wing. Alenia
Aermacchi

engine, the failure of which caused all three to retire from

the 1927 race. Alenia Aermacchi

The Macchi M.52 of 1927 had a shorter slightly swept wing and was The Fiat AS.3 engine of a Macchi M.52 undergoes servicing on the
lighter than the M.39. Alenia Aermacchi dockside. Alenia Aermacchi

CASTOLDI REPONDS
Though the Macchi M.33 had proved
disappointing, there were many valuable
lessons learned from the aircraft which
would not be wasted. The charis matic Mario
Castoldi had visited the race in 1925 and had
studied the entries with his engineers eye.
As a result, on his return to Italy he began
work on the next Macchi racing desig n, the
M.39. This was as much a leap forward over
the M.33 as that aircraft was over the M.7, it
was a monoplane with minimum external
braci ng, with a close cowled nose mounted
engine and twin floats. The radiato rs were
flush to the wing surface and the floats had
two tasks in addition to floatation; they
contained the fuel ta nks and also produced
unequal amounts of buoyancy to help
overcome the massive torque forces of the
engine on take off.
As the course required only left turns, the
left wing was slightly longer than the right, to
facilitate tight left turns and again help
overcome the torque forces. To power the
M.39, Castoldi formed a close working
relationship with engine desig ner Tranquillo
Zerbi, a collaboration that was to last for many
years, despite the fact that Zerbi worked for
Macchi's rival company Fiat. Zerbi designed
the 31.4 litre Fiat AS.2 V12 engine to meet
Castoldi's needs, which produced a
tremendous 800hp. Small, lightweight and
superbly streamlined, the M.39 design was
completed in April1926 and five were built in
two versions. The first two were trainers,
which had a longer wing and derated 600hp
version of the engine to ease pilots into the
tricky handling of this thoroughbred, test pilot
Romeo Sartori making the first flig ht on
August 30.
On September 21, Vittorio Centurione was
making his first flight in the M.39 from Lake
Varese when he crashed, sinking into the
lake. Centurione's place in the team was taken
by Arturo Ferrarin, the man who had lead the
Rome to Tokyo flig ht in 1920, despite him
having no prior experience on seaplanes. He
was joined by two other pilots new to the
event, Adriano Bacula and Mario de Bernardi.
The race took place over seven laps of a 50km
(31 miles) course at Hampton Roads in
Virginia on November 12 and 13. This was a
competition between the US and Italy, the new
British aircraft still being under development
and not ready for the race.
The American entries were based on the
winning airframes of the previous year, re-
engined and upg raded versions of the Curtiss
biplane designs, now known as the R3C-3 and
R3C-4. Considering the quantum leap in
propulsion and aerodynamics invested in the
M.39, these were to prove insufficient to the
t:1sk. Arturo Ferrarin suffered a burst coolant
pipe on the fourth lap, forcing his retirement.
Adriano Bacula completed the course at an
average speed of 350.846kph (218.006mph),

56 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


The 1929 Macchi M.67
a lso featured a three
bladed propeller.
Alenia Aermacchi
only to see the Curtiss R3C-2 of Christian
Schilt beat J ames Doolittle's record of the
previous year and go 22kph (13mph) faster.
Mario de Bernardi took to the course in
Macchi M.39 MM76, and was forced to climb
during his run to cool his overheating engine.
Nevertheless, de Bernardi went faster still,
comfortably winning the 1926 event at an
average speed of396.69kph (246.49mph). The
Macchi team had won in a year they absolutely
had too, or the trophy would have been won
outright by the US. One wonderful piece of
company legend is that the team celebrated that
night with oysters and Italian wine, the wine
having been smuggled into the country in one
of the spare float's fuel tanks, as prohibition was
still in force in the United States.
With some of the overheating problems
addressed, de Bernardi took to the air over
Hampton Roads on last time on November 17,
again in MM76, and set a new world speed
record of 416.618kph (258.874mph) over a 3km
(1.9 mile) course, in front of international judges
from the FAI. This was a tremendous success,
and raised the hopes for the 1927 contest
ENGINE PROBLEMS
The 1927 Schneider race returned to Venice,
scheduled for September 25 and 26. This left
the Macchi and Fiat design teams very little
time to solve all the problems of the M.39 and
AS.2 engine to produce another winning
aircraft. With budgets tight, despite more
government interest in the event, the Macchi
M.52 for 1927 was very much a modified M.39.
The Fiat AS.3 had an increased displacement
of 34.6 litres, but was the same height as the
AS.2, achieved by shortening the connecting
rods and using new mateiials to keep the
weight and size within limits. The additional
200hp this engine produced was achieved at a
weight gain of only 15kg (33lb) over the earlier
type. Castoldi meanwhile had worked wonders
on the M.39 airframe, shortening and
sweeping the wing and managing to shave
60kg (132lb) off the take off weight despite the
heavier engine. Three Macchi M.52s were
built, all entered in the event which again was
flown over seven laps of a 50km (31 miles)
course. 1l1e event had become one of national
piide by this time, but the support and
expectations of the public and governments
were a double edged sword, and the team
found itself in the g lare of a media spotlight.
The Ameiican entry of the specially
prepared Kirkham WiUiams racer was not
completed in time, so again, the contest was a
two horse race. The British entry of two
Supermarine S.5s and a Gloster IVB were
supported by a Gloster IVA and Short
Crusader as the reserve aircraft These had full
government support through the formation of
the RAF's High Speed Flight and two years to
prepare and test prior to the race. Massive
publicity and such facilities as reduced rail
fares meant that on the day nearly 250,000
spectators were present, so the pressure on the
Italian team was unimaginable.
lNTER-WARYEARS
The three banks of six cylinders of the lsotta-
Fraschini Asso 1000 W18 engine gave the
nose of the Macchi M.67 a distinctive shape.
Ale nia Ae rmacchi
As it turned out, the short development
time of the engine was to cause all three of the
M.52s to fail to complete the course. Arturo
Ferrarin was forced to land off his first lap
with engine problems, Mario de Bernardi off
his second. Poor Frederico Guazetti
fr ustratingly made a good showing before
being forced out on the very last lap. The
Supermarine S.5 of Sidney Webster won with
an average speed of 453.28kph (281.66mph) .
This was a disaster for the Italians, especially
on their h ome g round, and arguments flared
as eng ine and air frame manufacturers
defended themselves against some ver y unfair
criticism.
The new Under Secretary for Aviation,
Italo Balbo, formed the Reparto Alta Velocita
(RAV or High Speed Unit) of the Regia
Aeronautica to take responsibility for future
events away from the manufacturers, and the
arguments finally ceased. From the
controversy and publicity surrounding this
event, several beneficial effects were to
emerge. Firstly, the performance of the
racing seaplanes had at last outstripped that
of land planes, boosting both the interest in
and prestige of the competition. Secondly, the
Schneide r T rophy would be held every two
years from this point on to allow teams a
more realistic time to prepare. Sadly, the
main reason for this was that in 1928, Jacques
Schneider died, so the event was cancelled.
His dream did not, as the race would
continue. His wish to develop seaplanes and
Two of the Macchi M.52s
on the launching vessel
at the 1927 Venice race.
INTER-WAR YEARS
flying boats had been realised, perhaps not in
the way he imagined, but the contribution his
races made to the development of aviation
cannot be underestimated.
THE M.52R AND M.67
To demonstrate the true abilities of the M.52,
on November 4, 1927, Mario de Bernardi set a
new world speed record of 479.3kph
(297.8mph) over a 3km (1.9 mile) course at
Venice. He bettered this on March 30, 1928,
flying a modified aircraft known as the M.52R.
becoming the first person to exceed 500kph
(300mph) with a new record of 512.776kph
(318.624mph). The M.52R had smaller, more
streamlined floats and other aerodynamic
improvements, as well as being further
reduced in weight. Encouraged by these
successes, Castoldi returned to the drawing
board to produce the Macchi M.67, which
returned to the straight wing layout of the
M.39, but included all the lessons from the
M.52 and M.52R. The forward fuselage was
the major change to the structure,
strengthened and modified to take the three
banks of six cylinders of the Isotta-Fraschini
Asso 1000 W18 engine.
This was a 57.26 litre engine that produced
1798hp, fitted with a three bladed propeller to
absorb the power. Fitting it into the fuselage
in an aerodynamically efficient manner was to
tax Castoldi's design skills, but what emerged
was surpris ingly elegant. To assist with
controlling the massive torque forces of this
powerplant, the fuel carried in the floats was
split unevenly between them. This meant that
the take off swing was reduced but did mean
that once airborne, the roll trim required to
correct the asymmetric weight was
considerable.
There were considerable technical
problems with the Asso 1000 engine, fires,
smoke and even explosions were not
uncommon. The first of three M.67s built
made its first flight on July 10, 1929, but
tragedy was to occur only a month later.
Captain Giuseppe Motta was making a high
speed trial during which he reached 583kph
(362mph) when the aircraft suddenly
departed from controlled flight and crashed
into Lake Garda where the test programme
was being conducted. Captain Motta was
killed and the M.67 was destroyed, with only a
month to go before the race.
The Italian government contacted the
Royal Aero Club, hosts of the 1929 event, and
requested a delay to allow the technical
difficulties to be overcome with the engines
and aircraft, but this was declined as the
organisation and facilities were all in place. It
is worth noting that while the involvement of
the Italian government and the Regia
Aeronautica had positive effects, there was
also a downside. This was the decision to
begin development of four separate seaplane
concepts for the 1929 contest. This can be
seen as a desire to spread the risk across a
number of possible aircraft, then being able to
pick the most promising from a range of
designs. There is also an argu ment that
industry pressed for this decision, a number
of companies wanting to represent their
country in the prestige event, which some saw
as an unfair Macchi monopoly. What the
decision actually achieved was to dilute the
engineering effort and defocus the attention
being paid to making a viable race entry.
Other than the Macchl M.67 there were
three other aircraft being developed for the
1929 event. The first of these was one of the
strangest aircraft ever proposed for the
contest, the Piaggio-Pegna Pc.7. This had dual
propulsion and no floats, sitting wing deep in
the water when afloat. The 1000hp Isotta
Fraschini AS.S engine powered two propulsion
systems through clutched gearboxes. The
pilot would engage a water propeller under the
tailplane to accelerate, a pair of sharply angled
hydroplanes lifting the nose. As the correct
speed was reached for the air propeller to clear
the water, a clutch engaged it, disengaging the
water propeller at the same time. The aircraft
then accelerated to take off, because it was so
clean and free of floats it was estimated to be
capable of extremely high speed.
RAV pilot Warrant Officer Tomasso Dal
Molin tested the aircraft on Lake Garda in 1929.
The clutches never worked satisfactorily and
the Pc. 7 never actually managed to become
airborne, in fact several pilots refused to fly it.
Plans to build a second aircraft were abandoned
in 1930. Also under development was the Savoia
S.65, a twin engined design. This was powered
by two 1000hp Isotta Fraschini Asso 750
eng ines mounted at either end of the central
fuselage, one pulling, one pushing, with the
tailplane mounted on twin booms that led back
A Macchi M.67 flies past the massive crowd on t he south coast of
England. Alenia Aermacchi
from the wings. The pilot sat between the two
engines over the wing centre section.
The S.65 was not selected to take part in
the race due to mechanical problems, then
during testing at Lake Garda in 1930, the
aircraft crashed, killing Tomasso Dal Molin.
Lastly, Fiat had decided it no longer wished to
just build the engines for the Schneider
Trophy races, so it produced the Fiat C.29.
This was designed by Celestino Rosatelli to be
as light as possible and was powered by the
1050hp Fiat AS.5 V12 engine. The aircraft
revealed some highly unstable characteristics
on the water during testing under RAV
commander Mario Bernasconi. TI1e floats
were modified with the step being moved, but
this first C.29 was lost when landing on Lake
Garda on June 12, 1929. Fortunately the pilot,
Fransesco Agello, was rescued unhurt from
this incident.
The second aircraft was built with a larger
tailplane and modified floats to improve its
stability, but testing showed the aircraft to be
slower than expected. On August 12 on its
third attempt to take off on a demonstration
flight, it sank, Agello, the pilot, again
managing to escape. A third C.29 was built on
the orders of Italo Balbo, as a spare aircraft for
the 1929 race team. It was taken to the UK
without being flown, and took no part in the
competition. Today it is on display in the
Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle on
Lake Bracciano.
ENGINE PROBLEMS AGAIN
With the other three aircraft being unready
or unsuitable for the competition, the Italian
1929 team was equipped with the two
remaining M.67s and the M.52R from the
previous year. A great many questions still
remained about the Asso 1000 engine, a Jack
of confidence in the powerplant being
underlined by Italo Balbo's announcement
that the team was only going to England as "a
gesture of chivalrous sportsmanship". Mario
Castoldi was typically more forthright,
claiming the W18 engine exhibited more
donkey power than horsepower. He had
never wanted the underdeveloped and under
tested Asso 1000 engine in the first place, the
choice being forced by the Air Ministry
which had divided engine development in the
same way it had the aircraft.
The race was held on September 6 and 7
at RAF Calshot on the Solent, near
Ports mouth. Again it was flown over the
now standard seven laps of a 50km (31
miles) course, this time a trapezoid rather
than the more common triangle. Like the
previous year, the event was a two horse
race between Britain and Italy. The three
French aircraft were not ready in time, nor
was th e American Mercury NR-1E.
Germany had expressed an interest, but this
had not progressed beyond a model.
The British entry matched the Italian team
rather well, consisting as it did of two of the
new Supermarine S.6s along with the previous
year's S.5. The superb weather attracted
hundreds of thousands of people to the south
coast to witness the spectacle, the area of
Southsea beach being filled with spectators as
far as Calshot Castle. Some estimates say over
one million people watched the race, such was
the new prestige of the contest.
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 59
INTER-WAR YEARS
The secret to the stability a nd performa nce of
the Macchi MC.72. the contra-rotating
p ropellers. Alenia Aermacchi
The M.67s did not fare well in the race,
due exclusively to the engines. Lieutenant
Remo Cadringher made a high speed start,
completing one lap at a speed of 457kph
(284mph). During this, his cockpit filled with
smoke and fumes, so he landed as he was
unable to see the course or fly safely as it
was difficult to breathe. The second aircraft
was flown by Lieutenant Giovanni Monti,
who completed the first lap at 485.5kph
(301.7mph) before his radiator burst, the
steam and hot water scalding him badly on
the legs, arms and shoulders. Monti landed
immediately and was rushed to hospital to be
treated for his painful burns. That left the
older M.52R, being flown by Warrant Officer
Tomasso Dal Molin who made a tremendous
effort, completing the course at an average
speed of 457.38kph (284.203mph). This was
sufficient for second place, the event being
won by Richard Waghorn in the Supermarine
S.6 at 528.89kph (328.64mph).
THE LAST RACE
The Royal Aero Club announced that the 1931
competition would be held on September 12
and 13, again based at RAF Calshot and flown
60 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
Warrant Officer Francesco Agello is given a hero's
welcome by the other members of the RAV after
his record breaking flight. Alenia Aermacchi
over seven laps of a 50krn (31 miles) course,
this time a new triangular one. Castoldi began
work on what was to be the last of his racing
seaplanes, the Macchi MC.72. Unlike the
multiple designs of the 1929 contest, the Air
Ministry asked Macchi to produce the only
Italian entry for 1931, and gave Castoldi
permission to select his own engine.
Despite the friction between the two
companies at director level, Castoldi re-
established contact with Fiat's engine
designer Tranquillo Zerbi and they began
collaborating again on the new aircraft. The
aircraft was conventional enough for the time,
being a twin-float monoplane with conformal
oil and water radiators on the wings, fuselage
and floats. It was Zerbi's engine and the way
Castoldi designed the majority of the fuselage
around it that was unusual. The new aircraft
needed at least 2300hp, preferably 2800, with
the minimum of frontal area. Zerbi's most
powerful engine up to then was the 1000hp
Fiat AS.5 V12 of 1929, which was used as the
starting point of the development. The new
engine began as a pair of AS.5s mounted in
tandem driving two contra-rotating propellers.
The rear engine drove the front propeller via a
Tuning and readying the
MC.72 for the world speed
record attempt in 1933 a t Lake
Garda . Alenia Aermacchi
_ -?
("-
reduction gearbox, the front engine driving
the rear propeller via a tubular shaft through
which the shaft from the rear engine passed.
A supercharger mounted aft of the engines
boosted the fuel/air mixture into a manifold
that ran centrally between the cylinder banks
of both engines. In this manner, Zerbi
constructed what was in effect a 50.25 litre
V24 engine of only 930kg (2050lb), which was
given the designation AS.6 and had 3100hp.
At a stroke, the new engine had cured the
one major handling problem of racing
seaplanes, the reaction to the torque forces
produced by the propellers. With a contra-
rotating unit, there were no torque forces to
be overcome. Castoldi's slim and elegant
MC.72 design first flew with the AS.6 engine
in July 1931, a thorough test programme
beginning at the RAV soon after. Sadly, during
a test flig ht on August 2 in which the MC.72
reached over 600kph (375mph) for the first
time, Lieutenant Giovanni Monti was killed in
a crash. Altogether, five MC.72s were built
with two purposes in mind, the first being to
win the Schneider Trophy, the second being
to set a new world speed record.
The first ambition was thwarted by gas flow
and backfiring engine problems which kept the
MC.72 out of the 1931 race. A second MC.72
was lost in test flying on September 10 just
before the race, Flying Officer Stanislao Bellini
being killed when the aircraft exploded in mid-
air. Since the French Bernard, Dewotine and
Nieuport aircraft were not ready either, and
neither the Americans nor Germans produced
an entry, this meant the British team was
unopposed. The British government had
withdrawn support to the competition, but a
donation of £100,000 from Lady Lucy Houston
enabled Supermarine to field the S.6B.
An estimated half a million people flocked
to the south coast to see John Booth man
complete the course at an average speed of
547.31kph (340.09mph). The third win in a
row won the trophy outright for Britain, albeit
unopposed, for which the British were harshly
criticised internationally. However, the
escalating costs in both lives and financial
terms made the end of the competition
something of a relief to all concerned.
Governments were becoming more interested
in landplane developments in aviation as the
political situation in Europe became
increasingly polarised.
The second ambition for the MC.72, to
capture the world speed record, became a
personal interest of the new leader of the
Italian Government, Benito Mussolini. He
provided state funds in order to keep the
programme going even after the last
Schneider contest. Fiat continued to work on
the engine, consulting British fuel and gas
flow expert Air Commodore Rod Banks to
solve the backfiring problems once and for all.
On AprillO, 1933, Warrant Officer Francesco
Agello flew three passes over a measured
course at Lake Garda to achieve a speed of
682kph (424mph), a new world record, but it
was considered the MC.72 could become the
first to break 700kph (430mph). On October
23, 1934, Agello flew the improved aircraft
over the same course to record an average
speed of709.202kph (440.678mph) .
This was to remain the world speed record
for all aircraft until1939. Most fittingly, as a
tribute to all the effort put into the Schneider
Trophy, it remains a world speed record for
piston engined seaplanes to this day. While it
is untrue to say the racing seaplanes directly
led to the development of aircraft like the
Spitfire and C.202, like RJ Mitchell, his rival
in Britain, Castoldi was to learn a great deal
about practical high speed aerodynamics and
aircraft design from the races which was to,
again like Mitchell, influence his designs for
fighters in the Second World War. •
Words Tim Callaway
SECOND WORLD WAR

The Second
World War
Aeronautica Macchi -
fighters, fighters, fighters
Although this section deals with those aircraft that were prevalent in Regia Aeronautica service
the Second World War, the story of several of them begins back in the 1930s. The Italian Government
realised that another European war was inevitable and that the aircraft it had in service were obsolete
in comparison with those of other countries. New fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft were
needed, so in the late 1930s competitions were organised to produce them.

M
acchi's chief designer, Mario
Castoldi, had learned a great
deal about high-speed
aerodynamics and aircraft
from producing racing
seaplanes for the Schneider Trophy. This
experience was to shape the entire wartime
output of Macchi, which, as in the First World
War, was to produce nearly a quarter of all
combat aircraft produced in Italy, all of them
fighters. On February 10, 1936, the Air
Ministry began a modernisation programme
with a specification for a new monoplane
fighter. This called for a speed in excess of
500kph (310mph), a climb rate of at least
6000m (19,685ft) in less than five minutes, an
endurance to exceed two hours and, oddly, an
armament of one 12.7mm machine gun.
Although the armament was later to be
increased to two 12.7mm machine guns, a
lack of firepower was to be the Achilles heel of
Italian Second World War fighters.
This drawback was further compounded
by the choice of engine - in 1932, after various
failures of inline engine designs, the Air
Ministry had directed all of the
manufacturers to concentrate on radial engine
designs. Quite why it did this is an argument
that would fill a book on its own, but the result
was to hamper the development of the next
generation of fig hters by limiting the available
horsepower. At Fiat, the brilliant engine
designer Tranquillo Zerbi had been joined by
Antonio Fessia to produce the A.74 14-
cylinder radial engine, based on the Pratt and
Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp. This became the
engine of choice for the fighter competition as
it was light and reliable. However, it only
produced 858hp at sea level.
Designer Mario Castoldi with the C.200 prototype in May 1938. Note the A rare view into the production line of C.202s under construction.
sliding canopy and clear rear fairing to the cockpit. Alenia Aermacchi Alenia Aermacchi

FIGHTER COMPETITION wing to alter the section, flight testing the tanks for long-range escort missions.
Given these limitations, the five aircraft that aircraft until a satisfactory tapered profile was The C.200 was, like the Hawker Hurricane,
competed for the contract were of surprising found, the changes mostly being made to the an odd mix of tl1e old and the new, its complex
quality. As mentioned earlier, development leading edge. construction initially slowing production as it
problems with the Aeronautica Umbra AUT.18 was a steep learning curve for the factory
and IMAM Ro.51 were to discount them at an OPEN COCKPITS workforces. Two problems that were never
early stage, and the Reggiane Re.2000 was This new wing went into production and the satisfactorily solved were the lack of armour
considered unsuitable. This left two aircraft in C.200, now named Saetta or Thunderbolt, plate and armament. Some late production
the competition - the Fiat G.50 and the became the best fighter in Italian ser vice as a C.200s were fitted with the wing from its
Macchi C.200. The C.200 won the comparative result. Althoug h designed with an enclosed replacement, the C.202, with a pair of 7.7mm
trials held at Guidonia airfield in June 1938, cockpit, pilots did not like this feature as the Breda machine guns, but the added weight
but the G.50 was easier to build and slightly fighter was not fitted with a radio, the normal reduced the performance.
more manoeuvrable, so both were ordered hand signals being difficult to do under a In August 1941, four Squadriglia of 51
into production as it was realised the G.50 canopy. The cockpit was redesigned with side C.200s were sent to the southern Russian
could be in ser vice sooner. Macchi received windows but an open top. Later production Front in suppor t of Italian ground forces.
an order for 99 of the new fighter shortly after aircraft did have radios fitted, but the noise in These were to remain in combat until Januar y
this, the first aircraft being built in J une 1939, the open cockpit made them difficult to use. A 18, 1943, when the units returned to Italy.
with SAl Ambrosini at Passignano sui total of 397 C.200s were built by Macchi, with Here, the cold of the open cockpits was a real
Trasimeno and Breda in Milan also producing 556 by Breda and 223 by SAl Ambrosini. limitation, but the C.200s acquitted themselves
C.200s under licence. These 1176 fig hters served mostly in Greece, well against the Russian air force, claiming 88
The prototype of the C.200 had first North Africa and the Mediter ranean, victories in the 17 months of their deployment.
fl own on December 24, 1937, piloted by par ticularly over Malta, althoug h 4 Stormo However, the introduction of newer Russian
Giuseppe Burei, from Lonate Pozzolo also took part in operations over Yugoslavia in fighters proved the C.200 was too limited in
airfield near Varese. The Fiat eng ine gave April1941. As their usefulness as a fighter performance, an experience being repeated in
the C.200 a maximum speed of 504kph diminished in the face of improving other theatres. As early as January 1938, the
(313mph) and an excellent climb rate of 15.3 opposition, the C.200 found a new lease of life Air Ministry had asked Macchi to produce a
metres per second (3030ft per minute) . as a fighter bomber, the C.200CB being able replacement, the result being the C.201 witl1
From the star t, the aircraft proved to be a to carry 320kg (710lb) of bombs, or two drop simplified structure to ease production and
superb handling machine at all speeds.
Castoldi had incorporated a novel flap
system into the C.200, in which the aile rons
d rooped as the flaps were lowered, giving
the aircraft excellent slow speed- and short
fi eld-performance.
Ingeniously, the left wing was 21cm (8.5in)
longer than the right, to counteract the torque
from the engine. However, fur ther flig ht trials
were to reveal one serious flaw. As the pilot
tightened a turn, the C.200 had a tendency to
flick, usually hard to the right to inverted,
often entering a violent flat spin as a result.
This flaw cost the lives of two pilots flying the
early version of the fighter. Production was
halted for investigations, the culprit being
discovered in the narrow, hig h-speed constant
section profile of the wing. Sergio Stefanutti,
the chief designer at licence builder SAl
Ambrosini, was conversant with the research
findings of NACA in the US and
Messerschmitt in Germany, and knew that
variable profiling was the solution to such
unwanted aerodynamic effects. He simply
stuck shaped sheets of plywood to a C.200

Ale nia Aermacchi 63

SECOND WORLD WAR
A fully restored C .200 at the Aermacchi factory. This aircraft is now on d isplay at the USAF
Museum at Dayton, Ohio. Alenia Aermacchi
intended for the 1000hp Fiat A.76 engine. The
prototype flew on August 10, 1940, but due to
problems with the development of the A. 76,
was powered by the A. 74. The cancellation of
the A.76 programme also led to the
cancellation of the e .201.
One other update was proposed, by Breda,
powered by a 1180hp Piaggio P.XIX radial
engine. In tests, this only proved to be 31kph
(19mph) faster than the standard e .200, so it
was dropped. The e.200 soldiered on to the
end of the war, several operating after the
armistice at the Fighter School of the eo-
Belligerent Air Force in 1944. The National
Republican Air Force, based in northern Italy,
also had a few e.200s, but by 1944 a lack of
spares forced its withdrawal from both forces.
During the Second World War, the e.200 flew
more operational missions than any other type
in Italian service. It was a real workhorse,
remaining in production for more than the
initially intended year, only because of
production problems with the engine for its
replacement, the e.202. Late-production
e.200s were often built with e .202 parts- its
production being held up - just to keep
fighters flowing to the front line units.
ENTER THE C.202
The development of the replacement of the
e.200, the Macchi e.202, began on May 9,
1939, when the Italian Air Ministry signed a
licence production agreement with Daimler-
Benz for state-owned Alfa Romeo to produce
the DB601A and B as the RA.1000 Re.41. This
agreement was tacit acknowledgement that
the earlier decision to concentrate only on
A late model C.200 in factory-fresh finish, with
the open cockpit and opening side windows
for ease of access. Alenia Aermacchi
64 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
radial eng ines in Italy was incorrect. Aside
from technical data and drawings, 15 complete
engines were supplied to Italy, these being
split between Alfa Romeo, Reggiane, Fiat and
Macchi. Mario eastoldi took the new eng ine,
and in Januar y 1940 redesigned a new
fuselage around it, to which were added the
wings and tailplane of the e .200.
Only seven months later, on August 10,
1940, the prototype e.202 took to the air for
the first time, piloted by the great test pilot
Guido earestiato. Imme diately, it became
obvious that this new aircraft was equal in
performance to any fighter then flying, with
the excellent manoeuvrability of the e.200,
but with a maximum speed of 600kph
(373mph) . Immediate production orders
followed the testing at Guidonia, such was the
enthusiasm of the report. Altogether, Macchi
produced 390 e .202s, deliveries beginning in
May 1941, with the first of 649 of the fighter
from Breda appearing in July that year. SAl
Ambrosini was only to build 67 e.202s as it
was busy with e.200 production and
converted to the new type later.
The e.202 addressed many of the
problems of the e.200, its enclosed cockpit
being fitted with a reliable radio, larger self-
sealing fuel tanks in the wings and fuselage
gave an increase in range to 765km (475
miles) and armour plate was fitted as
standard. Although the armament was
increased in the Serie VII production batch
with the addition of two 7.7mm Breda
machine guns mounted in the wings, the
additional weight of these meant they were
seldom fitted, as the small-calibre machine
p roduc tion batch, Serie Ill, with the w ing-
mounted MG151 cannon and cylindrical oil
coolers under the nose. Alenia Aermacchi
The prototype C .202 first flew on August 10,
1940, piloted by the great test pilot Guido
Carestiato, seen here with the aircraft.
Alenia Aermacchi
gun was ineffective against the modern
armoured aircraft they encountered. Pilots
preferred to keep the high roll rate and stick
with the pair of nose-mounted 12.7mm
machine guns. Aside from the lack of
armament, the only other problem with the
e.202 was in its unreliable oxygen system, a
failure that is though t to have caused a
number of accidents.
INTO SERVICE
Named Folgore, another word for
Thunderbolt, it was first used over Malta in
September 1941. A number of variants were
produced, and these are listed separately. In
May 1942, a small number of e.202s were sent
to Russia to bolster the e .200 units operating
there, but were withdrawn in January 1943
after limited success. In North Africa, e.202s
proved superior to the Hurricane and P-40 and
an equal match for the Spitfire Mk.V. After a
long campaign, the Italians withdrew to
T unisia, where many aircraft were destroyed
on the ground by fighter bomber attacks on
May 8, 1943. The surviving C.202 units were
increasingly forced onto the defensive,
intercepting the massive bombing raids that
ranged over Italy, and after the Allied invasion
of Sicily on July 10, 1943, were further harried
on the ground by attacks on their airfields. By
the time of the Armistice in September, only
around 100 e.202s were still serviceable.
The eo-Belligerent Air Force used e.202s
on escor t missions after the Armistice, but
only over the Balkans, avoiding the terrible
situation where Italian pilots may have been
forced to fight one another. Some were also
The second Orione prototype, the C .205N/2
with the two wing-mounted 20mm MG151
cannon. Alenia Aermacchi

used by the National Republican Air Force
and by the Luftwaffe, who employed them as
instructor trainers at Orange in France and at
Garz on the Baltic coast. The Macchi and
Breda factories were heavily bombed by four
groups of B-17s in a raid on Milan and Varese
on April 30, 1944, effectively ending the
production forced by the German occupation
of northern Italy. Prior to this, in] anuary, 16
of the aircraft produced by Breda had been
supplied to Croatia, which used them to
intercept Allied raids crossing its territory.
These were followed by a further s ix C.202s
and four of its replacement, the C.205, all of
which did not last long in service due to
massive Allied air superiority. Many of the
C.202s fig hting with the Co-Belligerent Air
Force were to remain in service with the
newly formed postwar Aeronautica Militare
Italiana until 1948.
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER
The last fighter produced by Macchi in the
Second World War was the C.205, named
Veltro or Greyhound. This development came
about because of an agreement in 1941 for
Fiat to produce the 1475hp Daimler-Benz
DB605A under licence as the RA.1050 RC.58,
which Fiat needed for its G.55 fighter
prog ramme. A sing le C.202 was fitted with the
new engine and flown on April19, 1942, again
by the redoubtable Carestiato, achieving a
maximum speed of 640kph (400mph). Initially
known as the C.202bis, this aircraft was
redesignated the C.205V and 1200 were
ordered as it was clearly equal to any of the
current Allied fighters, but production was
limited by the availability of the engines.
The C.205V was armed with the two
12.7mm and two 7.7mm machine guns of
earlier variants, but after the first production
batch of 100 aircraft, the wing-mounted
machine guns were replaced by two Mauser
MG 151 20mm cannon, so at last the Macchi
fighter had the firepower it required. The
cannons had been intended from the star t, but
delivery problems had delayed its
introduction, some of the early aircraft being
retrofitted with them in the field. The C.205V
was only meant to be an interim measure
while the real production variant, the C.205N
Orione, was under development. This had a
much-modified longer fuselage with a
redesigned cockpit and the wing was
increased in both span and area to improve
high-altitude performance.
Armed with a single 20mm cannon firing
through the propeller hub and four 12.7mm
The orig inal C.205N Orione prototype with the
extended wing. modified fuselage and four
nose-mounted 12.7mm Bredo machine guns
with a 20mm cannon firing through the
propeller hub. Alenia Aermacchi
A side view of a Mocchi C.202 Folgore of 356• Squodriglio, 1• Gruppo. Keith DraycoH
machine guns, two in the cowling as before
and two above the wing roots, the prototype
made its first flight on November 1, 1942. The
second prototype, the C.205N/2, differed in
having two wing-mounted 20mm cannon
replacing the two fuselage-mounted machine
guns, and first flew on May 19, 1943. The
increase in weight poorly affected the
C.205Ns performance, so the rival Fiat G.55
was chosen for mass production and only the
two prototypes were produced before the
Armistice. Macchi did begin work on a
lightweight prototype with a larger wing
called the C.206, but this was destroyed in the
bombing raid that ended all production.
Altogether, Macchi produced 264 C.205s,
including the four prototypes, the first
entering service in February 1943, operating
in support of supply flig hts to T unisia.
These aircraft were to fight in the defence
of Italy up to the Armistice, when only 66 of
the 177 delivered were still airworthy. Six of
these were used by the eo-Belligerent Air
Force, and 29 by the National Republican Air
Force, as well as a few of the aircraft produced
after that time. These were also used as
interceptors by II.]G 77 of the Luftwaffe,
before all of the Veltros were replaced by Bf
109s after the April1944 bombing of the
factories ended production and the availability
of spare parts. As previously mentioned, four
C.205Vs were also supplied to Croatia, two of
them being lost in action on June 30, 1944.
The C.202 and 205 story has an interesting
ending.
In 1948, the Royal Egyptian Air Force
ordered 42 C.205s, 31 of which were actually
C.202s with the DB.605 eng ine. They were to
serve in Egypt until 1951, taking part in the
first Arab-Israeli war, and ending its
operational career over the same desert they
had begun it, seven years earlier. Perhaps the
best testament to Macchi's Second World War
fighter came from Captain Eric 'Winkle'
Brown, the commander of the Captured
Another Serie Ill C.202, but in the now
standard mottled desert scheme.
Alenia Aermacchi
SECOND WORLD WAR
Enemy Aircraft Flight and a superb and highly
experienced test pilot. He said: "One of the
finest aircraft I ever flew was the Macchi
C.205. Oh, beautiful." •
Words Tim Callaway
MACCHI C.202 VARIANTS
C.202 - Standard fighter- with or
without two 7.7mm Bredo machine
guns in the wings.
C.202AS -With sand filters for use in
North Africa.
C.202CB -With underwing hardpoints
for bombs or drop tanks for use as a
fighter bomber.
C.202EC - Five a ircraft for trials with
two 20mm cannons in underwing
pods. Severely affected performance.
C.202RF - Photo reconnaissance
version with fuselage-mounted
cameras. very few built.
C.202D - Experimental prototype with
radiator moved forwards under the
nose.
C.202 AR.4 - One aircraft modified as
a controller for radio controlled flying
bombs. a project similar to the
German Mistel concept, but little is
known.
C.202bis - Modified with the DB605
engine to become the prototype
C.205V. Aside from 261 production
205Vs. Aeronautica Sannita modified
around 25 C.202s to C.205V standard
after the Armistice.
A C.202 from the Serie Ill production botch of
140 built by Macchi b etween June 1941 and
April 1942. Note the cutouts in the headrest
sides to improve the p ilots rearward view.
Alenia Aermacchi
Ale nia Aermacchi 65
SECOND WORLD WAR
Fiat
Bombers, fighters
and transports
As already mentioned, the Italian Air Ministry was seeking
new aircraft for the Regia Aeronautica, organising
competitions to generate the best designs. Fiat in Turin
was one of the first winners of these new contracts,
producing the BR.20 bomber, but this was to be
followed by two new fighters and a large three
engined transport.
T
he last bomber design by
Celestino Rosatelli for Fiat was
the BR.20 Cicogna or Stork. This
twin engined twin finned
monoplane was one of the most
modern bombers of its day when it first
appeared. The BR.20 first flew on February
19, 1936, in Turin and was a response to a
1934 requirement for a new medium bomber
for the Regia Aeronautica. Powered by a pair
of 1000hp Fiat A 80 RC 41 18 cylinder two row
radial engines, the BR.20 was capable of
430kph (270mph) , an impressive performance
that won the bomber competition. The first of
the 233 standard BR.20s built entered service
in late 1936 and were followed by a pair of
specially stripped down BR.20As built for the
1937 Istres to Damascus Air Race, in which
they finished sixth and seventh. The sole
BR.20L was a long range version built for
record breaking flig hts. It flew from Rome to
Addis Ababa nonstop at an average speed of
390kph (240mph) in 1939. In
February 1940, an improved
bomber version, the
BR.20M began to enter
service, with 264 being
built in total.
THE BR.20 AROUND THE WORLD
The first BR.20s to see action were the 13 sent
to Spain in 1937 with the Aviazione
Legionaria. Only four of these aircraft were
lost in two years of fighting the Spanish Civil
War, the remaining nine were handed over to
the Spanish Air Force at the end of the war. ln
February 1938, the f1rst of 82 BR.20s were
delivered to the Japanese Army Air Service
and took part in bombing raids against
Chinese cities in late 1938 and early 1939. By
September 1939, the Japanese had begun
replacing the BR.20s in service with the
Mitsubishi Ki-21.
During the Second World War, the BR.20
was to operate over France and Great Britain,
taking part in the Battle of Britain during
October and November 1940. They were used
in North Africa, over Malta and in Albania, the
Balkans and Greece. Least known is their use
in Russia, where a small number were sent to
support Italian Army units fighting on the
Eastern Front between August 1942 and
April1943. The BR.20bis was a redesign of
the bomber in an attempt to improve its
operational performance. This was powered
by a pair of 1250hp Fiat A82 RC42 engines
and the airframe was aerodynamically cleaned
up. Armament was also improved, and the
Regia Aeronautica ordered 98 in March 1943.
By July, only 15 had been built when
production was halted due to the heavy Allied
bombing of the Turin factory.
ROSATELLI'S FIGHTER
The success of the Fiat CR.32 in ser vice meant
that Celestino Rosatelli's proposal for an
upgraded version powered by the 840hp Fiat
A74 engine was accepted with alacrity. The
CR.42 Falco was the last fighter designed by
Rosatelli, its clean and efficient airframe able
The long range BR.20L, named Santo
Francesco and commanded by
Maner Lualdi, made a nonstop !tight
from Rome to Addis Ababa in 1939.
Alenia Aermacchi

to reach 441kph (274mph) and its light wing
loading giving the type tremendous
manoeuvrability. The prototype first flew on
May 23, 1938, after the first flights of many of
the monoplane fighters being developed. It
was a delight to fly, a true thoroughbred, and
represented the pinnacle of biplane fighter
development, but it really belonged in another
era. Amazingly, the little fighter was to remain
in both production and service for almost the
entire war. Over 1800 were to be built in day
and night fighter and fighter bomber versions,
with about 40 two seat trainer conversions
being carried out by Agusta and Caproni and a
single floatplane being produced by CMASA
After the Armistice in September 1943,
Germany took control of aircraft production in
Italy and ordered 200 night g round attack
valiants from the T urin factory. Only 150 of
these were built before the factory was
captured by the Allies. The CR42 entered
service with the Regia Aeronautica in May
1939 and was used in France and during the
Battle of Blitain as well as over Malta in 1940.
CR42s were also used in East Aflica, the
Western Desert and Iraq as well as in the
defence of Italy as a nig ht fighter. As already
mentioned, the Luftwaffe used the CR.42 and
also supplied them to Croatia. Prior to the war,
the type was also exported to Sweden,
Hungary and Belgium, the latter two using
them in combat. For an anachronism, the
CR.42 did remarkably well, and was a fitting
success for a great designer.
GABRIELLI'S FIGHTER
In Aplil1935, while bomber work was going on
in Tulin, at the CMASA subsidiary works in
Pisa, Giuseppe Gablielli began to design a new
fighter. With the announcement of the new
fighter competition on February 19, 1936, two
prototypes were built. The first flew on
February 26, 1937, in the hands of chief test
pilot Giovanni de Bliganti. A low wing
monoplane with an enclosed cockpit, the G.50
was capable of 470kph (292mph), just under the
performance required by the competition. The
ease and speed with which the G.50 could be
built and its excellent manoeuvrability meant
that the Air Ministry ordered it into production
in September 1937, before the comparative tlial
had even taken place. Two early pre-production
aircraft were lost in crashes, one sadly killing de
Bligante when he failed to recover from a high
speed dive on October 20.
Despite these losses, the advantages of the
G.50 were deemed to outweigh its drawbacks.
It was recognised that the aircraft would spin
far too readily, but this was accepted as part of
the handling.
The fighter was armed with a pair of
12.7mm Breda machine guns in the upper
nose cowling firing through the propeller.
Like the C.200, the enclosed cockpit of the
G.50 did not find favour with the pilots, who
took to flying it with the canopy locked back,
so from the second batch of 200 aircraft, the
G.50 was produced with an open cockpit. In
1938, the Regia Aeronautica requested a two
seat trainer version of the fighter, known as
the G.50/B, the first five of which were built
in Tulin in the summer of 1939. After 1939,
production moved from Tulin to CMASA's
factor y in Pisa, where 252 G.50s and 106
G.50/Bs were built, 426 having been built in
Tulin prior to this. One of the two seat
G.50/Bs was converted into a photo
reconnaissance prototype, and another was
fitted with a hook for earlier use aboard the
Aquila, but like Germany's Graf Zeppelin, the
carrier was never finished.
The first G.50s to see operational service
were the 13 sent to Spain in 1938 with the
Aviazione Leg ionalia, which were used in the
last months of the Spanish Civil War then
handed over to the Spanish Air Force. After
Italy entered the war on June 10, 1940, the
A sideview of Fiat CR.42 13-95/MM.5701 of 18 Gruppo 95 Squadriglia flown from Belgium by
Sergente Pilota Pietro Salvadori on November 11. 1940. Forced down by a broken oil pipe over
Orford Ness. Suffolk. the aircraft was c aptured intact by the British and is now on d isplay in the
RAF Musuem. Hendon. Keith DraycoH
Fiat BR.20 bombers on the production
line. Alenia Aermacchi
G.50 units operated over France, then took
part in the Battle of Britain from bases in
Belgium. This highlighted the obsolescence
of the fighter, as it was too short ranged to
operate over England, and on the few
occasions enemy aircraft were sighted, the
G.50 was too slow to intercept them. The
longer ranged G.50bis was available by the
time the units returned from Belgium, this
type having more success in North Aflica
where it was used as a fighter bomber until
1942. G.50s also took part in operations over
Greece and the Balkans in 1940 and 1941, but
they were gradually withdrawn after that. By
the time of the Armistice in September 1943,
only four were in service with the National
Republican Air Force in the north and a
handful with the Cc-Belligerent Air Force in
the south.
OVERSEAS SERVICE
Other than Spain and Italy, the G.50 was also
used by Finland, which purchased 35 in 1939
and used them in both the Winter War and the
Continuation War against the Soviet Union
before finally withdrawing them in rnid-1944.
In June 1942, Croatia had been supplied with
nine single seat and a two seat aircraft for use
against Partisan forces in the Balkans. These
were followed by another identical batch in
June 1943, then 25 G.50s captured by the
Germans after the Armistice in September. By
1944, these were mostly operating as trainers,
a role they continued in after the war as part
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 67
The late model Fiat G.SObis had increased internal fuel tanks for
longer range. Alenia Aermacchi
of the Yugoslav Air Force, making them the
last operational examples of the type.
THE CENTAURO ARRIVES
In 1941, a single G.50 was fitted with the
Daimler-Benz DB601 engine which gave it a
maximum speed of 570kph (354mph).
However, Gabrielli was already working on an
entirely new design, the Fiat G.55, so the
G.50V as it was known, was used for testing
various equipment for the new fighter. The
G.55 Centauro was based around the 1475hp
Daimler-Benz DB605A that was being
produced under licence by Fiat as the
RA1050. The prototype first flew on April 30,
1942, armed with a sing le 20mm cannon firing
through the propeller hub and four 12.7mm
Breda machine guns in the engine cowling.
This armament proved difficult to service, so
in production aircraft the two lower machine
guns were deleted and two 20mm MG151
cannon were mounted in the wings instead.
As well as this standard armament, a
bomber interceptor version was built with five
ofthe MG151 cannon, produced in small
numbers after the Armistice. A single torpedo
bomber aircraft called the G.55S was also
produced, as were three G.56 versions
powered by the 1750hp DB603A. The
handling of the G.55 proved to be superb,
with orders for 2400 quickly placed. By the
Armistice, 35 had been delivered. One was
with the eo-Belligerent Air Force in the
south, the rest with the National Republican
Air Force.
Production continued in Turin, with 164
having been built before the Fiat factories
were heavily bombed on April 25, 1944 and all
manufacturing was dispersed. Building parts
in small factories and assembling them in
T urin enabled another 148 to be built before
the factory was captured by the Allies, who
The Fiat G.SS was an elegant design and a very high performance
fighter. Alenia Aermacchi
68 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
The prototype of Celestino Rosatelli's masterpiece biplane fighter, the
Fiat CR.42. Alenia Aermacchi
found another 37 complete and 73 incomplete
aircraft on the premises. The G.55s proved to
excellent fighters, a match for the latest Allied
aircraft, but only 148 G.55s were ever
delivered to front line units. A lack of spare
parts and slow production meant they were
gradually replaced in the National Republican
Air Force with the Bf 109.
POSTWAR PRODUCTION
After the war, the stock of parts and partly
built airframes were used to build 49 G.55A
fighters and 25 G.55B two seat trainers, both
prototypes flying in 1946. The newly formed
Aeronautica Militare ltaliana and the
Argentine Air Force purchased these aircraft,
demand outstripping supply of the DB605
engine and its spares. The 19 Italian single
seat and 10 two seat aircraft were converted to
be powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin
starting in 1948, the new aircraft being
designated as the G.59-1A and -1B
respectively when they entered service in
1950. With no wartime production parts left, a
Syrian order for 26 single seat and four two-
seat aircraft were all new build airframes,
designated G.59-2A and -2B. The last
developments of the fighter and trainer were
fitted with bubble canopies and known as the
G.59-4A and -4B, with 30, of which 10 were
two seaters, being purchased by Italy in 1950.
A planned development, the G.61 with a
1700hp Packard Merlin never got beyond the
project stage.
TRIMOTOR TRANSPORT
While his concentration in the mid-1930s was
understandably on corn bat aircraft, in 1939
Gabrielli had begun work on the three
eng ined, 14 seat Fiat G.12 civilian airliner for
the Fiat owned Avio Linee Italiane (ALO. The
initial version of the G.12 was powered by
The prototype of the G.SSB two seat t rainer, built in 1946 from the stock
of parts and partly built airframes. Alenia Aermacchi
three 770hp Fiat A. 74 engines which gave it a
maximum speed of 396kph (246mph) and a
useful range of2300km (1430 miles). The
prototype first flew on October 15, 1940, the
first two examples, known as G.12Cs,
operating on the Milan to Venice and Vienna
to Budapest routes. Their excellent
performance led to the development of the
G.12T military transport. This could carry 22
troops and equipment and about 50 were built,
the first flown in May 1941.
The need to be able to communicate with
their East African possessions meant that a
single example of the long range G.12
Gondar was produced next, followed by
three G.12GAs with long range fuel tanks.
Two amazing aircraft were constructed after
this, the G.12RT and the G.12RTbis. These
were ultra-long range versions intended for
direct communication with j apan, the RT
possessing a range of 8000km (4970 miles),
the RTbis 9000km (5590 miles). As many as
22 G.12Ts were impressed into service by
the Luftwaffe after the Armistice, but prior
to that 12 had been supplied as military
transport aircraft to the Royal Hungarian Air
Force, the first being delivered on
November 21, 1942.
After the war's end, an 18 passenger
commercial airliner termed the G.12CA was
produced, powered by Alfa Romeo 128 radial
engines. This was followed by four 22 seat
airliner versions, the L, LA, LB and LP, all
powered by different engines and produced in
small numbers for airlines such as the newly
formed Alitalia. On May 5, 1947, a G.12 made
Alitalia's first commercial flight from Turin to
Rome. In all, between 1941 and 1950, 104
examples of the G.12 were built for both
military and civilian use.
• Words Tim Callaway

I dive brakes on the wings. Around 60 were
Ground attack,
fighter and liaison
The Ro.57 prototype was powered by a pair of 840hp Fiat A.74 radial e ngines
and was armed with a pair of 12.?mm machine guns. Ed itor's collection
A
fter the failure of the Ro.51 in
the fighter competition, in 1939
Giovanni Galasso began work
on a twin engined ground
attack and reconnaissance
aircraft called the Ro.53. T his was never
built, but instead became a floatplane
concept named the Ro.55 before finally
developing as a twin engined low wing heavy
fighter and dive bomber, the Ro.57. Powered
by a pair of 840hp Fiat A.74 radial engines,
the Ro.57 had a maximum speed of
501kph (3llmph) and first flew in 1939.
Initially intended as a fighter, it was armed
with a pair of 12.7mm machine guns. It was
decided to develop the aircraft as a dive
bomber and increase the armament, but the
necessary modifications for this role delayed
its production until1942.
With an additional two 20mm cannon in
the nose, the Ro.57bis could carry a 500kg
(llOOlb) bomb on the centreline and had
SECOND WORLD WAR
built, entering service with 97 Gruppo in
1943, but seeing limited use prior to the
Armistice. A single aircraft was developed as
the Ro.58 heavy fighter, with twin 1175hp
Daimler-Benz DB601 engines which gave it
a maximum speed of 605kph (378mph).
With its twin finned tailplane and rear
gunner, it was similar in concept to the
Messerschmitt Bf 110. It first flew in May
1942 and was armed with five forward firing
20mm MG 151 cannons, three in the nose
and two in the belly. Service trials showed
that development was required, so the Ro.58,
while an excellent aircraft, came too late to
go into production.
While the development of the twin
engined fighters was going on, IMAM also
responded to a Regia Aeronautica
requirement for an artillery observation,
battlefield reconnaissance and liaison aircraft,
similar to the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. The
Ro.63 was powered by a 250hp Hirth
HM508D V8 engine, which gave it maximum
speed of 203kph (126mph) , better than the
Storch. The deeper fuselage could carry up to
four people yet the Ro.63 had similar s hort
take off and landing capabilities to the smaller
but similar German aircraft. The prototype
first flew in June 1940 and 150 were ordered,
but only six were built due to a shortage of
the engines. These were sent to North Africa
where they operated alongside the Ro.37 and
other older reconnaissance aircraft, but by
1943, only one was left In 1948, plans to
produce the aircraft again were abandoned
due to a lack of facilities.
• Words Tim Callaway
Ale nia Aermacchi 69
Postwar rebuilding
Fiat- transports, jets and licences
With the war over, the massive task of clearing the rubble and rebuilding production
facilities, hangars and airfields could begin. As already mentioned, Fiat was busy
building G.55 and G.59 fighters and trainers and G.12 trimotor transports in the
immediate postwar years but more was to come from the Turin factory as the G.212
was developed and the firm's first jet aircraft were devised.

W
ith the success of the G.12
trimotor transport, in 1943 A remarkable image showing
Giuseppe Gabrielli had the trainers, including the G.59
and its intended replacement,
begun work on a more the G.82 jet. in production by
powerful replacement, the Fiat in the early 1950s. In the
G.212, essentially a stretched version with a background are two of the
redesigned tailplane and a wider, longer G.212 three engined
fuselage. The programme was delayed by the transports. Alenia Aermacchi
war, so the prototype did not make its first
flight until January 20, 1947. It was powered
by the same three 860hp Alfa Romeo 128s as
the earlier aircraft, but its extended fuselage
could carry 30 passengers over the 22 seats of
the G.12. Nine were purchased for the Fiat
owned airline Avio Linee Italiane (ALO in 1948
and used on routes out of Milan.
Three were also purchased by Saide, an
Egyptian airline that used them on routes
along the coast of North Africa from Cairo to
Tunis from 1950. These were commandeered
by the Egyptian Air Force in 1957 and used
for prisoner exchange flights after the Suez
Crisis. There were also sales to Cie Air
Transport in France and Desert Arabian
Airlines in Kuwait, the latter buying an ex-
ALl aircraft. The last customer for the
aircraft was the Aeronautica Militare Italiana
(AMI), which bought 12 of the G.212AV
version for use as a training aircraft. Known
as the 'flying classroom', this had stations
down the fuselage for pupils and instructors
to work together, as well as a gondola under
the fuselage, to allow the training of
navigation, bomb aiming, photo
reconnaissance and other aircrew
specialisations. The G.212s were rolling off
the production line alongside the G.12s, the
last of both types being built in 1950.

FIRST JET
At the end of the Second World War, Giuseppe
Gabrielli began work on his first design for a
jet aircraft, the prototype of a two seat trainer
intended as a replacement for the Fiat G.59.
Powered by a de HaviLiand Goblin of 1600kg
(35271b) thrust, the first Fiat G.80-1B made its
maiden flight on December 9, 1951. Four
more pre-production G.80-3Bs were built, the
aircraft handling weLl but being ver y heavy for
the power available, so the type was rejected
by the AMI for its trainer requirement. With
the announcement of a NATO competition for
a standard jet trainer, Fiat developed the G.82,
a lengthened version of the original design
powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene of 2445kg
(53901b) thrust.
This first flew on May 23, 1954, and was
fitted with wing tip tanks to extend its
endurance. The G.82 had a pair of Browning
12.7mm (0.5in) machine guns in the nose and
could carry 340kg (750lb) of weapons or drop
tanks on two under wing pylons, or up to six
rockets on underwing mounts. Five G.82s
were built, but the NATO competition was
cancelled as the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
was available cheaply and in large numbers
through the Mutual Defence Assistance
Programme (MDAP). The five G.82s were
used by the AMI's flig ht test centre and the
flying school at Arnendola for several years
before being retired. A fighter bomber and
nig ht fig hter version were planned, as well as

70 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


A Fiat G.212CP of the Fiat owned a irline Avio
Linee lta liane in 1948. Alenia Aermacchi
the G.84, powered by the Allison J-35, but
none were built.
The first jet fighter operated by the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana was the de
Havilland Vampire, the aircraft initially being
supplied from the UK A licence production
agreement was reached between de Havilland
and the Italian Government to build the
Vampire FB Mk.52a and the more powerful de
Havilland Goblin Mk.3 engine. A total of 155
aircraft were built under licence in Italy, Fiat
building the wings and tailplanes, Macchi the
fuselages and Alfa Romeo the engines. Fmal
assembly took place at both Turin and Varese,
the companies c<r<>perating for the first time.
Production began in 1949 and later included 29
of the Vampire NF Mk.10 two seat night fighter.
A number of the single seat aircraft were later
exported to Egypt, which was supplied with 49
from both Italy and Britain in 1954.
In 1951, Gabrielli also designed a new two
seat radial engined trainer to replace the
North American T -6 Texan which first flew in
early 1952. This was produced in small
numbers for the AMI, powered by the 570hp
Alvis Leonides as the Fiat G.49-1, or the 610hp
Pratt and Whitney R-1340 Wasp as the G.49-2.
This was a low wing all metal monoplane with
two sliding fighter style bubble canopies for
each of the two tandem cockpits separated by
a central fixed canopy. This won a production
order over the similar Aermacchi MB.323. A
very clean desig n, the G.49-2 was capable of
370kph (230mph) and remained in service
throughout the 1950s.
A line-up of AMI Fiat b uilt F-86Ks. 10 of the 221 built in Turin for number of NATO air forces.
Alenia Aermacchi
A close up of the front of a G.82, showing the nose mounted twin Browning 50 calibre machine
g uns and the under fuselage a irbrake. Alenia Aermacchi
THE F-86K
By the early 1950s, it was clear that NATO
countries needed a high performance
interceptor to meet the threat of the growing
Soviet jet bomber force. The North American
F-86D Sabre was the aircraft of choice, but the
Hug hes E-4 fire control system was
considered to sensitive a technology to
export. A simplified North American MG-4
fire control system was devised for use with
an armament of four 20mm M-24Al cannon
rather than the F-86D's h igh velocity aircraft
rockets, but the APG-37 radar mounted in the
nose blister was retained. The new aircraft
was powered by the same engine, the General
Electric ]47-GE-17B with afterburner.
Known as the F-86K, a licence agreement
with Fiat was signed on May 16, 1953, for the
company to assemble the aircraft from US
supplied parts under the MDAP. Two US built
POSTWAR REBUILDING
The Fiat G.82 showing the underwing pylons
and rocket mounts along with the fixed tip
tanks. Alenia Aermacchi
YF-86K prototypes were supplied to the AMI,
along with 63 Fiat assembled aircraft. The first
two of these were delivered on November 2,
1955, the first unit to receive them being 6
Gruppo of 1 Stormo at Istran a. A further 62 F-
86Ks were built by Fiat for the French Armee
de I'Air, 88 for the West German Luftwaffe, six
to the Netherland's Koninklijke Luchtrnacht
and four for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Altogether Fiat built 221 F-86Ks, the last
being delivered to the AMI in October 1957
which used them until the Lockheed F-104
Star fighte r began to be introduced in 1964,
but the last did not leave Italian service until
July 1973. The exped ence of working on these
licence built aircraft was to stand Fiat in good
stead, as will be covered later, as it was about
to produce a remarkable and successful jet
fighter bomber. • Words: Tim Callaway
The Fiat G.49-1 was powe red by the Alvis
leonides and won a small production order
for the AMI ove r the Aermacchi MB.323.
Alenia Aermacchi
Ale n ia Aermacchi 7 1
POSTWAR REBUILDING

Aeronautica Macchi
The MB-308 of 1947

The Macchi MB.308 is rightly considered one of the most important projects
of the Italian aviation industry after the Second World War. In fact, it was the
first touring aircraft completely conceived and built in Italy postwar and was
to become the backbone of the resurgent Italian light aviation.

T
he aircraft was designed by Ing.
Ermanno Bazzocchi, who in 1945
had replaced the famous Ing.
Mario Castoldi as the technical
designer of Macchi. The MB.308
was derived directly from a prewar project,
the PM.1, developed in 1938 by
C.N.A.(Compagnia Nazionale Aeronautica) in
response to a request of a light aircraft for
touring and training.
Any further development was blocked by
the war, but after the end of the conflict Ing.
Bazzocchi resurrected the former project. He
designed a new aircraft of wooden
construction, maintaining the general outlay
of the PM.1, with cantilever high wings with
flaps and a side by side cockpit with upward
swivelling doors. Ing. Bazzocchi adopted a
tricycle landing gear layout for the prototype
and used the original CNA 60hp engine
intended to be fitted to the PM.1, driving a
fixed pitch two-blade propeller.
The prototype was quickly built and was
ready to be presented at the Milano Fair of
September 1946, but its exhibition was
prohibited by the Allied Control Commission.
This setback did not hinder production, with
the prototype, I-FABR, making her maiden
flight on January 19, 1947. This took place at
Macchi's airfield at Venegono, at the hands of
the factory's famous test pilot Guido
Carestiato. It was soon decided to use a new
engine on production aircraft, the Continental
65hp, fully compatible with the mounts and
easily available as military surplus in Italy.
This engine was later replaced on the
production line by the more powerful
Continental C-85 of 85hp.
1l1e Macchi MB.308 demonstrated very
good overall flying and handling
characteristics, ideal for initial pilot training
and touring. Macchi built 133 production
examples in total, in addition to these a
further 46 MB.308Gs fitted with a 100hp
engine were built in Argentina. Oddly, the
first of these aircraft was not built until1959,
when the production of the MB.308 in Italy
had already ceased. The Aeronautica Militare
was without doubt the major operator,
purchasing 80 aircraft. T his s izeable order
definitely helped in the rebirth of Macchi as
a quantity aircraft producer, more along the
lines of its prewar successes, when the
Italian factory was world famous for
producing the racing floatplanes and the
fantastic Macchi MC.202 and 205 fighters.
Starting in 1950, the Aeronautica Militare
began to phase out its Macchi MB.308 fleet,
donating at least 40 'Macchinos' (as it was
affectionately known by pilots, the 'little
Macchi') to the new Aeroclub D'Italia. Here,
it became the cornerstone of the new civilian
flying schools of Italy, and gained the
reputation as a very good 'founding father' of
Italian lig ht and private aviation.
MACCHI MB.308 - 1-NCOM
Of the 182 aircraft built, today only less than
10 are still flyable, geographically spread
among Argentina, France, Spain, Germany
and of course Italy. Of these flying aircraft,
two are based in Italy, but currently only one
has a full airworthiness certificate, D-EJCH,
which carries the period markings and
registration of I-NCO M.
The aircraft is owned by And rea Rossetto,
a you ng Air Traffic Controller based at
Padova in Northern Italy. This MB.308 is a
very famou s and popular aircraft at major air
shows in Italy, instantly recognisable in its
bright all red livery.
Famous Italian photographer Luigino
Caliaro of Aviation Classics met with And rea
before a flig ht from the airstrip near Padova
where he maintains his beautiful restored
aircraft, to learn the particular histor y of his
Macchi. Andrea told us:

72 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 POSTWAR REBUILDING

'This Macchi MB 308 has a long and proud

history, as it was built in 1948 by Macchi, but
it was not purchased, as were most of the
other 'Macchinos', by the Aeronautica
Militare. Instead it was purchased from new
by the Industria Cortometraggi Milano (The
Milan short-feature film industry), then
famous for its newsreels. The firm was also
known by the acronym IN CO M, and the
abbreviation was happily chosen as the
aircraft's orig inal registration. The fin and tailplane with
'The INCOM factory was created in 1938 its restored manufacturer's
markings. Luigino Caliaro
by Sandro Pallavicini, and after the war
inaugurated an illustrated magazine in which
information, news analysis and entertainment
assumed various modalities of expression
which were complementary to the "La
Settimana IN CO M" cinema newsreels. In the
first years of the postwar period, still in the
absence of television, the combined film
newsreel and illustrated magazine, in the
cinema and on the news stand, was considered
a winning business strategy, one of the first
'multimedia' companies.
'The Macchi MB.308, I-NCO M, was the
pe r fect tool for the company to introduce to
Italian newsreels beautiful aerial images of
natural sites and the historic cities of Italy. The
MB.308 was modified by adding, on the right
cockpit door, a small circular door to allow the
use of a film camera. It was intensively used
for aerial filming, documentaries and to
participate in several air rallies, such as the small circular window. now
Giro Aereo di Sicilia. The aircraft took part in covered over. for use by a film
came ra. Luigino Caliaro
air shows, but was also used for social and >-

Ale nia Aermacchi 73

POSTWAR REBUILDING

The MB.308 possess excellent handling and Clifton Harvey chose to apply a former military livery, silver with a blue lightning bolt and the new
manoeuvrability. Luigino Caliaro registration D-EJCH to the MB.308 after he purchased it in the late 1980s. Via Luigino Caliaro

sporting events around Italy that needed aerial

footage.
"With the widespread introduction of
television in Italy, INCOM s uffer ed an
economic cris is that led the company to sell
the aircraft to Luftbildverlag H. Ber tram
GmbH in 1957. This was a photo mapping
company based in Munich owned by Hans
Bertram, the founder of LTU, the first
postwar German airline. The aircraft was
registered as D-EJUP and has the
distinction of being the first private German
aircraft authorised by the Allied Occupation
Commission after the Second World War. It
flew for around 10 years from its home base
in Munich on aerial photographic missions,
until technological progress relegated it to
a dark corner of a hangar.
"In the late Eighties, an Englishman
named Clifton Harvey noticed the Macchi
hanging from the ceiling of the hangar and
decided to buy it. He worked for 12 long
years to return the Macchino to the sky, and
he chose to apply a former military livery,
s ilver with a blue lightning bolt and the new
registration 0 -EJCH. In May 2005 I heard
that Mr Harvey had decided to sell the
aircraft and I luckily was able to purchase it.
At the same time, together some Italian
fri ends and aviation enth usiasts, we created
the Historical Aircraft Group with the
Macchino proudly representing one of the
oldest aircraft of our group.
''When I purchased the aircraft its full
history was not known, but thanks the
original identification plates still in the
cockpit, these allowed me, after an extensive
historical search, to discover the origins and
the real history of this stunning aircraft. I
decided immediately to restore the
Macchino back to its beautiful original red
livery. Thanks to the support of many
friends I was put in touch with the director
of Istituto Luce, who enthusiastically helped
me in the historical research, locating an
original film of the delivery of the MB.308 to
Societa INCOM. Even in black and white, on
I-NCO M, along with several other MB.308s and other types, seen at the 'Milan Meeting' in 1949. the film I found many details of the paint
Via Luigino Caliaro scheme and insignia, that, along with some

74 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

photographs that I found, permitted me to
reproduce the exact livery.
'The restoration took around three years, as
I completely disassembled and restored each
part. I had to remove all the silver paint and
verify all of the wooden structure; I paid
particular attention to the restoration of all of
the main components, and I was able to locate
all the original instruments fitted on the aircraft
type. The engine was completely overhauled
and after three long years and more than 2000
man hours, on April 20, 2008 I started the
engine and took this beautiful aircraft back into
its element. This success was the best way I
could repay the many people and friends that
supported and helped me in the project. I am
very grateful to the LBA (the German aviation
authority), that allowed me to restore the
aircraft to its exact original configuration,
including the conspicuous I-NCO M marking of
the former Italian registration, while
conserving the German registration D-EJCH."
In 2009, this aircraft was recognised as
the best aircraft restoration project,
worldwide, completed that year by an
enthusiast, by the Federation Aeronautique
Internationale (FAI) . The FAI awarded the
'Phoenix diploma' for "the mag nifice nt job in
restoring the aircraft to its original
configuration upon leaving the Varese
factory in 1948". In addition, Andrea won
the silver medal the same year at the World
Air Games.• Words: Luigino Caliaro

AERMACCHI MB.308
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Wing Span lOm
Le ngth 6.45m
Height 2.17m
Wing Area 13.72sq m
Empty Weight 400kg
Useful Load 220kg
MaxWeight 620kg
Max Speed 205kph
Cruise Speed 165kph
Landing Speed 65kph The wooden fuselage completely stripped
Range 600km during its restoration. Andrea Rossetto
Takeoff Distance llOm
Landing Distance 55 m
Climb to 1OOOm 5 minutes
Ceiling 5000m

The original manufacturer's plates gave The entire wing can be removed in one The owner reproducing the original
several c lues to the origins of the aircraft. piece. which facilitated its restoration. registration on the fuselage. And rea
Andre a Rossetto Andrea Rossetto Rossetto

Alenia Aermacchi 75
 A-ermacchi built a ll the fuselages
for the 155 d e Havilla nd Vampires
made in Italy under licence. Note
the line of M .41 6 fuselages in the
background. Aermacchi were
very busy in the 1950s.
Alenia Aermacchi

Aeronautica Macchi
Trainers, lights and licences
The immediate postwar period saw a great deal of change at Varese. As already covered,
Ermanno Bazzochi had taken over as chief designer and produced the MB.308, a superb
light aircraft that was to invigorate private aviation and flying schools around the country.
This idea was developed into a twin engined aircraft and was followed by licence
production of two very different types before Aermacchi introduced the MB.323.

The Bazzochi designed MB1
Macchitre was a three w heeled truck w ith a
useful load of 1.5 tons. Developments of this
to ug h vehic le were to rem ain in p roduc tio n
for nearly 30 years. Alenia Aermacchi
I
n the postwar years,
Ermanno Bazzochi's
firs t design work for
Macchi, or Aermacchi
as it was now widely
known, was a 750cc engined
three wheeled vehicle called
the MB1 Macchitre, which
was part of the company's
diversification policy to
survive in the chaos of the
period. This was later upgraded
with a 973cc air-cooled diesel engine
by the newly formed Bremach
company, a contraction of Brenna and
Macchi. The developed versions of this light
truck were to remain in production for
nearly 30 years and the now independent
Bremach produces trucks and specialist
militar y and emergency vehicles.
The Aermacchi company also built
motorcycles, a very successful enterprise,
particularly on the race track. The motorcycle
division was based in the Schiranna plant that
had previously built seaplanes on the shores
of Lake Varese. During the early 1960s, 50% of
the motorcycle division was purchased by
Harley-Davidson, which bought the business
outright in 1974, winning a number of road
racing world championships before selling
their interest to Cagiva.
LIGHT TWIN
Alongside the vehicle developments, Bazzochi
designed the successful MB.308 as already
described, and began work on a twin engined

76 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

The MB.320 had an all wooden airframe and only sold in limited numbers, but those built
served for ma ny years with g reat reliability. Alenia Aermacchi
executive aircraft, a six seat light transport
called the MB.320. Powered by a pair of 185hp
Continental E185 flat six piston eng ines, the
prototype first flew in May 1949. Built entirely
of wood, the MB.320 entered a market full of
cheap war surplus transports and the new all
metal American light aircraft, so only ever
sold in small numbers, despite being capable
of 322kph (200mph) and a pleasure to fly.
Three MB.320s were sold to East African
Airways, which used them between the cities
of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. These three
were eventually sold to a charter company,
which used them for small scale passenger
and cargo services in the same countries. A
number were sold to private and corporate
owners throughout Europe, which resulted in
a plan to manufacture the MB.320 in France,
as the Lignel VEMA-51. This never came to
fruition, although the small number of
MB.320s built are sometimes referred to as
VEMA-51s in error.
As already mentioned, Aermacchi built the
fuselages for the 155 de Havilland Vampire FB
Mk.52a and NF Mk.10s produced under licence
in Italy, sharing the final assembly of the aircraft
with Fiat. This production was to give the
company valuable expe1i ence with jet aircraft,
Aermacchi built 180 Fokker S-11 basic trainers as t he M.41 6 for the AMI. Alenia Aermacchi
A rare p hotograph of
a line-up of
Aermacchi built
Vampire FB Mk.52a's in
Egyptian Air Force
markings. Forty-nine
were supplied to Egypt
from Italy a nd the UK.
Alenia Aermacchi
experience Ermanno Bazzochi was to put to
good use in 1953 at the beginning of the
MB.326 project. In 1951, this initial licence
production was followed by 180 examples of the
Fokker S.ll two seat piston engined trainer.
Powered by a 190hp Lycoming 0-435 flat
six piston engine, the M.416 as it was known
in Italy had an all metal wing with a welded
steel tube fuselage covered in fabric aft of the
eng ine cowling. Built be tween 1951 and 1958,
these were to serve with the Aeronautica
Militare ltaliana (AMO as their basic trainer
up to 1960, after which a number of M.416s
were supplied to University Squadrons and
second line Flig ht Training Centres. The
surviving airframes were supplied to civilian
flying clubs around the country at the end of
their military service, the big side by side
cockpit trainer proving popular with
instructors and pupils alike.
THE MB.323
To act as an advanced trainer for pupils to
transition onto after the MB.416, in 1951
Aermacchi began development of a powerful
radial eng ined trainer. Designated the
MB.323, this was a sleek low wing monoplane
with a long sliding bubble canopy that
covered the tandem two seat cockpit that first
flew in 1952. Powered by the reliable 610hp
Pratt and Whitney R-1340 Wasp, the MB.323
had a maximum speed of374kph (232mph)
and was armed with a single 7.9mm machine
gun in the port wing for gunnery training. The
AMI evaluated the trainer against the Fiat
G.49, which was a very similar aircraft, both of
which were intended as replacements for the
North American T-6 Texan as an advanced
trainer. The Fiat design was chosen and
produced in small numbers, so only one of the
MB.323 was ever produced.
In the early 1950s, Aermacchi began its
first association with American aviation giant
Lockheed. Negotiations between the two
companies resulted in Aermacchi setting up
an overhaul and maintenance centre for the
Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer, which
was being used by the USAF in Europe and
many NATO air forces. The Aermacchi centre
provided deep maintenance, inspection and
upgrade services to the Europe-wide fleet of
aircraft and proved extremely successful. This
initial co-operation between the two
companies was to result in the international
sales support of the Alr60 in the US as well as
a number of other collaborative programmes,
which will be covered later in this magazine.
• Words: Tim Callaway
a rep laceme nt for the North Ame rican T-6
advanced trainer. Alenia Aermacchi
Ale n ia Aermacc hi 77
After the end of the war, Industrie Meccaniche e Aeronautiche Meridionali or IMAM returned to its
mechanical roots so to speak, with the reintroduction of railway, tram and bus construction.
to keep the production lines employed. It also developed an aerobatic trainer project
which was never built. Breda, which owned IMAM, transferred its interest in the company ~
to IRI, a state owned industrial manufacturing concern shortly after the war's end.

I
RI was the Istituto per la Ricostruzione
lndustriale or Institute for Industrial
Reconstruction. This was a state owned
and managed concern that oversaw the
rebuilding of Italian industry after the
Second World War, with great success it must
be said. In 1948, !RI formed Finmeccanica as a
subsidiar y holding company for all its
mechanical, automotive and aerospace
concerns. IMAM was made a subsidiary of
Finmeccanica, the Naples based aircraft and
railway manufacturer being merged into a new
company called Aerfer. This was officially
formed on July 26, 1955, the name being a
An Ambrosini S.7 single seat trainer in service
in the Second World War. Editor's collection
contraction of Costruzioni Aeronautiche e
Ferroviarie, or Aeronautical and Railway
Constructors. This company continued the
manufacturer of buses, trams and railway
rolling stock, but also began production of a
remarkable series of jet aircraft.
To trace the story of the aircraft produced
by Aerfer, we first have to go back into the
history of another company. SAl Ambrosini
was based at Passignano sui T rasimeno and
had produced the Macchi C.200 and 202
under licence during the war, as well as a
number of fighter and other designs which
were not adopted. In 1939, chief desig ner
Serg io Stefanutti had also produced the SAI.7,
a single seat racing aircraft which had set a
new speed record on August 27 of that year by
reaching 403.9kph (252mph) in a lOOkm
closed circuit. The Regia Aeronautica had
been interested in a two seat SAl.7 as a
possible trainer for fighter pilots, and ordered
the first batch of 10 in 1943 as the SA!.IT.
After the war, the Aeronautica Militare Italiana
(AMI) purchased 145 SAI.7s, mostly two seat
versions as trainers. A few were also sold
privately as touring aircraft.
Two airframes were re-eng ined as the
Supersette (Super 7s) in the early 1950s, but
despite setting a new speed record, no further
interest was forthcoming in the type and only
the two were built. Meanwhile, a third
postwar S.7 airframe was utilised to form the
basis of a brand new research aircraft. The
piston engined fuselage was retained, but a
new wing and tailplane were added, the wing
leading edge being swept at 45°.
In this form, the aircraft was known as the
S.7 Freccia (Arrow) and first flew on January
5, 1953. After successful flight trials , the
piston engine was removed from the nose and
a small T urbomeca Marbore turbojet replaced
it. The air intake for the jet was in the nose of
the aircraft, the exhaust under the fuselage,
which meant a shield had to be positioned
between the exhaust and the tailwheel to
protect it. In this form the aircraft was
renamed the Sagittario (Archer or Sagittarius)
and could reach a speed of 560kph (350mph).

78 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


The Aerfer Sagittario 2 as a redesign with a nosewheel undercarriage,
seen here at t he Paris Air Show in 1957. Ruth AS
The test flights provided a great deal of
aerodynamic data regarding swept wings and
jet desig ns.
Sergio Stefanutti began work on an
improved nosewheel version of the design,
the intention being to eventually produce a
supersonic jet fighter for the AMI. This next
step in the project was built by Aerfer in
Naples as the Sagittario 2, powered by a Rolls-
Royce Derwent IX turbojet with 1635kg
(3600lb) of thrust Unlike the first Sagittario,
this was an all metal aircraft designed from
the outset as a jet The Derwent was mounted
in the nose and exhausted half way along the
underside of the fuselage, giving the air craft a
maximum speed of 1050kph (652mph). Sleek
and efficient, two were built, the first flight
being made on May 19, 1956, by Constantino
Petrosellini, a test pilot from the AMI's
experimental flight test centre.
The air frame was extremely clean
aerodynamically, and on December 4, 1956,
Lieutenant Colonel Giovanni Franchini made
the Sagittario 2 the first Italian aircraft to fly
supersonically when he reached Mach 1.1 in a
dive from 13,725m (45,000ft). The fighter was
armed with two 30mm Hispano Suiza HDD-
825 cannons and could carry a range of
missiles and ground attack weapons on two
The second Sagittario 2 is on d isplay at the Museo Storico
dell'Aeronautica Militare d i Vigna di Valle. Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle
underwing hard points, but only the two were
built. The second prototype, MM.561, is on
display today in the Museo Storico
dell'Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle,
Italy.
The Sagittario 2 was not considered either
fast or powerful enough, so further
development was undertaken. The next
version, the Ariete (Ram or Aries), was
identical to the Sagittario 2 except it had a
retractable intake mounted behind the cockpit
in the upper fuselage, which fed a second jet
eng ine mounted under the tail. This was a
Rolls-Royce Soar RS.2 turbojet which
produced 818kg (1800lb) of thrust and was
intended to be used to boost performance on
take off, in the climb or in combat. The
combination of thrust from this and the
Derwent IX gave the Ariete a maximum speed
of 1125kph (700mph). Only one was built,
MM.569, the second aircraft being cancelled
due to budget cuts. The Ariete first flew on
March 27, 1958, but the flight test programme
proved the aircraft still d id not have the
performance the AMI were seeking in an
interceptor, so no more were built.
There was one more attempt to produce a
viable interceptor from the design. In 1958
work had begun on the Aerfer Leone (Lion or
Leo), another dual powerplant version of the
fighter, but this time with a rocket motor
replacing the second jet engine. A more
powerful Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 12 was to
replace the Rolls-Royce Derwent in the nose,
and a de Havilland Spectre rocket motor was
to be mounted in the tail. However, in 1960,
the Italian government was more interested in
acquiring the Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk air
defence missile, which was to be built under
licence by the newly formed Selenia. The
budget was diver ted to the missile
programme and the Leone was cancelled
when the prototype was about 80% complete.
Aerfer was to continue in aviation, working
on studies for a rocket powered unmanned
supersonic interceptor called the AE 140
W030 in the late 1950s, to carry its own radar
and missiles and be directed from the ground.
It also built structures under Ucence for other
manufacturers, such as fuselage sections for
the Douglas, later McDonnell Douglas, DC-9
airliner. In 1967, Aerfer collaborated with
Aermacchi to produce the AM.3, which will be
described later. Finally, in 1969, Aerfer was
merged with the electronics and avionics
manufacturer Salmoiraghi and the Fiat aircraft
division to produce a new company, Aeritalia.
• Words: Tim Gal/away
Alenia Ae rmacchi 79
 Early Fiat G-91 R/1 s on the
produc tion line at the Turin
plant. Alenia Aermacchi
e success
Fiat and the G.91
Licence production of the
W
F-86Kfor a number of NATO
air forces in the 1950s gave
Fiat experience with producing
swept wing jet aircraft. This was
to be put to good use in the
development of one of the most
successful European fighter
bombers of the jet age, the Fiat
G. 91 and its many variants.
This was to be produced in
large numbers for three NATO
air forces, but was also to be
evaluated by two others.
80 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
ork on the Fiat G.91 design
began when NATO's
Supre me Headquarters
Allied Powers Europe
issued a specification
calling for a Lig htweight Strike Fighter called
NATO Basic Military Requirement No. 1 or
NBMR-1. A number of companies responded,
Fiat with a new desig n from Giuseppe
Gabrielli that was tailored to the requirement.
In order that only realistic prog rammes would
be submitted to NATO, the full proposals had
to be delivered within eight weeks of the
requirement being announced.
The terms of the specification were
exacting, intending to produce a simple, small
attack aircraft that could operate from grass
strips or roads in the event of major airfields
being destroyed. The use of basic weapons
and avionics and an ability to operate with
minimal suppor t equipment were included as
part of this dispersed operational capability,
along with a maximum take-off distance of
llOOm (3610ft). The aircraft was to be
subsonic with a range of 560km (340 miles) to
include a 10 minute loiter over a target. Twin
20 or 30mm cannon or four 12.7mm machine
guns were to be carried for strafing and
armour was to be provided for the pilot and
fuel systems.
Given the detailed nature of the
requirement, it is surprising that no fewer
than seven aircraft were submitted for
appraisal. These were; the Northrop N-156

(see Aviation Classics Issue 19- The
Northrop F-5), the Dassault Mystere XXVI
(that would become the Dassault Etendard
IV), the Sud Ouest Barodeur, the Breguet Br
1001 Taon, the Folland Gnat, the Fiat G.91 and
the Aerfer Sagittario 2, the last of which has
been covered earlier in this magazine. The
head of the NATO Advisory Group for
Aeronautical Research and Development
reviewing the designs was Dr Theodore von
Karman, the Hungarian aerodynamicist who
had been a tutor of Gabrielli's when he was at
An atmospheric view of the first pre-
production aircraft delivered to the
Frecce Tricolori a s the Fiat G.91 PAN.
Alenia Aermacchi
A side view of a Fiat G.91 R/3 of
Jagdbomber Geschwader (JaboG)
49 of the Luftwaffe. Keith Draycott
the Aeronautical Institute of the RWTH
Aachen University.
After an 18 month selection process the
Breguet and Fiat designs were selected to be
produced as prototypes, the result being
announced on June 30, 1955, but divisions
were beginning to weaken the NATO resolve
for common equipment. Shortly after this
initial selection, it was decided that the
Dassault desig n would also be included in the
evaluation which led to the French eventually
developing the Etendard IV for the
Aeronavale. Additionally, the British had
already decided that the Hawker Hunter could
be best modified to meet the RAF's need for a
ground attack aircraft. Meanwhile the G.91
prototype was first flown on August 9, 1956,
by Fiat chief test pilot Riccardo Bignamini and
an intensive test programme began. This
revealed a number of problems with the initial
design, not least of which were severe
vibrations. These vibrations were caused by
cumulative aerodynamic effects on the
airframe, which were strong enough to
destroy the prototype on February 20, 1957,
when its fin detached on a low level test flight.
The G.91 programme had started with a
seven month lead over the Dassault lival,
and a year over the Breguet entry, but the
redesign required caused a five month delay
while the aerodynamic problems were
ironed out. The second aircraft had a larger
tailplane and fin, modified canopy and the
addition of a ventral fin which, along with
•
JET SUCCESS
some other minor refinements, cured the
vibration problems. The much changed
second prototype first flew in July 1957, and
flight testing resumed.
Two more examples of the modified design
were built and sent to the French Centre
d'Essais en Vol at Bretigny sur Orge for the
evaluation trials in September 1957. These
aircraft, like all subsequent G.91Rs and Ts,
were powered by the simple and reliable
Bristol Orpheus turbojet with 2268kg (50001b)
of thrust. The choice of this engine was just
one of the factors that scored highly with the
judges at the competition, as it met the criteria
for ease of maintenance in the field under
wartime conditions. After an impressive
showing at the trials the Fiat G.91 was
declared the winner in January 1958.
Prior to the results of the competition
being revealed, the Italian Government had
already realised the qualities of the aircraft
and ordered it into production for the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMO, although
this first batch of aircraft were considered pre-
production machines. Designated G.91PAN,
they were modified with smoke generation
systems and went on to serve for many years
as the mount of the Italian nation aerobatic
team, the Frecce Tricolori. The team received
these aircraft in 1963, replacing its North
American F-86E Sabres with the type.
The G.91PANs did not have the cameras
mounted in the nose nor all of the military
avionics, so were lighter than >-
Ale nia Aermacchi 81
A pair of ex-luftwaffe Fia t G.91R/3s of the Portuguese Air Force. SDFA-AH
the production aircraft, the team using them
up to 1981 when they were replaced with the
Aermacchi MB.339PAN. Prior to this, trials
aircraft were sent to the 103 Gruppo of the 5th
Air Brigade in August 1958, then equipped 14
Gruppo of the 2nd Air Brigade in 1961.
With initial production under way,
evaluation of the Fiat G.91 took place for the
air forces of Austria, Norway and Switzerland
and the United States Army, which used a
G.91R/1 and R/3 in fast forwar d air controller
trails against the Northrop F-5. The USAF
restricted the Army to rotary winged aircraft
so the trials were dropped, but the USAF itself
also tested the G.91 as a potential expor t
aircraft for the Mutual Defence Assistance
Programme (M OAP) . It was under the terms
of the MDAP that the US agreed to part
finance the supply of the G.91 to France,
Germany and Italy and to fully finance the
aircraft for the Turkish Air Force.
This agreement was reached at a meeting
of NATO defence ministers in May 1958 in
which 50 G.91s were to be initially ordered for
each country. This was later extended to
include 50 aircraft for Greece, but some of
these orders were to be cancelled as the
production lines started to roll.
As it turned out, both the Turkish and
Greek orders were cancelled and the French
decided to pursue their own programme,
leaving just Italy and Germany as the initial
customers for the G.91. Greece did receive
four aircraft for trials, but did not pursue the
programme beyond this stage. Production
began in Turin and in southern Germany, at
the Fiat and Dornier factories, Dornier having
become part of Flugzeug-Union Siid, along
with elements of Messerschmitt and Heinkel.
The G.91s produced by this group were
the first aircraft to be built in Germany since
the war's end. This licenced production of the
G.91 was one of the factors that had attracted
Germany to the programme in the first place
as it would assist in re-establishing the
aerospace industry there. Altogether 294
single seat and 22 two seat G.91s were built in
Germany for use by the Luftwaffe, production
ending in 1972. An additional 144 single seat
and 44 two seat aircraft were built in Italy for
the Luftwaffe, as well as 174 for the AMI
which joined the pre-production aircraft
already in service. This construction of the
756 aircraft took until 1977 to complete, the
production lines remaining open for 19 years,
a major success for Fiat. Nine major variants
of the G.91 were produced in that time, and
are listed here.
Production of the two seat version began
almost alongside the single seater and was a
response to a need for an advanced trainer for
the type, the only difference being a slightly
longer fuselage. The AMI, as already noted,
received its first G.91s in 1958, equipping
three groups in the ground attack and tactical
support roles. The last G.91R sor tie in the
AMI took place on April 9, 1992, the aircraft
being replaced by the AMX.
The Luftwaffe received its first G.91s in
1961, five Fiat built aircraft being evaluated by
the test unit Erprobungsstelle 61 and
Waffenschule (Weapons School) 50.
Subsequent deliveries went to equip four light
attack wings which were to use the G.91 until
1982, the last being replaced by the
Dassault/ Dornier Alpha Jet in the tactical
support role. One last air force used the G.91
in number, that of Portugal. The deal came
about because the Luftwaffe needed a more
southern training base with better weather.
The Portuguese Air Force offered Beja Air
Base in return for G.91s, a deal the Luftwaffe
was more than happy to make as it was
operating a mixed fleet of its own G.91R/3s
and the R/ 4s that had been intended for
Greece and Turkey.
Even thoug h these R/ 4 aircraft were
concentrated at Waffenschule 50, the aircraft
were still sufficiently different to cause
maintenance problems. A first batch of 40
G.91R/ 4s was supplied in 1966, with a second
group including seven T /3 two seat trainers
following in 1976. As the Luftwaffe replaced
the G.91 in the early 1980s, more aircraft were
supplied until a total of 70 R/3s and 26 T /3s
were in Portugal, but some only as a source of
spare parts. The G.91 was not withdrawn from
the Portuguese Air Force until 1993, making
them the last front line operator of the type.
The last major version of the G.91 design

was sufficiently different from the earlier
models to warrant describing separately. The
original powerplant of a single Bristol
Orpheus turbojet had limited the weapons
payload of the G.91 to 680kg (15001b) of
weapons in the R/3 version, a capability fo und
disappointing by some. In order to address
this more power was required, so the rear
fuselage of a G.91T was modified to
accommodate a pair of General Electric ] 85-
The cockpit of Fiat G.91 R!l at the Aeronautical Technical Institute in Udine. SCD Bob
GE-13A turbojets with afterburner. These
were mounted side by side and produced
1850kg (40801b) of thrust each which enabled
the G.91Y, as it was known, to carry 1814kg
(4000lb) of external stores - a significant
increase.
Despite being based on the longer fuselage
of a two seat G.91, the rear cockpit was not
fitted, instead it was replaced with additional
fuel tanks that increased the range of the
The range of ground attack
weapons that could be carried
by the G.91 R/3 was impressive
and was latet acfded to by the
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile for self
defence. SDFA·AH
G.91Y over its single engined brethren. The
airframe was lightened through internal
structural modifications and automatic leading
edge slats were fitted to improve
manoeuvrability. The only other
improvements were in the avionics, more
sophisticated systems allowing a higher
degree of night and all weather operations
than the earlier aircraft. Flight test with three
pre-production aircraft revealed that elements
of the aerodynamic problems which beset the
early G.91 had returned, necessitating a
redesign of the rear fuselage to raise the
tailplane.
These modifications took time, resulting in
20 pre-production aircraft being ordered, the
first one flying in July 1968. Altogether 67
G.91Ys were delivered to the AMI, 45 of them
full production versions, the last ones being
delivered in 1976. By this time, Fiat Aviazione,
Aerfer and avionics manufacturer Salmoiraghi
had merged to form Aeritalia, which is why
the Fiat G.91 is often referred to as the
Aeritalia G.91. The G.91Ys were delivered to 1
Gruppo of 8 Stormo and 13 Gruppo of 32
Stormo who used the aircraft until the early
1990s when they too were replaced by the
AMX.
The Fiat G.91 represented a major success
for Italian industry. The winning of a NATO
competition against French, US and British
rivals was no small achievement, the 19 year
production run of the G.91 giving Fiat then
Aeritalia a sound financial base with which to
develop their next desig ns, the most
successful of which was to be a very different
aircraft indeed. • Words: Tim Gal/away
Ale nia Ae rmacchi 83
JET SUCCESS

Aeronautica Macchi
The Aermacchi MB.326
The next aircraft to be produced at Aeronautica Macchi, or Aermacchi as it was now known, was a
tremendous success for the company, selling worldwide as a military jet trainer. The designation of
the type was MB.326, a tandem two seat aircraft widely considered as a delight to fly, which was to
see service as far afield as Brazil and Australia.

Lege ndary c hief test

p ilot Guide Carestiato
with the prototype
Aermacchi MB.326.
Alenia Aermacchi

T
he MB.326 began life in the
1950s when Ermanno Bazzocchi
realised that the development of
advanced interceptors and other
large military aircraft was
beyond the facilities of the company at that
time. However, the light military jet trainer
arena was both lucrative and wide open, a
truly excellent aircraft was yet to be fielded.
Bazzocchi realised that any such aircraft
would need to be cheap and reliable, yet at
the same time robust enoug h to withstand
student handling and of a hig h enough
performance to be a meaningful introduction
to the advanced aircraft the students would
later fly. It was to these exacting and
contradictory requirements that he applied
himself in 1955, deciding early on that a
single engined light aircraft was the way to
achieve the performance, with a strong wing
for hig h G manoeuvring and a short but
sturdy undercarriage capable of taking a
pounding. The engine chosen to power this
was the Armstrong Siddeley Viper, a
reliable, efficient yet relatively cheap
turbojet that had been intended only for
target drones until its cost effectiveness had
been realised. This combination of eng ine
and extremely clean, aerodynamically
efficient air frame made its first flig ht in the
experienced hands of chief test pilot Guido
Carestiato on Decembe r 10, 1957.
Tests at the Aeronautica Militare Italiana
(AMO showed the new aircraft to have exactly
the combination of qualities the service was
looking for, being selected over the Fiat G.82
which was a much heavier aircraft. Production
orders followed quickly, in 1958 and 1960,
with the first ab initio training course
beginning at the Scuola Volo Basico lniziale
Aviogetti (SVBIA or Initial Jet Basic Flying
School) based at Lecce-Galatina in 1962.
This was alongside a conventional T-6
course, which demonstrated the efficiency of
the new aircraft and its training system.
Altogether 122 MB.326s of various versions
and six pre-production aircraft were delivered
to the AMI, racking up an impressive 400,000
flig ht hours over the next 22 years before they
were replaced by the MB.339 between 1981
and 1984. The second order came from Italian
airline Alitalia, which wanted to acquire
versions of the trainer equipped with civil
navigation systems to train pilots for the latest
airliners. Four of these aircraft, designated
MB.326D, were supplied to the airline.
In 1966, the MB.326 set a number of world
records for aircraft in its class, including climb
to height, altitude, endurance and speed
records, but it was in the expor t field that the
new trainer brought Aermacchi its greatest
successes. The MB.326 was to be produced in
both single and two seat versions as a trainer
and a light ground attack aircraft, with a total of
762 built both by Aermacchi and under licence
in Australia (97), Brazil (182) and South Africa
(251). The last Embraer built examples were
not retired from the Brazilian Air Force until
December 10, 2010. The full story of this
remarkable aircraft and its use by 16 nations
will be told in a later issue of Aviation Classics,
but its use in the Falklands War by Argentina is

84 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 The Aermocchi
MB.326E was on
armed trainer
variant for the AMI.
Lulglno Callaro

THE HISTORY OF AERMACCHI MB.326 1-RVEG

Aermocchi MB-326
(construction number
6172/19) MM.54168 was
delivered to the Scuola 1; i11at:~::.::::: ::•••••111111:' •t:l! ri!ll
Volo Basico lniziale . ---------- ~
covered later in this magazine.
Aviogetti (SVBIA or Initial
Jet Basic Flying School)
I
-;.; -~-;
1
--
• ' •

In this significant year for Aermacchi, one based at lecce-Galatina in

of the most iconic aircraft produced by the March 1962. Here it was
company has returned to the sky thanks to given the individual code
the efforts of Renzo Catellani, a civilian number 68. In 1975 the
aviation enthusiast and dedicated owner of aircraft was upgraded by
Aermacchi MB.326E I-RVEG. He is also Aermacchi and to become The immaculate Vola Fen ice Aermocchi MB.326E in front of
President of the Museo Volante Vola Fenice, an MB.326E, an armed their hangar at Reggio Emilio airport. Luigino Callaro
which is also home to a] et Provost (I-PROV) , version of the trainer.This
a Mudry CAP-10 (F-GKJD and a Cessna L-19 upgrade included for the front line units. In retirement. probably in
Bird Dog (I-EIAW) in I talian Army markings, provision for a minigun this role MM.54168 was 1989. After that it was
all of which are regularly flown. pod. a gun camera, assigned to 609th bought by a private
Renzo is also member of the HAG (Historic upgraded avionics and a Squadriglia of the 9th aircraft collection that
Aircraft Group) an Italian association that TACAN navigation system. Stormo in 1985, with the displayed it in open
brings together owners and enthusiasts to After the upgrade the individual code 9-01. Here storage on the small
support historic aircraft. The great Italian aircraft returned to the it remained for a year, airfield of Delta land at San
photographer Luigino Caliaro went to the Vola SVBIA with the new before being assigned to Possidonio until 2006,
Fenice hangar at the Reggio Emilia airport on individual code 70. 606th Squadriglia liaison when Vola Fen ice bought
behalf of Aviation Classics to meet Renzo on When the MB.326 of 6th Stormo. a Tornado the aircraft with the
April10, 2013. Renzo told him the story started to be replaced by lDS unit based at Ghedi in intention to restore to flight
behind the restoration of I-RVEG before they the new MB.339. a number Northern Italy. conditions. As you can see
flew this exclusive photo sortie with the of the training school The Macchi flew with from the images here. in
MB.326, a real celebration in this, the 100th machines were delivered the code b-43 for a couple this it has succeeded
anniversar y year of its manufacturer. > to become liaison aircraft of years, before its brilliantly.

Ale nia Aermacchi 85

JET SUCCESS

Renzo said: "Everything began with my

passion for history and aircraft This passion
lead to the creation of the Museo Araba
Fenice, dedicated to military history
generally, then later to the specific museum
flight section known as the Vola Fenice. The
first aircraft we acquired were the remains of
a Saiman 202, a trainer and liaison aircraft
used by Regia Aeronautica during the Second
World War that I hope will be restored to
flight condition in the future.
''This was followed by the Bird Dog, a
former Italian Army aircraft, and the Cap 10
that was used by Armee de L'Air in France.
After these, I got the opportunity to purchase
the wreck of a Fiat G.91R and G.91, as well as
the Aermacchi MB.326. Because of this, I
decided to organize the activity of Vola Fenice
to restore to flight condition some of the
aircraft that marked the history of the AMI.
"Considering this, and the types of aircraft
this entailed, I got the opportunity to buy a Jet
Provost, which I did in order to build some jet The Vola Fen ice team. From the left Giorgio Pellicciari. team pilot. technician Dario Pizzolato.
flying experience. The first project was to Roberto Marzi, Renzo Catellani and Valter Mocchi. Not present in the photo the other
restore to flying condition the MB.326 and my technician Riccardo Mosc a . Luigino Caliaro
technical team started to work on the aircraft
in 2007. The airframe, externally seemed restoration workshops, factories and friends,
quite good, but when we started to we solved all the problems that we
disassemble the various components we encountered along the way. Many components
discovered that corrosion had badly damaged were by necessity built brand new, following
several parts. This fact meant a lot of very the specific technical drawings. ln particular I
hard work for my specialists, as we have to have to thank the invaluable suppor t of my
consider that the MB.326 was exclusively a friend Albino Panigari, as without his help this
military aircraft and that it was retired from project probably would not have survived.
AMI almost 20 years ago. ''The main source of the success of the
''This meant we had some problems in project was the exceptional skills of my
finding original spare parts and components. technicians, all former air force or aviation
Thanks to the support of many others in s mall industr y specialist engineers. They were able
to lead the project in many ways, the revision
of the batteries, the electrical and hydraulic
systems and also the complete refurbishment
of the engine.
''The first flig ht of the MB.326 after
restoration, on July 6, 2012, followed by the
enthusiastic comments of test pilot Sergio
Cominitini, delighted me and my team,
making the last five years of hard work all
worthwhile. Another important success for us
recently is the fact that the organizer of Air
Early production Aermacchi MB.326s in Power 2013 has officially invited the Vola
service with the AMI's SVBIA or Initial Jet Basic Fenice MB.326 to participate. This is a very The front cockpit of the immaculately
Flying School based at Lecce-Galatina. important European air show held at Zeltweg restored Aermacchi MB.326E of Museo
Alenla Aermacchi in Austria and our aircraft has been invited as Volante Vola Fenice . Lulglno Caliaro

Four of the 87 Aermacchi

MB.326Hs operated by the
Royal Australian Air Force.
Alenla Aermacchl
a distinguish ed guest flight performer. The Aermacchi MB.326E of Vola Fenice
"Another important day for me personally displays its remarkably clean lines in flight
was April4, 2013, whe n I was able to perform on April 10. 2013. Lulglno Callaro
my first solo fligh t in the MB.326, for me the
proper crowning achievement of a dream
begun years ago. I would also like to thank
specifically my technical team who support all
the Vola Fenke projects on a daily basis.
These are Dario Pizzolato, Valte r Mocchi,
Riccardo Mosca and Roberto Marzi, as well as
all the friends and aviation enthusiasts that
contributed to the success of the project."
Given the simply stunning condition of the
aircraft, all of us at Aviation Classics wish Renzo
and the tean1 at Vola Fenice well for the future,
and look forward to their future projects. •
Words: Tim Callaway and Lttigino Caliaro

Ale n ia Aermacchi 87
JET SUCCESS
Aeronautica Macchi
Props and joint production
While the development and production of the many variants of the MB.326 was
ongoing, Aermacchi entered into a licence agreement to produce the Alr60, a light utility transport.
This was to later be developed into a military observation and utility aircraft known as the AM.3.
I
n the late 1950s, desig ner AI Mooney
of the Lockheed Corporation had
produced a single engined high wing
utility aircraft desig ned to operate
from rough strips and in undeveloped
areas with a minimum of ground support. The
rugged airframe had a strong tricycle
undercarriage that could be easily converted
to skis or floats for 'bush' flying. This was the
AL-60, designed to take seven passengers or
up to 454kg (1000lb) of cargo. The first of two
prototypes made its maiden flight on
September 15, 1959, but Lockheed decided
that the American utility aircraft market was
insufficiently strong to make production in
the US a profitable concern. Initially it was
decided to produce the aircraft in Mexico as a
joint venture called Lockheed-Azcarate, who
built 44 of the type called the lASA-60, 18 for
the Mexican Air Force in 1960. A small
number of AL-60s were also assembled in
Argentina by Kaizer as the L-402.
The first Aermacchi Lockheed AL-60 built in
Italy, 1-NASH. Alenia Aermacchi
88 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
However, in 1961, Lockheed's earlier
experience of working with Aermacchi on the
T-33 overhaul centre in the 1950s had resulted
in the US manufacturer purchasing a
shareholding in the Italian company. This led
to an agreementfor Aermacchi to build the
AL-60 under licence. Two versions were
produced, the AL-608 with the original
nosewheel, and the Aermacchi produced AL-
60C with a tailwheel undercarriage, the first
Italian manufactured aircraft flying on April
19, 1961. These proved successful,
particularly in the African market, with 85 of
the AL-60Bs, also known by the name Santa
Maria, being sold. The AL-60C was also
produced as the AL-60C-5 Conestoga for the
Central African Republic and the AL-60F-5
Trojan for Rhodesia, who purchased around
10 for air policing and communications work.
The engines fitted to these variants ranged
from 250hp to 400hp units from Continental
and Lycoming, the 400hp Lycoming 10-720
powering the AL-60F-5 which was sold to
Canadian civilian operators. Altogether
around 100 AL-60s were built in Italy.
The last variant was the AL-60C-5 with a
340hp Piaggio built Lycoming engine, which
was built under licence in South Africa by
Atlas Aviation as the Atlas C4M Kudu. The
first Kudu flew in 1974 with around 40 being
built for the South African Air Force (SAAF) .
When these aircraft started to be retired from
military service in 1991, they found a new role
in operating as skydiving platforms and local
transport aircraft.
The Aermacchi AM.3C featured a 340hp
Piaggio built Lycoming engine and four
und erwing hardpoints for a variety of
light weapons. Alenia Aermacchi
•
The AL-60 was used as the basis for the
design of a new aircraft, jointly produced
between Aermacchi and Aeritalia, to provide a
utility and observation aircraft for the Italian
Army to replace the Cessna L-19 Bird Dog.
Initially known as the MB.335, it utilised the
AL-60 wings, strengthened to carry a variety
of light armament. A new fuselage with a
tailwheel undercarriage had extensive cockpit
glazing for the best possible crew visibility.
The pilot and observer sat in tandem but had
dual controls, the rear cabin being able to
accommodate a third seat, a stretcher or
cargo. Designated AM.3, the Aermacchi built
first prototype flew on May 12, 1967, with the
second prototype built by Aerfer, now part of
Aeritalia, flying on August 22, 1968.
The Italian Army selected the SIAI
Marchetti SM.1019 as its observation aircraft,
but Aermacchi continued development of the
AM.3. A more powerful engine was fitted to
the first prototype, the 340hp Piaggio-built
Lycoming GS0-480-B1B6, in which form the
aircraft was known as the AM.3C. The SAAF
ordered 40 of this version in September 1970,
naming the aircraft Bosbok and using it
extensively in military operations in Angola
between 1975 and 1989. Here it proved
effective as a forward air controller, liaison
and observation aircraft, serving with both 41
and 42 Squadrons before the last were retired
in 1992. Three more AM.3Cs were sold to
Rwanda, and a single ex-SAAF aircraft is still
used by the National Test Pilot School at
Mojave in California. • Words: Tim Callaway

From the Starfighter to Aeritalia
Lockheed was involved with Aermacchi as already covered, acquiring shares in the company in
1961. It had also entered into a licence production agreement with Fiat Aviazione to produce the
Lockheed F-104G Starfighter in the same year, an aircraft that would be developed further and
remain in service until 2004.
T
he initial F-104Gs for the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana
(AMD were built by Lockheed,
the first one flying on June 9,
1960. The production line at Fiat
geared up rapidly, its first example flying on
October 1, 1962. The F-104G was an upgraded
version of the original interceptor desig n
intended as a multi-role fighter bomber. The
airframe and undercarriage were
strengthened, with a larger fin and increased
internal fuel tanks. The avionics suite was
greatly upgraded too, including an infra-red
sigh ting system, the Autonetics NASARR
F15A-41B radar, which now included both air
to air and ground mapping modes and the first
inertial navigation syste m fitted to a fighter,
the Litton LN-3.
The AMI were to be equipped with 105 F-
104Gs, 24 of the two seat training TF-104G and
20 RF-104G reconnaissance aircraft These last
aircraft were fitted up to three KS-67A cameras
in the cannon bays. The Fiat production lines
were to produce 164 F-104Gs and TF-104Gs as
well as 35 RF-104Gs, supplying both the AMI
and other nations. The first F-104Gs in Italian
service became operational in March 1963. 1n
their first five years of service, 23 F-104Gs were
lost in a variety of incidents, so the decision was
taken to find a new aircraft to bolster the fighter
Squadrons .
The AMI was to operate the F-1 045
from May 1969 to October 2004. the
last Starfighter operator in the world.
Alenla Aermacchl
A Fiat F-1 04S Starfighter of 12 Gruppo 36 Stormo
based at Gioia d el Colle. Keith DraycoH
The AMI evaluated a number of aircraft to
reinforce its fighter units, but on January 26,
1966 the Fiat proposed F-104S was selected.
The F-104S was to be the ultimate
development of the Lockheed fighter, able to
carr y radar guided missiles such as the AIM-7
Sparrow due to the ug raded NASARR R-
21G/H radar which had a continuous-wave
mode for Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARH)
missiles. The new type also had an additional
pair of hard points, bring ing the total for the
aircraft to nine and effectively doubling its
potential weapons load.
The first F-104S was modified from a Fiat
F-104G to act as a trials aircraft, flying on
December 22, 1966. The fir st full production
F-104S flew on December 30, 1968, the type
entering service with 22 Gruppo of 51 Stormo
in May 1969. Essentially, the F-104S was
produced in two versions, one able to carry
the Sparrow, in which case the M61Al Vulcan
20mm cannon was deleted, tl1e second
retaining the cannon and able to carry seven
227kg (SOOlb) or 340kg (750lb) bombs in the
ground attack role. The two equipment levels
were interchangeable to a degree, so exactly
how many of each type were produced
remains unclear. However, it is known that
246 F-104Ss were built, not only for the AIM
but for the T urkish Air Force as well, the first
of 40 being supplied in 1974.
JET SUCCESS
1n November 1969, Aerfer and Fiat
Aviazione were merged to form Aeritalia,
which is why the Fiat built aircraft are often
referred to as the Aeritalia F-104S, as they
were to undergo two midlife upgrades in 1986
and 1998. The first of these was applied to 147
existing aircraft and was known as th e
Aeritalia F-104S-ASA. The Fiar R21G/M1
Setter radar was added, a modern frequency
agile system with a look down/shoot down
mode, along with a new weapons delivery
computer. This made F-104S-ASA compatible
with both the Selenia Aspide and AIM-9L
Sidewinder missiles.
In 1989, a second upgrade was applied to
49 F-104S-ASAs and 15 TF-104G two seat
trainers to create the F-104S-ASA/M. These
aircraft h ad an entirely new navigation system
with GPS, TACAN and a Litton LN-30A2
inertial navigation system. All ground attack
equipment was deleted and an infra-red
search an d track ORSD sig hting system was
added, along with new cockpit displays. These
were intended to remai n in service until the
introduction of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the
last unit equipped being 10 Gruppo of 9
Stormo at Grazzanise. These were the last
F-104 Starfig hters in ser vice anywhere in the
world, the last being retired at a ceremony at
Practica di Mare on October 31, 2004. •
Words: Tim Gal/away
Flags
trainer
Three AMI MB.339CDs
showing the type's flexibility
with d ifferent armament fits
for ground attack. air-to-oir
and clean for flying training.
Lulglno Callaro

The MB.339, the Frecce Tricolori

and the Fuerza Aerea del Peru
The MB.326 had proved to be a reliable and s uccessful
Facts for the trainer for the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI) since
cost~ctive­ it entered service in 1962, so in September 1972
minded Aermacchi was approached by the air force to provide a
Air Forces study for a replacement aircraft.
-----,
.. .
- I

A
ermacchi's study for
..
the replacement took
I two separate forms,
-- -- "
w ••·J,. fl tllt..:ICI~ tl!'m~
lfiiU·fl rr
the first being seven
- brand new designs
- under the designation MB.338. The
.. I
I second approach was a modified
. - I version of the MB.326 air frame and
eng ine, designated the MB.339.
- ---·-- ·
11w .. Ut 1\ •~• . ,,. '""t~!'l
tof ct~lf ttUI )Iqt-CIIfliU
Comparative assessment of the
proposals by the AMI showed that
the MB.339 concept could not only
meet the original requirement to
replace the MB.326, but would
also be able to replace the trainer
versions of the Fiat G.91T then in
tilt • f11t • t ilt .._ OtOI'f\\lOUpt
nn'.Ju rnum service. It would be an extremely
cost effective solution as spares
and support for the engine were
already in place.
The major changes to the
air frame centred on the cockpit,
with its raised rear seat for the
instructor to give a clear view over
A 1978 advertisement for the MB.339 stressed the cost the pupil's head, which required the
effectiveness of the training system. Luigino Caliaro forward fuselage to be extensively
redesigned. To offset the side area of the
larger forward fuselage, a larger fin had
to be fitted with two small angled ventral
fins, but aside from these changes the
rest of the airframe was essentially an
MB.326.
Due to the evolutionary rather than
revolutionary nature of the MB.339
design, the prototypes, designated
MB.339X, were quickly completed, the
first flying on August 12, 1976. From the
outset, the aircraft was intended to
operate as a weapons as well as a flight
trainer, this giving the MB.339
secondary light ground attack and
limited air-to-air capabilities. A wide
variety of weapons could be carried,
including the two DEFA 30mm cannon,
two 12.7mm or four 7.7mm machine
guns in under wing pods, air-to-ground
unguided rockets, bombs and the AIM-9
Sidewinder m issile.
The first deliveries of 107 MB.339As
built for the AMI began in 1979. Like the
MB.326 before it, the MB.339 quickly
attracted export orders, the first of these

90 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


One of the reasons why the Aermacchi MB.339 is such a successful trainer, this is the view from
the instructor's rear cockpit. raised to clear the pupil's head. Luigino Caliaro
being 10 trainer and light ground attack
aircraft ordered by Argentina in 1980. These
aircraft took part in the Falklands War, and
their exploits in that conilict will be recounted
later in this magazine.
This first South American order was
followed in 1981 with 16 being delivered to
Peru, the full story of which will be told later
in this article. Nine countiies were to operate
the MB.339 other than Italy, with over 220 of
the type being built. Aside from the Argentine
aircraft, the six MB.339CEs purchased by
Eritrea in 1997 have seen combat, being used
between 1998 and 2000 in g round attack
missions against Ethiopia in the war of
independence.
Upgrades to the avionics and engine have
resulted in repeat orders from a number of
customers, a process that is likely to continue
for many more years as the airframes are
proving extremely reliable and hard-wearing.
Aside from the avionics, the weapons
capabilities of the MB.339s have been
extended to include up to two Raytheon
Maverick air-to-g round missiles, the Matra
Magic air-to-air missile and the MBDA Mk.2A
Marte air-to-ship missile. This makes the
trainer a potent yet affordable combat
aircraft, increasing its cost effectiveness. The
most recent upg rade customers have been
Malaysia in November 2009 and the United
Arab Emirates in 2010. The UAE Air Force
already operated the MB.339A, but acquired
a specialist version designated the
MB.339NAT for their newly formed AJ
Fursan national aerobatic team, this aircraft
having similar equipme nt to the MB.339PAN
operated by the Frecce Tricolori. The
complete list of the variants and current
customers are included here.
One civilian operator is the US defence
contractor Draken International, which uses
nine former Royal New Zealand Air Force
MB.339CBs to provide airborne adversary
support, flight training, threat simulation,
electronic warfare support, aerial refuelling,
research, and testing facilities to the US
armed forces. The digital cockpit of the
current generation of the MB.339 is
representative of the current generation of
combat aircraft, as are the capabilities of the
new avionics suites. Consequently, it is likely
the MB.339 will remain in service for many
years to come, and represents another great
success in the trainer field for Aermacchi. •
Words: Tim Callaway
The MB.339CD is equipped for air-to-air
refuelling for training and long endurance
operations. Lulglno Callaro
AERMACCHI MB.339 VARIANTS
MB.339X -The prototypes. two built.
MB.339A - 107 delivered to the AMI in
three trenches from 1979 to 1995, 72 still
in service. 10 built for launch export
customer Argentina in 1980, stored in
1983 after an arms embargo. Four built
for Ghana and five for Dubai.
MB.339PAN - 21 new build aircraft and
conversions from MB.339As for the
Frecce Tricolori, no tip tanks and smoke
generators added.
MB.339RM -Three radio and radar
calibration aircraft built for the AMI.
Later re-converted to MB.339A
standard.
MB.339AM - 13 built for the Royal
Malaysian Air Force beginning in 1983.
MB.339AN - 12 built for the Nigerian Air
Force beginning in June 1984.
MB.339AP- 16 built for the Peruvian Air
Force beginning in November 1981 .
Eight remain in service.
MB.339K Veltro 11 - One built, ftying on
May 30, 1980, single-seat attack version.
MB.339B- One built. Trainer version with
1996kg (44001b) thrust Viper 680-43
engine.
MB.339C- Trainer version with digital
avionics. sub variants listed below:
MB.339CB - 18 trainers built for the New
Zealand Air Force from March 1991 .
Powered by the Viper 680-43 with a
laser rangefinder. radar detection. AIM-
9L Sidewinder and AGM-65 Maverick
capability. Since 2012 nine of these are
in use by Draken International. a US
defence contractor. while eight are in
storage at RNZAF Base Ohakea.
MB.339CD - 30 built for the AMI with
upgraded avionics and controls but the
original 1815kg (40001b) thrust Viper
632-43 of the MB.339A. 12 Nigerian
MB.339ANs upgraded to MB.339CD
standard from July 2006.
MB.339CD Batch two - 14 AMI trainers
upgraded from October 2008 with
embedded weapons delivery
simulation. digital maps, night vision
goggles and new air combat
instrumentation pod.
MB.339FD- Export 'full digital' version of
the MB-339CD.
MB.339CE - Six FDs built for Eritrea with
the Viper 680-43.
MB.339CM - Eight MB.339CDs for the
Royal Malaysian Air Force beginning in
November 2009.
MB.339NAT- Seven built for the United
Arab Emirates Air Force Aerobatic Team.
AI Fursan (The Knights). in 201 0.
MB.339 T-Bird 11 (Lock heed T-Bird 11) -
Version built to compete in the US JPATS
competition.
Alenia Aermacchi 91
TheFrecce
Tricolori
The official aerobatic team of the AMI is the 313th Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico,
better known worldwide as the excellent and exciting Frecce Tricolori. The name
literally means Tri-coloured Arrows, a fitting appellation as the both the aircraft and the -~-:==

smoke trails they generate are in the red, white and green colours of the Italian flag. ~..~.~~:m..::! ~~~~i.:

T
he team was formed in 1961, but
was not the first Italian military
aerobatic team. Like those of
many other air forces, Italian
squadrons formed their own
display teams, the 1st Wing in the 1920s
being the first of these in Italy. Teams like
the Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse)
and Lanceri Neri (Black Lancers) existed for
many years before the AMI decided to form
a single central team to represent the air
force to the public and the world. From its
formation until 1963, the team was equipped
with the Canadair F-86E Sabre, which was
followed by the Fiat G.91PAN. The team flew
these until1981, when they were replaced
with the Aermacchi MB.339PAN. PAN
stands for Pattuglia Acrobatica Nazionale, or
National Aerobatic Team.
The excitement of a Frecce Tricolori country has ever produced, at the time
display is hard to communicate effectively in flying the Eurofighter Typhoon for Britain
words, but it is telling that it is the only non- and at the show as a member of the Flying
Russian organisation to ever be awarded the Control Committee, the ever genial John
Russian Silver Medal for Aeronautical Merit I T urner. The Frecce show was superb,
have two favourite stories about the team. The stylish and dramatic, but the finale consisted
charismatic and enthusiastic public relations of the team performing a bomb burst and
officer for the Red Arrows for many years, disappear ing in all directions, only to
Squadron Leader Tony Cunnane, had an individually turn around and race back into
excellent answer when asked, as he often was, the centre point of the display, crossing over
who the best aerobatic team were. His reply from all points of the compass in a
was 'The Patrouille de France are the best breathtaking exhibition of split second
team with eig ht aircraft, the Red Arrows the timing and pure flying skill.
best with nine, and the Frecce T ricolori the
best with 10!" But I best remember the Frecce
Tricolori for its display at the Southend Air
Display in 2000.
I was commentating the air display, and as
usual had handed over to the team
commentator for the Frecce Tricolori's
display. Standing on the commentary point
with me was one of the best test pilots this
 I have never been so excited in my life,
and this is after having visited or worked at
air displays since my first in 1966. I looked
across at John, and like me, he had a large
tear rolling down his cheek, face flushed
with excitement. He smiled and said: "I have
suddenly been reminded why I do this. How
absolutely fantastic."
I don't ever remember a display leaving
me feeling like that before or since. There
have been amazing displays of historic
aircraft and superb aerobatics, but these
have evoked different emotions. There is
something utterly visceral about a Frecce
Tricolori display, combining speed, elegance
and sheer excitement in a way few ever
emulate. Nicely done, gentlemen, nicely
done!
The images here are all from Luigino
Caliaro, taken from inside the display to give
a pilot's eye view of why the team has the
reputation it does. • Words: Tim Callaway
 A side view of Aermacchi MB.339AP.
FAP 452 from Base Aerea Capitan
Renan Elfas Olivera near Pisco in the
c urrent training scheme. Keith Draycott

Peruvian MB.339s
The Aermacchi MB.339 became the first modern advanced trainer of the Peruvian Air Force and
after more than 30 years, they are the last examples of the model in service in Latin America.

T
he Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea del Peru or FAP) started to
develop its plans to buy a new
advanced trainer and close
support aircraft in 1979, when
FAP Colonel Oscar Gagliardi Kindlimann,
commander of Grupo Aereo 51 received the
order to study a replacement for the
Lockheed T-33 of Escuadr6n Aereo No. 513.
The types analyzed were the British
Aerospace Hawk, the Dassault-
Breguet/ Dornier Alpha Jet and the
Aermacchi MB.339A, and a team was sent to
the United Kingdom, France and Italy to FAP 485 and 487 at
evaluate the three models. On April1, 1980, Lima on December
the team arrived to London to test the Hawk 2006 with the latest
and two days later went to France, where the paint scheme. during
Alpha Jet was tested. On April 8 and 9 the the graduation of the
same was done with the MB.339. Because of new officers of the FAP.
its better manoeuvrability, security and being Lewis Mejia
closer to what the FAP was looking, the
Aermacchi MB.339A was selected. The
purchase decision was delayed for some time de Surco district, to the southeast of Lima. directly from basic trainers to fly the Sukhoi
until it was finally taken in a hurr y in 1981 They were hurried into service with the Su-22 Fitter, not an ideal situation.
when the country had a border conflict with Grupo Aereo No. 51, the basic and advanced The serials given to these aircraft were
Ecuador over the Falso Paquisha area. training group of the Fuerza Aerea del Peru. allocated out of sequence and were FAP 452,
The first aircraft started to arrive to Peru As they joined Escuadr6n Aereo No. 513, they 456, 467,468,473, 477,479,480, 481,482, 484,
in 1982, the 16 examples starting their service replaced the T-33s, which were all retired by 485, 486, 487, 495 and 496. This batch of
career at Base Aerea Las Palmas in Santiago 1979. During that period, the pilots went aircraft were designated MB.339APs by
Aermacchi. The first in1pression of the
Peruvian pilots confirmed it was a good
aircraft and negotiations began to assembly a
series of the MB.339K Veltro sing le seat
defence fighters, but budget restrictions
ended that project.

THE DIABLOS ROJOS

Once the unit was operational, it star ted
training the new pilots that would go on to fly
not only the Su-22s but also the Mirage 5P and
from 1984, the new Mirage 2000. Also in 1984,
General Commander Cesar Enrico Praeli
decided to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of
FAP 456 at Base Aerea de Pisco, their new base. Lewis Mejia the Sistema de Cooperaci6n de !as Fuerzas

94 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 DEFA 552 30mm g un on a pod on FAP 480.
Lewis Mejia
Aereas Americanas (SICOFAA, American Air
Forces Co-Operation System), which took
place in Lima. To do this he decided to create
an aerobatic team, equipped with the
MB.339s, called the Escuadrilla Acrobatica
Los Diablos Rojos (Red Devils Aerobatic
Team). The name was chosen because the
planes were painted on red and white.
The display by the team during the
anniversary was a total success, so they were
allowed to perform other displays, both at
Lima and over other cities in the country.
Unfortunately, in February 1985, two of the
aircraft were involved in a midair collision
over Pisco, which occurred when they were
performing a 'mirror' manoeuvre. Both pilots
ejected safely, but the aircraft were
destroyed. One year after that, the escadrille
was dissolved.
CRISIS
In the second half of the 1980s, the Peruvian
economy was in serious decline. By 1987 the
FAP had to cease a!J payments still owed to
Aermacchi for the planes. As a result, the
provision of spares also ceased, considerably
affecting the operational status of the aircraft.
By the end of the decade, only two were still
operational, and this was only achieved by
cannibalizing the others. It was around this
The FAP 487 in August 2010. during the Festival Aerodeportivo at Areq uipo airport. Lewls Mejla
FAP 485 and 487 at Base
Ae rea La Joya. Lewls Mejla
I . =-
FAP 456 with Matra 70mm rocket launchers. Lewis Mejia
time that the aircraft also received a new
camouflage scheme of brown and light brown
uppers and light g rey undersides. In 1990, as
part of the defence cuts decided by the new
government of president Alberta Fujimori, the
aircraft were placed in storage at the Servicio
de Mantenimiento (SEMAN-Pertl), the main
eng ineering workshops of the FAP.
RECOVERY
After more than a decade in storage, in 2001
the training system began to be reactivated.
This process started with two aircraft which
were recovered to the standard they had been
operating in 1982. A third aircraft was selected
and also returned to operation, receiving
upgraded cockpit LCD displays and other
improved avionics under Proyecto Cuarzo
(Quartz Project), but no more aircraft were
modernised beyond this. Thirteen
reconditioned aircraft received a camouflage
of light brown, green and light green on the
upper surfaces and light gray on the
undersides.
In 2004, Grupo 51 and its three squadrons,
equipped as they were with the MB.339s,
Tucanos, Zlins and Schweizer 300cs was
moved to Base Aerea Capitan Renan Elias
Olivera near Pisco, some 400km to the south
of Lima. This happened because of increasing
limitations and flight restrictions being
imposed on flying training in the Lima area,
due partly to the growth of the city and partly
to the increase of the commercial flights from
]orge Chavez International Aiport. In 2006 the
paint scheme on these aircraft was replaced
again, on some aircraft in two tones of light
grey, while others returned to the red and
white paint scheme used in their first years.
The MB.339s operated near Pisco as part of
the Escuadron Aereo No. 513 unti1 2007, when
they were sent to Base Aerea Coronel Victor
Maldonado Begazo, an airfield in the middle of
the desert that makes up much of the south of
the country, near La]oya in Arequipa. Here
the MB.339s became Escuadron Aereo No.
411, a unit that had previously flown the
Mirage M-5P/ DP. The unit's mission was now
to support the training of pilots that would go
on to fly the Mirage 2000.
After three years in this role, in December
2010 the MB.339s returned to Pisco and the
Escuadron Aereo No. 513 to recommence
their advanced training role. In November
2012, the third MB.339 to be lost in FAP
service was destroyed in an accident over
Pisco, but the pilots managed to eject safely.
During their service life the FAP MB.339s
were armed with Matra 70mm rocket launchers
and gun pods. The pods could carry two MAG
7.62mm machine guns each, or a single
12.7mm machine gun, or a DEFA 552 30mm
cannon. In the early 2000s they were also tested
to carry and release 250kg (551lb) bombs.
These were intended to be used in combat
against the guerrillas in the Ene and Apurimac
River Valleys, but they finally decided to use
Cessna A-37 Dragonflys in this role.
At the moment, about eight aircraft from
the 13 survivors remain in operation, while
the others have been returned to storage.
Currently, the Peruvian Air Force is looking
for a replacement for them and studying the
various aircraft available, especially the Yak-
130. • Words: Lewis Mejia and Santiago Rivas
Alenia Aermacchi 95
Over the
Falklands
Part Ill
The mice that roared: Argentine Aermacchi
MB.339As in the Malvinas War

During the early days of the Falklands/Malvinas crisis, 1• Escuadrilla de Ataque deployed
detachments of MB.326s and MB.339s to four naval a ir stations a long the Argentine coast.
The nearest MB.326 carries rocket pods, while the MB.339 in the centre is loaded with a pair
of Mk.81 2501b bombs. Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive

When British Commandos and Paras went ashore from 11 troopships in San Carlos Water to
repossess the Falkland Islands on May 21, 1982, the first Argentine warplane to attack an escorting
Royal Navy (RN) warship was not a Fuerza Aerea Argentina (FAA) Dagger (see Aviation Classics Issue
17: Dassault Mirage III/5) or an Argentine Naval Aviation (Comando de Aviaci6n Naval Argentina or
COAN) A-4 Skyhawk, but a small, simple light attack jet, originally produced as a trainer by the
Italian aeroplane manufacturer Aeronautica Macchi, or Aermacchi.

T
he fact that this simple 'little'
warplane could get inside the
overlapping defensive arrays of
the warships' surface-to-air
missiles (SAMs) and elude the Sea
Harrier (SHARs) on combat air patrol (CAP)
nearby to deliver a surprising and defiant (if
not particularly damaging) blow against a
modern NATO frigate is a measure of the
courage and audacity of its dauntless pilot,
Teniente de Navio Lt Guillermo Owen Crippa.
The fact that this doughty light attack jet
could escape destruction by several ships'
sophisticated arsenals of missile and cannon
weaponry is a tribute to the fact that
Aermacchi has even imbued its trainers with
the genes of its classic warplanes.
ENTER THE AERMACCH MB.326GB
Following five decades of operating primarily
American aircraft, in 1968 COAN canvassed
the international aviation scene looking for a
replacement for its retiring Grumman F9F-2B
Panther jet fighter-bombers of 1° Escuadrilla
Aeronaval de Ataque (1st Naval Air Attack
Squadron). After considering the BAC 167
Strikemaster, Fiat G.91T.3, Fouga CM-170/ 175
Mag ister/Zephyr, and Hawker Hunter
FGA.ll/T.8, the service selected the
MB.326GB, Aermacchi's recently upgraded
jet trainer with a light gr ound attack capability.
Bought at a cost of $358,500 each, six were
acquired in late 1969, with two others
following three years later. Six pilots
journeyed to Italy in October to qualify on the
new jet, completing training at Lecce-Galatina
(near Brindisi) in April, the first COAN
aircraft (s/n 0613/coded 3-A-101) flying the
very next month. Following the training of
nine more pilots, and the acceptance of the
first six examples, on March 5, 1970, 1°
Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque formally
made the transition to the Aermacchi trainer.
At the time, the unit was a component of 3a
Escuadra Aeronaval at Base Aeronaval (BAN)
Comandante Espora, Bahia Blanca.
In the meantime- while the new pilots
were training in Italy- in October 1968 the
squadron had temporarily converted to 20
Sud-Aviation-modified T-28 Fennecs, bought
from the French Armee de I'Air in 1966-67, 12
of these former USAF T-28As being further
modified by Hamilton Aviation for aircraft
carrier operations as T-28Ps (P for
'Portaaviones' or 'aircraft carrier-capable') .
In 1970, when the squadron transitioned to
the MB.326GB, the Fennecs were passed to
the reconstituted 2° Escuadrilla Aeronaval de
Ataque (which had been disbanded with the
retirement of its Vought F4U-5 Corsairs four
years prior [ 1]), but the unit's mission of
advanced flight and weapons training was
established during this period.
The squadron's primary purpose was to
take Escuela de Aviaci6n Naval (Naval
Aviation School, or ESAN) graduates from the
service's pilot training
programme at BAN [ 1] See Aviation
Punta lndio, where C lassics Issue 12:
they learned to fly the Chance Vought
Fennec- and later the F4U Corsa ir.
Beech craft T-34C

96 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


Turbo-Mentor- and teach them to fly modern
jet aircraft. Additionally, the MB.326GB's
enhanced g round attack capabilities permitted
basic weapons and tactics training to be
taught, resulting in a fighter transition
programme similar to the RAP's IFF
(Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals) or the
USAF's 'lead-in fighter training' (LIF1) .
Unlike the RAF's Hawk T.1 and the USAF's
AT-38B however, the MB.326GB possessed a
real combat capability with six weapons
hard points beneath the wings, an Aeritalia-
made fixed reflector weapons sight, and
strengthened airframe. Powered by the
3360lb (1524kg) thr ust Rolls-Royce (RR)
Viper 20 Mk.540 turbo-jet, the MB.326GB
could carry 4000lb (1814kg) of weapons,
including a pair of podded Browning-Colt
AN/ M2 .50-calibre (12.7mm) machine guns
and four LAU-10 (four Sin Zuni/ Mk.24), LAU-
32 (seven 2.5in FFAR) or Matra 122 (seven
68mm SNEB) rocket pods, four Mk.81 250lb
(113.4kg) low-drag general purpose (LDGP)
bombs or two Mk.82 5001b (226.8kg) LDGPs.
With this capability, the unit began
preparing its graduates to join the newly
established 3° Escuadriiia Aeronaval de
Ataque y Caza which acquired 16 refurbished
ex-USN Douglas A-4B Skyhawks , beginning
in 1971. Because it provided the transition
between basic pilot training and the combat
unit, on Januar y 31, 1972, 1° Escuadriiia was
Established in 1919, the Argentine naval air arm's first Aermacchi products were two
Aeronautica Nieuport-Macchi M. 7 single-seat fighter seaplanes (#1 seen here) and a pair of
two-seat M .9 reconnaissance flying boats donated by the Italian Air Mission. Santiago Rivas
The Macchi M.7s and M .9s (#2 seen here) were based, along with 12 Curtiss HS-2L flying boat
trainers and six Curtiss-designed PN-5-L reconnaissance seaplanes, at the navy's flight school
at Puerto Militar d e Bahia Blanca, later Puerto Belgrano. Santiago Rlvas
One of 1• Esc uadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque's two Grumman TF-9J Cougars in 1962. The
squadron a lso operated 24 F9F Panthers. In COAN service, the carrier-capable F9Fs were
strictly land-based fighter-bombers because the Argentine navy aircraft carriers - ARA
lndependencia and Veintic inco de Mayo (formerly HMS Warrior and Venerable, respectively) -
could not launc h the heavy. under-powered first generation carrier jet. Author's Collection
transferred to the 4a Escuadra Aeronaval at forward fuselage housing vertically staggered
BAN Punta Indio to be eo-located with the ejection seats, and a commensurately enlarged
ESAN flight school. vertical stabiliser.
The more robust air frame was naturally
THE MB.339A ARRIVES heavier, so even with the more powerful Viper
Argentina had been the first nation to acquire turbojet, the MB.339A's weapons load was
the MB.326GB and, likewise, it was the launch reduced to 35001b (1590kg), with much of this
customer for the export version of Aermacchi's being used by the pair of enlarged Macchi
vastly improved follow-on version, the gun pods, these containing a 30mm DEFA 553
MB.339A. The company's 'second generation' cannon and 120 rounds of ammunition each.
trainer/ light g round attack jet retained its The weight restriction limited the other four
predecessor's overall configuration, mating the stations to a pair of Matra 155 (12 x 68mm) or
single-seat MB.326K attack variant's stronger LAU-10 (four Sin HVAR) rocket pods, or two
wing and empennage with the more power ful Mk.81/ Mk 82 bombs . To aim the cannon and
(40001b/ 1814kg thrust) RR Viper 632-43 single- rocke ts more accurately, both cockpits were
spool turbojet engine. The major, and visually, equipped with the Alenia-built Saab RGS 2
the most obvious, change was the taller gyro-stabilised weapons sight, the rear ,..
Alenia Ae rma cchi 97

Initially the COAN's MB.326GBs - known as the MC.32 in Argentine
service - were painted in a light gull grey-over-white reminiscent of
the USN scheme from the 1960s.
Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive
The 1o Escuadrilla de Ataque's first M B. 326GB was 4-A-101 which
made its debut flight on June 16. 1969. Seen here mounting the
underwing pod, containing a Browning-Colt AN/M2 .50-caliber
( 12. ?mm) machine gun, this jet was lost in an accident on October
20, 1982. Juan Carlos Cicalesi- Hernan Casciani Archive

cockpit's weapons aiming capability being
afforded by the 13in (33cm) higher
instructor's seat, allowing him to see over the
top of the student.
COAN ordered 10 MB.339As in August
1980, and they were delivered by the end of
the year, expanding 1o Escuadrilla Aeronaval
de Ataque in both size [2] and capability. The
next year was spent training pilots on the new
variant, and developing new maintenance
processes, due to the extensive systems
differences, compared to the MB.326GB.
"LAS MALVINAS SON
ARGENTINAS"-"THE MALVINAS
ARE ARGENTINA'S"
On April2, 1982, Operaci6n Rosario
successfully resulted in Argentina's
possession of the Falkland Islands (lslas
Malvinas to the Argentines), but as the month
wore on it became increasingly obvious that
the British were committed to repossessing
the islands, by force if necessary.
Correspondingly, the Argentine Junta
began building up its military defences on the
islands. Located 400-450 nautical miles (740-
833km) from the nearest mainland bases,
Army General de Brigada (Brigadier General)
Mario Benjarnin Menimdez and his
Guarnicion Militar Malvinas (Malvinas
Military Garrison) were responsible for
defending the islands, deploying eight
infantry regiments and two artillery groups,
totalling 9804 soldiers. Fixed-wing air support
for the ground forces initially consisted of a
dozen Fabrica Militar de Aviones (Military
Aircraft Factory, or FMA) lA 58A Pucaras
(Grupo 3 de Ataque) stationed at Base Aerea
Militar (BAM) Condor, the FAA's name for
the small, rough, and soggy 1350ft (411m)
airstrip at Goose Green. These were to
provide CAS for the widely scattered outlying
army units on East Falkland/ lsla Soledad.
While the FAA's (two each) Boeing 707
and C-130H Hercules transports (from Grupo
1 de Transporte Aereo, forming the
provisional Grupo Aereo Exploraci6n y
Reconocimiento 1) provided long-range
maritime surveillance and accurately reported
the approach of the RN's Task Group (TG)
317.8, COAN's two Lockheed SP-2H Neptunes
(2a Escuadra Aeronaval's Escuadrilla
Aeronaval de Exploraci6n) were expected to
provide mid-range reconnaissance around the
islands. However, these elderly patrol aircraft
were increasingly unreliable mechanically so
a short-range (coastal) r econnaissance
capability, based on the islands, was required.
To meet this need, on April 24, two armed
T-34C-1 Turbo-Mentor trainers [3] (4°
Escuadrilla de Ataque) were flown to the
Malvinas, joined by two more, three days
later. These were stationed at the 2100ft
(640m) grass airstrip on Pebble Island (lsla de
Borbon, north of West Falkland) at Estaci6n
Aeronaval (EAN) Calder6n and covered the
northern - and most likely- approaches to
the islands.
To provide a local maritime strike
capability and perform reconnaissance
east/south-east of the islands, the Turbo-
Mentors were followed by two 1° Escuadrilla
MB-339As (4-A-113 and -116). Led by
squadron commander Capitan de Corbeta
Carlos Alberto Molteni, and shepherded by
one of 4a Escuadra's four Beechcraft B200
Super King Air (4-G-43), the two MB.339As
were flown to Stanley Airport, renamed
'BAM/EAN Malvinas' by the Argentines. The
B200 also transported three additional
Aermacchi pilots, allowing Molteni to
establish a viable combat detachment.
The Aermacchi was the only Argentine jet
warplane capable of operating from the
island's austere 4250ft (1,300m) long runway,
however, there were no taxiways or dispersal
areas and tl1e small paved apron was always
crowded with the many transiting transport
aircraft. The soft, wet soil bordering the few
paved surfaces made parking problematic, so
the two MB.339s were positioned on wooden
platforms adjacent to the south side of the
runway, at its east end. This allowed quick
reaction take-offs to the west and the jets'
weapons were stored nearby, permitting rapid
re-arming. The squadron's maintenance
personnel stored its limited tools and spares
in a small Nissen-hut hangar near the apron.
Molteni was plainly aware of his

During an interim period, 1968-<>9. 1o Escuadrilla

Aeronaval de Ataque operated 20 Sud Aviation
T-28 Fennec armed trainers. This example
carries the French-built 2M Type 20 machine
gun pods, each containing a pair of .50-cal
Browning AN/M2s. leaving two stations beneath
each wing available for bombs or rockets.
Juan Carlos Cicalesi- He rnan Ca sciani Archive
 GUARNICION MILITAR
MALVINAS (FALKLANDS
MILITARY GARRISON)
Componente Aereo (Aviation
Component)
Fixed Wing Units - as of May 1. 1982

BAM/EAN Malvinas (Stanley Airfield)

Detachment from COAN/l o
Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Atoque
2 x Aermacchi MB.339As

Detachment from Prefecture Naval

MB.339A 4-A-1 02 in flight over Buenos Aires Province. This aircraft was lost during the Malvinas Argentina (Coast Guard)
conflict when it crashed during a test flight from BAN Punta lndio on May 29. 1982 - both 2 X Shorts se. 7 Skyvan 3M (Note 1)
crewmen ejected safely. Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive
EAN Calderon (Pebble Island airfield)
Detachment from COAN/ESAN
detachment's limitations and capabilities. As "WAR IS (4° Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque)
he later related, [4] "We began improving our HELL..:' [2] By this point one 4 x Beechcraft T-34C-1 Turbo-Mentors
attack tactics, trying to reduce our For 1o Escuadrilla de MB.326GB (4-A-104) (Note 2)
disadvantages and increase our advantages. I Ataque, the had been lost in a
decided that a very low attack with 127mm/ announcement that fatal accident on BAM Condor (Goose Green airfield)
5-inch rockets and 30mm guns would be best. the Malvinas War had April 21. 1979. Detachment from FAA/Grupo 3 de
We would cause damage over a smaller area, begun occurred at Ataque ("Escuadron Pucar6
but with much greater effect. We would attack 04.46hrs on May 1 [3] Primarily these Malvinas")
in open formation, almost line abreast''. with the famous, but were armed with 12 x FMA lA 58A Pucaras (Note 3)
Molteni discounted using Mk.81 or .82 tactically ineffective, two 7 .63mm 'mini-
'iron bombs' because the MB 339A's Black Buck One gun' pods and two
weapons delivery system released all the radar-bombing attack MATRA 122 (68mm) NOTES
weapons simultaneously (no 'ripple' releases) by Avro Vulcan rocket pods. When
while the aircraft maintained a stabilised - XM607. [5 ] None of mobilised for war. 1. One Skyvan (PA-54) was badly
and thus dangerously predictable to anti- the 20 Mk.17 lOOOlb ESAN's 15 T-34C-1 damaged by RN bombardment on
aircraft gunners- approach to the target. general-purpose (GP) armed trainers the night of May 3/4. 1ater destroyed
Even duelling against a modern British bombs that missed became the COAN's during the final artillery
warship with rockets and guns might be the runway came 4° Escuadrilla de bombardments on June 12/13: the
considered suicidal, but the Aermacchi's anywhere near the Atoque. other (PA-50) was destroyed at EAN
30mm DEFA 553 cannon and 5in (127mm) MB.339A's parking Calderon on May 15 during a
HVARs would be effective against weakly spaces. The follow-up [4] Some portions of commando raid by D Sqdn/SAS
defended troop transpor ts, landing craft and raid at 08.25hrs by this account are Regiment.
other RN auxiliaries. five Sea Harriers from Santiago
Meanwhile, on the mainland, 1° (SHARs) from HMS Rivas's excellent 2. All four T-34Cs were destroyed or
Escuadrilla de Ataque deployed its MB.326s Hermes (800 Sqn) Wings of the damaged beyond repair (DBR) at
and the remaining MB.339As to four other was more effective. Malvinas (Hikoki EAN Calderon on May 15 during a
bases, providing daily coastal reconnaissance Although they Publications. 2012) commando raid by D Sqdn/SAS
patrols and local anti-ship capabilities. The l a missed the two and are used with Regiment. One example (#411) was
Arsenal Aeronaval at Punta Indio brought the exposed COAN his permission. confiscated and taken to the UK
Aermacchi fleet to a high level of attack jets, some of where it resides at the Fleet Air Arm
serviceability, the unit's nine operational the SHARs' dozen [5] See Aviation Museum. Yeovilton .
MB.339s and all seven MB.326s being cluster bombs set the Classics Issue 7:
deployed as outlined in Table 2. squadron's fuel dump AVRO Vulcan. 3. Three Pucaras (A-506. A-517 and A-
and maintenance ,... 527) were destroyed or DBR during a
Sea Harrier attack on BAM Condor on
May 1. after which seven aircraft were
- . .... ,.-- - -
~ - . . . """"' flown to EAN Calderon where six were
...... _.---~ ~ ---~
d estroyed (A-502, A-520. A-523. A-529.
A-552 and A-556) on May 15 during a
. ---
.
. -- .
- commando raid by D Sqdn/SAS
Regiment. That afternoon. four
'Operacion Rosario' was such a surprise to reinforcements were flown in from the
units not directly involved in the landings that mainland. On the morning of May 21.
Arriving a decade later. the MB 339As- 1o Escuadrilla de Ataque's initially deployed five Puc aras (A-509. A-511. A-516. A-
known as MC.33s in COAN service - were four of its MB.339As- along with a pair of MB 531 . and A-533) were operational at
initially painted in the white-over-orange 326GBs - to BAN Rio Grande while still BAM Condor while two others (A-513
colours of Italian training aircraft. 4-A-1 15 painted in their training colours. During April and A-528) were unserviceable at
was the aircraft that eventually made the the jets were rotated back to BAN Punta lndio BAM Malvinas.
rocket/strafing attack on HMS Argonaut. Juan to be camouflaged. Juan Carlos Clcalesl·
Carlos Cicalesi- Hernan Casciani Archive Hernan Casciani Archive

Alenia Aermacchi 99
Once British forces were ashore and the RAF No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron
established its forward operating location (FOL), Harrier GR.3s raided
BAM/EAN Malvinas frequently, damaging two Aermacchis. 4-A-116
was cannibalised - note removal of right main tyre - to keep two
others serviceable. Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive
Aermacchi 4-A-112 was also damaged by RAF Harriers, the bomb
blasts spinning the aeroplane about, blowing out the canopy and
dislocating the right flap. lt, too, was cannibalised to keep others
flying. Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive

hang ar on fire, two Type 21 frigates arrived to bombard the and Aermacchi 4-A-113 was destroyed in the
(6] See Aviation destroying the unit's airfield parking area, anti-aircraft (M) gu n crash.
Classics Issue 11 : spare parts supply. emplacements, and the Grupo 2 VyCA radar. Following several aborted attempts, two
The Hawker While the FAA's Once again, damage was minimal -and none more MB.339As (4-A-112 and -115) were
Siddeley /BAE Stanley-based done to the 1o Escuadrilla detachment- and ferried to BAM Malvinas, on May 15,
Systems/Boeing AN/TPS-43F radar in this case the RN task group was attacked shepherded by a Beech B200 (4-G-44) carrying
Harrier. of the Grupo 2 by three FM Daggers (Grupo 6 de Caza) additional spares and support equipment. TI1e
Vigilancia y Control which inilicted superficial damage on one worsening winter weather precluded flight
[7] HMS Brilliant Mreo (Grupo 2 frigate. [ 6] operations for the next five days.
and Yarmouth VyCA; known as The 1 o Escuadrilla's first opportunity- and During the three weeks from the first
'Radar Malvinas') first combat mission - occurred two days later impact of Black Buck One's bombs to the
[8] The injured tracked a number of when Radar Malvinas detected 'a possible arrival of Commodore Michael C Clapp's TG
sailors were Master contacts, mostly RN landing ship' 60 nautical miles (111km) south 317.0 in San Carlos Water (SCW), Menendez's
at Arms 'Connie' helicopters on south-east of the islands, and the unit's two Componente Aereo ('air component',
Francis, hit in chest; various diversion MB.339As were sent out to investigate. Led by commanded by FM Brig Gen Luis Castellano)
Leading Seaman and special forces Molteni, the pair flew beneath a 90().ft (275m) had been steadily depleted by SHAR bombing
'George' Peel, hit in insertion missions overcast for 100 miles (160km), with only three attacks and Special Air Ser vice (SAS) raids.
face and would plus the SHAR miles (4.8km) visibility amidst rain or fog. The COAN's 4° Escuadrilla detachment had
lose an eye; and CAPs, there was no Returning to base, conditions were so bad that been completely destroyed and, of the FAA's
Able Seaman 'Skip' sign of approaching during his turn on to finals Teniente de Fragata original contingent (see T able 1), only seven
Dallaway, hit in foot British warships (Lt. Ug]) Carlos Benitez caught his left wing on Pucaras remained, two of them unserviceable
above the ankle. until the destroyer the off-shore rocks and crashed about h alf-a- at BAM Malvinas.
HMS Glam organ and mile short of the runway. Benitez was killed Additionally, the harsh Antarctic winter

DEPLOYMENT OF 1o
ESCUADRILLA AERONAVAL DE
ATAQUE AERMACCHIS IN THE
MALVINASIFALKLANDS WAR
a s of 1 May 1982

Base Aeronaval Comandante Espora,

Bahfa Blanca
3 x A ermacchi MB.339As
3 x Aermacc hi MB.326GBs

Base Aeronaval Almirante Zar, Trelew

2 x Aermacc hi MB.326GBs

Base Ae ronaval Contraalmirante

Quijada, Rio Grande
4 x Aermacc hi MB.339As
2 x Aermacchi MB.326GBs

Estac i6n Ae ronaval Malvinas, Pue rto

Argentina While 'Blac k Buc k 1' a ccomplished nothing but announc ing the start of the fighting. the
2 x A ermac chi MB.339As subsequent SHAR attac k set fire to the 1o Escuadrilla's fuel dump (left) and maintenance
hangar (right). Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive

100 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

Mid-May 1982: Ae rmacchis 4-A-11 2 a nd -115 on their wooden 'hard stands'. LAU-1 0 rocket
launc hers loaded . alongside the east end of the runway at EAN Malvinas/Stanley airport.
Nearest the camera. 4-A-11 2. p ilot in cockpit. is about to launch on a dawn patrol. Santiago Rivas
weather was beginning to have a deleterious
effect on the MB.339As. Condensation inside
the Aermacchis' wings badly affected
electrical circuits, and as the winter worsened
freezing moisture rendered some components
inoperative. The sub-zero temperatures were
particularly draining on the aircraft batteries,
so much so that they would not hold a charge
sufficient to start the Viper engines.
Eventually, the batteries were removed and
stored in a warm shelter until an opportunity,
or need, to fly arose.
"... AND GETTING SHOT AT IS A
REAL SON OF A BITCH"
Beginning at 22.00hrs on May 20, 1982, the 11
troopships (SS Canberra, two other civilian
personnel ships, two large assault ships, five
smaller landing ships, and one Royal Fleet
Auxiliary [RFA]) ofTG 317.0 entered SCW and
dispersed to their assigned assault beaches.
HMS Plymouth, a rather dated Type 12 frigate,
accompanied Canberra to provide naval
gunfire support (NGS) for 3 Para's (3rd
Battalion, Parachute Regiment) landing at
Green Beach, near Port San Carlos, and close-
in M defence for the large passenger liner.
Five other escorts and RFA Fort Austin
remained in San Carlos Strait, the two- to five-
mile (3-8km) wide waterway separating East
and West Falkland, mounting anti-s ubmarine
warfare (ASW) patrols and defending the
anchorage against Argentine fighter-bomber
attacks. The 'cork in the bottle' at the
northern entrance - the 3,200-ton Leander-
class (Batch 10 frigate HMS Argonaut-
conducted ASW searches for the Argentine
navy's last operational submarine, assisted by
four Sea King HAS.5 helicopters (826 Sqn)
from Fort Austin.
As Air Engineering Mechanic Tim Court,
the electrical/weapons and radio specialist for
the Argonaut's Lynx helicopter (nicknamed
'Jason', naturally), recorded, 'The sun rose
gradually to give us a bright, clear, sunny day,
just what we really didn't want or need. As it
got lighter we slipped between the islands -
this was too quiet for my liking".
At 07.10hrs the arrival of Clapp's
amphibious force was spotted by the 62-man
Argentine army detachment (Equipo de
Combate Gi.iemes/'CombatTeam Eagle') at
Port San Carlos. Many helicopter movements
were observed and three Pucanis were
launched from BAM C6ndor to intercept
them. However, two of these were soon shot
down by a SHAR and an SAS-fired Stinger
man-por table air defence (MANPAD) missile.
About the same time two MB.339As were
scrambled from BAM Malvinas on an armed
reconnaissance, also with orders to attack any
helicopters encountered. One Aermacchi
failed to start, forcing Lt Owen Crippa to take
off alone at 10.04hrs. Crippa flew west, cleared
the army's inner defensive perimeter, then
angled north-west for Foul Bay, cruising at
300 knots (555km/ h) and 500ft (152m). Going
'feet wet' he flew out over the water, roughly
ARA Teniente de Navio Guillermo Owen
Crippa . Nicolas Kasanzew via Santiago Rivas
paralleling the rugged coastline, headed
south-west. Approaching San Carlos Strait, he
spotted HMS Argonaut near Fanning Head,
patrolling a two-mile 'box' in the strait's
northern entrance and, looking down the
narrow waterway, could see two more frigates
[7 ] guarding the southern opening.
He also spied the Argonaut's Lynx, which
had just been scrambled on an 'Air Raid
Warning Red' due to the Pucaras, believed to be
inbound from the south. 'Jason' carried a crude,
Heath Robinson-style 'Exocet decoy' fabricated
from deck plating and it deployed to the north,
just in case the Pucaras threat was a feint.
Manoeuvring to engage 'Jason', Crippa
discovered that he was conveniently aligned
to attack the Argonaut instead. Rushing to
attack, he initially forgot to arm his weapons,
but reacting quickly, Crippa unleashed all
eight 127mm rockets in a single salvo- they
flew harmlessly over the frigate - and strafed
the helicopter hangar.
As Court related, there was "a roar and
whooshing noise (the rockets passing
overhead) and a hammering sound across
the hangar roof, very loud and fast, followed
by a flash of red and a large splash to port
(the rockets impacting the water), and a brief
glimpse of something turning away from the
ship". The 30mm cannon shells damaged the
aft Gunnery Direction Platform and the
flying splinters wounded three sailors [8 ],
damaging the area around the aft Seacat
SAM launcher. >-

HMS Argonaut's aft Gunnery Direction Platform and Seacat SAM
launcher. seen here shortly before Crippa's strafing attack. The three
sailors wounded in the attack were all 'upper deck gunners (small
arms)', manning such weapons as the 7.62mm general-purpose
machine gun (GPMG) seen behind the Seacat. Pete Bennet
Another view of Aermacchi 4-A-116 damaged at EAN Malvinas. Note
the bulldozer to the left, which was used to create the fake 'bomb
crater' on the runway which successfully fooled British intelligence
(through US 'spy satellites') into believing that the airfield was
unusable. Note also the Pucar6 and Port Stanley/Puerto Argentine in
the right background. Santiago Rivas

Sub-lieutenant (S/Lt) John Davies was also
on the Argonaut's flight deck that morning,
chatting with 'Jason's' second pilot, S/LtJohn
Hopkins, when he spotted the Aermacchi
approaching, later recounting "I remember
shouting 'f*** me, that's no Sea Harrier!' just
before the MB.339 opened up with rounds
passing just over our heads. The aircraft
looked as if it would belly flop in to the sea as
it pulled out of the attack run - it didn't and I
watched as it climbed over the cliffs heading
east- not much daylight between it and the
ground over whkh it flew".
In addition to three Shorts & Harland GWS
22 Seacat launchers, Argonaut mounted two
single-barrel manually aimed 40mm Bofors
M guns, but Crippa's attack was so sudden
none of these were able to react fast enough
to engage the speeding Aermacchi. Sweeping
over the surprised Argonaut, Crippa turned
into sew to avoid the two frigates at the far
end of the strait, being equally surprised to
see what he called "the entire British fleet!"
As he swept along the north shore of the
inlet, low and fast, Plymouth's 4.5in gun turret
opened fire, followed
[9] 1• Escuadrilla's by the assault ship
morning mission HMS Intrepid firing
had been aborted an optically guided
due to bad weather Seacat, with troops
in the target area. manning the railings
of Canberra opening
up with 7.62mm machine guns and a Blowpipe
MANPAD. Crippajinked and zig-zagged, the
Aermacchi's crisp banks and tight turns
saving him from any hits from the brief
barrage of M weapons.
Dodging the fusillade took him across the
water to SCW's western shore where he zig-
zagged across Campito, the ridge
overlooking Ajax Bay, and escaped to the
south. Having the presence of mind to realise
that he had happened upon the main British
landings, Crippa returned to the south end of
sew to count and annotate the positions of
the ships unloading troops and equipment
there. Flying back to EAN Malvinas, he was
able to present the first full report of the
landings. For his courage in obtaining an
accurate and timely assessment of the British
naval forces and their dispositions -
information vital to the day's air attacks
being launched from mainland bases -
Crippa was awarded the Medalla al Heroico
Valor en Combate, (Medal for Heroism and
Bravery in Combat) , the highest decoration
awarded by the Argentine Navy d uring the
conflict.
SUPPORTING THE
GROUND FORCES
During the next few days, as FM Daggers
and Skyhawks, augmented by COAN's 3°
Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque y Caza,
battered the TG's escorts and amphibious
ships - sinking a destroyer and two frigates
and destroying two landing ships - raids on
BAM/EAN Malvinas by RAF Har rier GR.3s
(1 Sqn) damaged two Aermacchis (4-A-112
and -116) and destroyed one of the Grupo 3
Pucanis. Consequently, the two detachments
were reinforced on May 26-27 with the arrival
of two Pucaras and three MB.339As (4-A-110,
-114 and -117).
Ver y early on May 28, one week after the
landings in SCW, 2 Para launched its attack on
the 643-man 12th 'General Arenales' Infantry
Regiment defending Darwin and Goose
Green. Political leadership in London wanted
this flanking position neutralised before the
main force advanced on Menendez's inner
defensive perimeter. After pushing through
three defensive lines- and sustaining heavy
casualties in doing so - around mid-afternoon
2 Para turned the Argentine's flank, allowing
D Company to capture BAM Condor.
In spite of marginal weather early that
morning, a major CAS effort was launched by
the FM Pucaras and COAN Aermacchis from
BAM/ EAN Malvinas. Mid-afternoon (1500hrs),
as D Company approached the Argentine
positions defending Goose Green settlement,
Molteni led Teniente de Corbeta (Ensign)
Daniel Miguel (in 4-A-114) in rocket attacks
against advancing British troops. [9] Sweeping
in from the south, Molteni later related:

HMS Argonaut in San Carlos Water. Crippa's attack came from the starboard side (seen here). in a slight dive, witnessed by S/Lt John Davies,
Tim Court and others on the flight deck on the stern of the frigate. HMS Argonaut Association

102 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

 "I climbed a little to begin the attack run
and updated Miguel. I opened fire over the
hills where I saw British forces close to our
lines. I fired more than half my ammunition.
On my escape I saw something like an orange
balloon on the ground. I thought it might be a
missile, so I reduced power and turned back
towards it, then turned again, getting closer
to the ground.
"As I completed my turn, I heard the
controller saying, 'Escape! Escape! Your
wingman is hit!' Desperately, I asked if they
had seen an ejection and he said they hadn't.
I felt very depressed. Returning to base ... at
sunset I went to the HQ and was told that
Goose Green was to be surrendered."
As cannon and rocket fire chewed up the
ground, scattering D Company, Marine
Strange of the 3rd Commando Brigade's Air
Defence Troop stood his ground and fired his
Blowpipe. Miguel's jet exploded into a fireball
and impacted spectacularly on to the airfield,
killing the young pilot in the crash.
REDEMPTI0t1t RECOVERY
AND REINFOKCEMENTS
With the surrender of Goose Green, the end
of the conflict became inevitable so Molteni
was directed to save as much of his unit as
possible. He sent the extra pilots and
mechanics home aboard an F28 (5-T-21) while
his remaining ground crews prepared the
surviving Aermacchis for the long, risky flight
home. The two damaged jets (4-A-112 and-
116) were cannibalised for parts and on May
30 a third (4-A-110) had one wing damaged by
NGS bombardment of the airfield.
The first attempt to evacuate the two
remaining aircraft (4-A-115 and -117) was
thwarted by the chronic engine start
problems. Finally, on June 5, at midday,
Molteni and Ensign Guillermo Henry took off
for BAN Rio Gran de, first heading south at
low level for 70NM (130km), then south-west
the same distance before turning due west
and climbing. The surviving two Aermacchis
arrived safely at 1314hrs.
The third jet was repaired by June 7 and Lt
Jorge Becerra was available to fly it home, but
the opportunity to do so never materialised,
resulting in Becerra and six mechanics being
Capit6n de Corbeta Carlos Molteni and the four p ilots of his squadron's EAN Malvinas
detachment standing before 4-A-11 5 on its wooden 'hardstand' .
Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Hernan Casciani Archive
captured when Menendez finally surrendered
a week later. The three captured Aermacchis
were disabled by British troops throug h the
expedient of firing off the ejection seats, and
later collapsing the landing gear, after which
the aircraft were badly damaged by souvenir
collectors.
1o Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Ataque had
sacrificed much in the shor t, sad campaign,
losing two young pilots and five MB.339As to
the abysmal weather, enemy M fire and the
sporadic harassment attacks by Harriers and
naval bombardments. There is no discounting,
however, the courage of the young men in this
unit- both in the face of the harsh Antarctic
climatic conditions and the enemy's overall
military superiority- nor the capabilities of the
Aermacchi light attack jet in providing a Carlos Molteni retired as Capit6n de Navio.
certain defiance to the enemy's relentless and now resides in Buenos Aires. working for a
campaign to repossess the islands. civil organisation supporting the Argentine
On the mainland the unit also lost an Navy. Santiago Rivas
MB.326 (4-A-102) which crashed during a test
flight from BAN Punta Indio, both crewmen
ejecting safely. This reduced 1o Escuadrilla to
five MB.339As and six MB.326s. Worse, the
British embargo soon resulted in the
surviving MB.339As being grounded due to
lack of spare parts for the RR Viper 632-43
turbojets, eventually resulting them being
placed in permanent storage. To rebuild the
squadron, in March 1983 11 Embraer-built
EMB 326GC/AT-26 Xavantes were bought
from the Brazilian air force, one of which (4-A-
101) was lost in a crash five years later and
two others, as well as all the remaining
original MB.326GBs, having since been
withdrawn from use.
The Falklands War was the only modern
combat experience in which the MB.326/339
was involved, at least thus far. While the
Aermacchi's contribution to the Argentine
effort to retain Falkland Islands in the face of
the UK's campaign to get them back may have
been small, even mouse-like, compared to
other types employed by the COAN and FM
as the only jet based on the islands, it
demonstrated the defiance, courage and
commitment of the men and the unit that
employed it. While it may have been a mouse,
it certainly roared.
• Words: Colonel Douglas C Dildy
Ale n ia Aermacchi 103
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION

An early example of the

Ae ritalia G.222 powered
by two General Electric
T-64 turboprops.
Alenla Aermacchl

International
programmes and
consolidation
Aeritalia- Tornado and transports
With the creation of Aeritalia in 1969, Fiat owned a 50% share of a powerful and
experienced aerospace manufacturer. This was to find success in international
programmes such as the Panavia Tornado and Boeing 767, but was also to produce the
last design led by Giuseppe Gabrielli, the G.222 twin turboprop transport.

A
s discussed in Aviation Classics
Issue 11 regarding the Hawker
Siddeley Harrier, in 1962 NATO
had issued two specifications for
vertical and short take off and
landing (y /SfOL) aircraft, the second of
these, NATO Basic Military Requirement 4
(NBMR-4) was aimed at acquiring a V/SfOL
transport. In response, Giuseppe Gabrelli's
design team had produced the original G.222
concept, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart
turboprops with between six and eight jet
engines for vertical thrust. Even when the
NATO project was cancelled, the Aeronautica
Militare Italiana (AMO remained interested in
the aircraft as a tactical transport, ordering
two prototypes in 1968.
The vertical flight capability had gone, the
original Darts being replaced by a pair of
General Electric T-64 turboprops, but the
aircraft retained very short field capability
through the use of high lift devices and a very
efficient wing. The outer wing sections were
designed and built by Aermacchi in another
example of the close co-operation between the
two companies. The prototype was first flown
by Vittorio Sanseverino on July 19, 1970, the
AMI testing the aircraft in December and
issuing a contact for 44 to be built. By this
time, Fiat Aviazione was part of Aeritalia, so
this was not only the last Gabrielli designed
aircraft, it was the last to be produced under
Fiat and its designation system.
G.222 VARIANTS
The first G.222 entered AMI service in April
1978, its STOL performance meaning it could
land in only 550m (1800ft) but its capacious
cargo fuselage was capable of carrying
9000kg (19,840lb) of cargo or 53 fully
equipped troops. Sometimes referred to as the
twin engined Hercules, its rear ramp door
design meant it could be loaded and unloaded
quickly and deliver cargo by parachute drop.
One aircraft was produced for the AMI as the
G.222SAA, fitted with aerial firefighting
equipment that could drop water or fire
retardants, and two more were fitted with
electronic countermeasures equipment as the
G.222VS or GE as it is sometimes known.
The last variant for the AMI was the
G.222RM, four of which were fitted with
equipment to calibrate radar and radio ground
stations. Of the 52 G.222s operated by the
AMI, one RM and one VS variant are still in
service, the rest were retired in 2005. Their 27
year service with the AMI was to include a
great deal of humanitarian aid and support for
the UN, particularly in Somalia and the
Balkans during the wars in Bosnia and

A Panavia Tornado lDS in
the c urrent camouflage
scheme for the type.
These aircraft have been
upgraded to remain in
service until 2025.
Alenia Aermacchl
Kosovo during the 1990s. One G.222 was lost
on September 3, 1992, when it was shot down
by a ground launched missile on approach to
Sarajevo airport while undertaking a UN relief
mission.
The G.222 attracted a number of export
orders, among them five for Tunisia, eigh t for
Venzuela and one from Dubai. In 1977, 20
G.222s were ordered by Libya, but a US arms
embargo meant they had to be re-engined
with Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops in which
form they were known as G.222Ts. Two were
delivered to the Somalia Air Corps and five to
the Nigerian Air Force in 1984 and 1985; the
latter has since also acquired an ex-AMI
aircraft in 2008. The Royal Thai Air Force
operated six G.222s until 2012, when they
were retired. Argentina's Army Aviation
purchased three of the transport, which were
in service at the time of the Falklands War,
but were not used in that conflict and have
since been withdrawn.
One of six Ae ritalia G.222s acquired by the Nigerian Air Force. Alenia Aermacchi
The first Aeritalia G.222 transports entered AMI service in April 1978. Alenia Aermacchi
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
The USAF purchased 10 G.222s in 1990 as
a rapid response airlifter, where the aircraft
was known as the C-27A Spartan. These
would later be replaced by the current version
of the aircraft, the C-27J, which will be
described later in this magazine. Four of the
C-27As are now operated by the US State
Department in anti-narcotic operations in
South America from Patrick Air Force Base in
Florida. In September 2008, the USAF
contracted Alenia Aermacchi (as it had since
become) to supply 18 refurbished ex-AMI
G.222s to the Afghan National Army Air Force
as transports with an additional two capable of
being fitted as VIP transports.
The first was delivered on September 25,
2009, with 16 being supplied by December
2012. Sadly, by January 2013, despite massive
training and technical support efforts from
Alenia Aermacchi and the USAF, the contract
was cancelled. This was due to in-country
problems with maintenance and spares
supplies caused by alleged corruption by
Afghan government and air force officials. It
appears that the aircraft will be scrapped or
withdrawn, a sad end to the operational career
of an excellent transport
CONSOLIDATION
While the G.222 programme was going on,
Fiat underwent a complete reorganisation in
1976, and at this point the famous Fiat name
leaves the story of Alenia Aemacchi. The Fiat
Aviazione Turin and Brindisi facilities went
over to building only aero eng ines and drive
systems, such as helicopter gearboxes. Fiat's
50% share in Aeritalia, the aircraft production
elements of the company, was sold to state
owned !RI Finmeccanica. In 1989, the Fiat
aero engine company was renamed Fiat Avio,
acquiring Alfa Romeo Avio from Finmeccanica
in 1997 to consolidate the Italian aero engine,
rocket, drive train and engine management
system industry. Fiat Avio works with Airbus,
Boeing and Panavia among many others,
developing eng ines and power delivery and
management solutions for a wide range of civil
and military aircraft.
The company formed European Launch
Vehicle (ELY) to develop rockets for the
European Space Agency and others in 2000, >-
Ale n ia Aermacch i 105
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
Two AMI Panavia Tornado lDS aircraft d emonstrate 'buddy' refuelling capability on exercise in the US. USAF
changing its name to Avio S.p.A in 2003. On
December 21, 2012, US aero engine giant
General Electric (GE) announced it was
purchasing the aviation propulsion and
management systems elements of the
company, subject to government approvals, as
Avio was already a partner in so many GE aero
engine programmes. Due to its experience and
success with rocket systems and launch
vehicles such as the Ariane series and Vega,
Avio's subsidiary rocket manufacturer, ELV, is
likely to remain independent.
To return to Aeritalia and indeed, the year
The prototype Boeing 767 in flight near Seattle in Washingto n.Aeritalia was responsible for
building all the control surfaces for the airliner. Alenia Aermacchi
106 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
it became that company, 1969. Aside from
being renamed and reorganised, the company
also became part of Panavia on March 26 that
year. This was initially formed between
Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm (now EADS),
the British Aircraft Corporation (now BAE
Systems) and Aeritalia (now Alenia
Aermacchi) to design and develop the new
European Multi Role Combat Aircraft, later
named Tornado. The air craft design and
manufacture was divide d up between the
partner nations, essentially the forward
fuselage, fin and tailplane going to Britain, the
rest of the fuselage to Germany and the wings
to Italy. The RB.199 engine for the Tornado
was split up the same way, with Turbo Union
being formed in June 1970 between MTU in
Germany, Rolls-Royce in Britain and Fiat Avio
(now Avio) in Italy. With the aircraft agreed
upon as a two seat low level strike aircraft, in
September 1971, the three governments gave
their go ahead to the project.
TORNADO
The prototype Tornado first flew on August
14, 1974, at Manching in Germany, and was
the first of 992 Tornadoes of all versions built
by the three nations from that date. The
Italian prototype made its first flight on
December 5, 1975, at Aeritalia's T urin facility,
the first of 100 Tornado lDS (Interdictor
Strike) versions of the aircraft delivered to the
AMI. There were remarkably few problems
encountered with the aircraft in trials,
considering the complex nature of the aircraft
and its systems, especially the active control
technology embodied in its computer
governed digital flight control system.
The AMI received its first Tornado on
September 25, 1981, with a Tri-national
Tornado Training Establishment (f'TTE) being
formed in Britain at RAF Cottesmore that year
to train crews from all three par tner air forces,
a process that was to continue until1999. The
production lines delivered the last aircraft in
1998, this being one for the only export
customer for the Tornado, Saudi Arabia.
Aside from the 100Tornado lDS aircraft
ah·eady mentioned, the AMI operated two
other types of the Tornado. The first of these
was the Tornado ECR, 16 of the AMI's
Tornado lDS aircraft being converted to the
 A very early production aircraft from the 100 of
the Panavia Tornado lDS strike variant supplied
electronic combat and reconnaissance version, to the AMI. Alenla Aermacchl
with the first delivered on February 27, 1998.
The Tornado ECR has additional sensors to
detect and locate ground radars and can carry
the AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile to
attack those radar sites. These are known as
Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD)
missions and often go under the interesting
nickname of Wild Weasel, an old US Air Force
term for the mission.
To perform reconnaissance missions, the
AMI Tornado ECRs can also carry the
RecceLite reconnaissance pod. The last
version of the Tornado operated by the AMI One of the four KC-767 tanker transport versions of the
was the air defence variant or Tornado ADV, Boeing 767 airliner buiH for the AMI. seen here refuelling
originally developed only for Britain's Royal a B-52 while under trials in the US. Alenla Aermacchl
Air Force but later also exported to Saudi
Arabia along with the IDS variant On
Novembe r 17, 1993, the AMI signed an
agreement with the RAF to lease 24 Tornado
F3 fighter versions of the aircraft for 10 years.
This was to fiU the gap between the F-104S
leaving service and the e ntry of the
Eurofighter Typhoon, then expected in 2000.
These aircraft served with the AMI until
December 2004, with one being retained for
the AMI Museum, the rest being returned to
the UK. A batch of 35 F-16s leased from the
US Air Force replaced them in the AMI until
the Typhoon was fully ready.

ON OPERATIONS
The AMI's Tornado fleet saw a great deal of
operational use. In 1991, eight aircraft were shortly after it was formed. Along with the Civil The 767 airframe has also been adapted
deployed to take part in the Gulf War as par t T ransport Development Corporation (CTDC), a as a airborne early warning and control
of the coalition forces. One was shot down but consortium of Japanese aerospace companies, aircraft (AWACS) for the J apanese Self
the crew ejected safely. Dming Operation in 1972 Aeritalia joined Boeing in signing a risk Defence Forces OSDF) as the E-767 and as
Allied Force over Kosovo in 1999, 22 Tornado sharing agreement to develop a new wide the KC-767 tanker transport, four of which
IDS and ECRs were deployed as bombe rs and bodied twin engined airliner, a concept that have been produced for both the JSDF and
reconnaissance aircraft. As a result of these would later become the Boeing 767. Aeritalia AMI. Most recently, the KC-46A tanker
experiences, in July 2002, 18 AMI Tornado would produce all of the control surfaces on the transport version of the airframe won the US
ID Ss were upgraded with GPS and laser new aircraft, the rudder, elevators, ailerons and Air Force's KC-X tanker competition, the
ine rtial navigation syste ms, as well as the flaps, with other components being built in contract for the first 18 of an expected 179
ability to carry the Storm Shadow cruise Japan before final assembly in the US at aircraft being awarded in February 2011. Up
missile, Joint Direct Attack Munition ODAM) Boeing's Everett factory in Washington. The to March 2013, Boeing had built 1044 Boeing
and the Paveway lii laser guided bomb. first Boeing 767 flew on September 26, 1981, 767s against confirmed orders for 1108, a
Four Tornado IDS were sent to Afghanistan and to date six airliner variants have been tre me ndous success for all the companies
in 2010 as part of the Italian military produced with differing capacities and ranges. involved. • Words: Tim Callaway
commitment there, and both the IDS and ECR
versions were used during the intervention
missions over Iibya in 2011. Prior to this last
deployment, in 2010 it was decided that the A side view of a Panavia Tornado lDS
Tornado lDS would be the subject of a major of 155° Gruppo. Keith DraycoH
upgrade and Life extension programme to keep
the aircraft in service until 2025. New digital
cockpit displays, night vision goggles and new
dig ital communications capabilities for tactical
information sharing are all part of this upgrade.
Aeritalia entered into one other major
international aircraft development programme

A side view of an Aeritalia

G.222 of 14° Stormo so
Gruppo. Keith DraycoH

Ale nia Ae rmacch i 107


Aeritalia, Al\1X International
and the Do 328
I
n 1971, the build ing of a new
Aermacchl factory began at the
airfield at Venegono, llkm (seven
miles) south ofVarese. This was to
grow from just the wind tunnel and
test facilities into a 125,000sq m (1.34 million
sq ft) modern production and testing facility
that is the home of the company today. One of
the first projects to benefit from these new
facilities was the AMX, a fighter bomber that
began with a 1977 requirement from the
Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMD for an
aircraft to replace the Fiat G.91 and the F-104
Star fighter in the ground attack role.
Aermacchl and Aeritalia decided that the best
approach to the requirement was to work
together on a joint proposal to ensure success,
with design studies being begun in April1978.
With the success of the MB.326 variants in
Brazil, Aermacchi had a close working
relationship with Embraer, which was aware
of a similar requirement from the Brazilian Air
Force. In July 1981, the Italian and Brazilian
governments decided a common aircraft
designed and produced jointly would be the
most cost effective solution to their needs.
Embraer joined Aermacchi and Aeritalia in a
The Brazilian Air Force also
opera tes the single a nd two
seat AMX. a s shown here.
Note the starboard c annon.
featured only on Brazilia n
a ircraft. Lulglno Callaro
new company to build and market the aircraft,
AMX International, so called as the aircraft
project was by now widely known as the AMX.
Aermacchi would build the front and rear
fuselage, Aeritalia the centre fuselage and fin
and Embraer the wings, elevators, air intakes,
undercarriage and fuel tanks.
The AMX was intended from the outset to
serve as a ground attack aircraft for battlefield
interdiction, close air support and
reconnaissance missions . The airframe was
designed to be rugged and simple, requiring
the minimum in maintenance and support
equipment to allow it to be deployed to remote
locations and operate autonomously. The
aircraft is fitted with integrated electronic
countermeasures and defensive aids, and can
carr y air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9
Sidewinder and Mectron MAA-1 Piranha on
its wing tip rails for self defence.
These integrated systems do not use any of
the four underwing and single central
underfuselage pylons which remain clear for
external fuel and a maximum load of 3800kg
(83801b) of air-to-ground weapons. The AMX
can carry a wide variety of bombs, air-to-
ground missiles and rockets, as well as being
 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION

This Pearl Aviation Dornier Do 328 is operated by Aero Rescue on One of the reasons the AMX is well liked by its crews is the excellent
behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in the long range air view from the cockpit. Note the port mounted six barrelled cannon on
sea rescue role. YSSY these 51 Stormo aircraft. Luigino Caliaro

fitted with internal cannon. Here the Italian

and Brazilian versions differ, the Italian AMX
having a single M61 Vulcan six barrelled
20mm cannon mounted low in the nose on the
port side, the Brazilian aircraft having a pair of
30mm DEFA 554 cannon mounted on either
side of the lower nose.
In keeping with the simple and rugged
approach to the airframe, the Rolls-Royce
Spey was chosen to power the AMX because
it was reliable and relatively cheap, cost being
a large factor in this development
programme. The Spey 807 without
afterburner was chosen, producing 5000kg
(11,030lb) of thrust and giving the AMX a
maximum speed of914kph (568mph).
The AMX prototype flew for the first time on In a hardened aircraft shelter this AMX of 132 Gruppo.
May 15, 1984, and was followed by seven test 51 Stormo is having its nose mounted cannon
and evaluation aircraft. The first prototype was reloaded.Various bombs and a reconnaissance pod
lost on its fifth flight, but the test and evaluation wait to be loaded. Luigino Caliaro
programme was carried out successfully in
spite of this. The two seat advanced trainer and
attack version of the AMX began development In 2009, fo ur Italian AMXs were deployed and tailplane. Aermacchi built the entire
in 1986, first flying in 1990 and now equipping to Afghanistan to fly missions against fuselage of the Do 328, the prototype flying for
both customer air forces. In 1988, single seat insurgents. In 2011, the AMX also took part in the first time on December 6, 1991. From the
deliveries started to Italy, Brazil receiving its the AMI's involvement in the intervention in time it entered service in 1993, Do 238s
first the following year, since which time around Libya, using the Litening Ill targeting pod to served worldwide with airlines as far afield as
200 AMXs have been built designate targets for both Paveway and JDAM Canada, Chile and Indonesia.
Despite intens ive marketing by AMX guided bombs. Brazil followed suit in 2007 The aircraft was also used as a militar y
International, no expor t customers have yet with a weapons, avionics and airframe transport by the Botswana Defence Force and
been found, although Venezuela and the upgrade package that will keep the AMX in as a long range search and rescue aircraft by
Philippines have both expressed interest. 103 service to 2032. Brazil's AMX fleet is divided the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Five
Gruppo of 51 Stormo were first to work up on into eight two seaters, nine of the AMX-R Do 328s were acquired by Australian operator
the AMX, beginning in November 1989. There reconnaissance variant and the AMX A-1. Pearl Aviation and fitted with radar and
was a hiatus in the service development of the Altogether 43 A-1s are to be upg raded to the infrared sensors to search effectively at night
aircraft in February 1992 when the AMX was AMX A-1M, with the Mectron SCP-01 Scipio and in all weathers. The Australian Do 328s
g rounded after an Italian aircraft was lost due radar, Elbit GPS and inertial navigation can also drop rescue equipment such as
to eng ine failure. After an engine modification systems and glass cockpit, a forward looking dinghys through a modified emergency exit.
programme was carried out to cure this, infrared sensor and a helmet mounted display. Of the 217 built when production ended in
operations resumed in May. The upgrade is due to be completed in 2017. 2000, 166 were still in service in 2010 and
The AMX saw its first operational use in Aermacchi was also involved in the given the durable nature of the air frame are
1995 over Bosnia as part of NATO's Operation production of the Dornier Do 328 twin likely to remain so for many years. •
Deny Flight. Six aircraft from 103 Gruppo turboprop transport aircraft The commuter Words: Tim Callaway
took part in these missions, then supported airliner was developed from the successful
!FOR peacekeepers after the fighting had Do 228 and utilised the supercritical wing
ended. Italian AMXs also took part in from that aircraft with a new fuselage, engines
operations over Kosovo in 1999, flying air
support missions in the year that saw the last
AMX roll off the production lines. Given the
cost effective nature of the AMX, in 2005 the
AMI launched an upgrade programme where
55 in service AMXs were fitted with a laser
inertial navigation system, upg raded cockpit
displays and the ability to deliver the Joint
Direct Attack Munition ODAM). An AMX International AMX of the Brazilian Air Force. Keith Draycott

Ale n ia Ae rmacchi 109

The little known
The AMX has been serving the AMI since
1988 but is still a very little known type.
However, the AMX has sported some
amazing and beautiful colour schemes
over the years. to celebrate the
anniversaries of the units operating them.
Here we have collected a few of the most
interesting in order to better publicise this
hardworking but often overlooked aircraft.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
Aeritalia
Acquisitions, ATR and
the final frontier
The AMX programme
was a success for
Aeritalia and
Aermacchi, setting a
benchmark for future
co-operation. As this
project progressed, the
Italian aerospace
industry consolidated
still further and the
machines it produced
would diversify to
include a range of
turboprop transports
and spacecraft.
One of the ELDO
Euro pa launch vehicles,
b ased o n the British
Blue Strea k first stage.
Alenia Aermacchl
T
he concept of consolidating the
Italian aircraft industry to make it
able to compete on a level playing
field with some of the other
European and US organisation
took several large strides in the 1980s. Not
least of these was with Aeritalia, which was
hard at work on the design and production of
the AMX aircraft alongside partners
Aermacchi and Embraer. Parent company
Finmeccanica continued its acquisition of
aerospace concerns when Aeronavali of
Venice was purchased in 1981.
Aeronavali was now a company that
specialised in converting military and civil
aircraft, specialising in cargo conversions.
Light aircraft manufacturer Partenavia were
also purchased in 1981, as well as remotely
piloted vehicle specialist Meteor. Meteor had
been formed in 1947 to build light aircraft and
gliders, producing its first target, the P.1, in
the late 1950s.
Meteor then built a wide range of target
and reconnaissance drones, ranging from
propeller driven versions to jet and rocket
propelled aircraft capable of sustained
supersonic flig ht. As already mentioned,
Aeritalia was to acquire Alia Romeo Avio in
1997, but this had first been purchased by
Finmeccanica in 1985 to assist in
consolidating the aero engine as well as the
aerospace industries. One last change was
made to the Italian aerospace industry in
1981, Aeritalia bought a shareholding in
Aermacchi, making the companies partners in
more than just the AMX.
ATR - REGIONAL SUCCESS
After this latest reorganisation, Aeritalia
entered an entirely new area with French
aircraft manufacturer Aerospatiale, now part
The Meteor Mirach 100 target a nd
reconna issa nce drone was one of the
products p roduced by Meteo r, a n Aerita lia
acquisitio n of 1981 . Meteor
of EADS. They formed a company to produce
new twin engined turboprop commercial
aircraft. It was called ATR because it works
well in both languages, Aerei da Trasporto
Regionale or Avions de Transport Regional.
The first aircraft was the ATR 42, a name
that comes from its seating layouts of between
42 and 52 passengers. The prototype flew for
the first time on August 16, 1984. 1l1e initial
production version, the ATR 42-300, was
powered by a pair of 2000shp Pratt & Whitney
Canada PW120 engines which gave it a
cruising speed of 500kph (310mph). Since
then, four more commercial variants of the
ATR 42 have been produced along with a
cargo, VIP transport and maritime patrol
versions.
The latter has a maritime surveillance
mission system fitted and is known as the
ATR 42MP or Surveyor. The manufacturing of
the aircraft is split between Italy and France.
The fuselages and wings are built in Naples
and the wings in Bordeaux, after which the
components are shipped to the final assembly
line at Toulouse.
The first ATR model was subject to a
fuselage stretch in 1986 to increase the
seating capacity to between 68 and 74
passengers. The fuselage was lengthened by
4.5m (15ft) to accommodate this and the
prototype first flew on October 27, 1988.
Known as the AT R 72, this aircraft has been
produced in five airliner versions as well as a
cargo and VIP variant. The maritime patrol
version of the ATR 72 included additional anti-
submarine and anti-surface warfare
capabilities with the ability to carry anti-ship
missiles, torpedoes and depth charges, with
10 being delivered to the Turkish Navy.
The success of the ATR aircraft gave
Aeritalia a strong presence in the civil aircraft
market, supplemented by its involvement in
the Tornado and AMX international military
programmes. By December 2012, 422 AT R
42s and 408 ATR 72s had been built, over a
thousand aircraft flying with airlines and air
forces world wide.
ABOVETHE ATMOSPHERE
Aeritalia had already had experience of
working with space vehicle programmes via
its involvement in the European launcher
Development Organisation (ELDO), the
predecessor of the European Space Agency
(ESA) , formed in 1962. Britain, France and
Germany would build the launch vehicles,
initially with little success prior to the
establishment of ESA and the beginning of the
Ariane programme.
Italy was g iven responsibility for the
satellite payloads, but Aeritalia also built the
Alfa rocket for the Italian Ministry of Defence
and the fuel tanks for the Ariane series of
launch vehicles developed by ESA. Its early
structure and payload involvement with
ELDO led to Aeritalia being selected to build
the module structure of Spacelab 1 in Turin
beginning in 1975.
This ESA project was flown aboard the
Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-9 on
November 28, 1983. The tremendous success
of this and the seven later Spacelab missions
meant that the module concept for spacecraft
was further developed. Aeritalia built two
developed versions called Spacehab for
McDonnell Douglas. The units were produced
in single and double module versions, and
were flown on 16 Space Shuttle missions,
starting with STS-57 aboard the Endeavour on
June 21, 1993. The Spacehab also led to the
development of Multipurpose Pressurised
Logistic Modules (MPLM), two Turin built
examples, Leonardo and Raffaello, flying eight
times starting in March 2001.
The ultimate development of the Aeritalia
module concept was Columbus, so named
because it was due to orbit in 1992 in the
500th anniversar y year of Christopher
Columbus's voyage to America. With the
introduction of the International Space Station
(ISS) programme, Columbus became the ESA
laboratory module for the station, delivered to
the Kennedy Space Centre in May 2006.
Desig ned for 10 years of operation, a
remarkable achievement for a spacecraft,
Columbus was launched in the Space Shuttle
Atlantis on the STS-122 mission on February
7, 2008. Columbus was attached to the ISS's
Node 2, a module called Harmony, also built
under contract by Alenia for ESA.
Harmony was launched on STS-120 in
October 2007, acting as a connector unit
between Columbus, the Japanese Kibo
laboratory and the rest of the station. From
these spacecraft designs, one more emerged,
the Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV. This
is a supply vehicle, taking consumables and
new equipment to the ISS. The first ATV
mission occurred in March 2008, launched by
an Ariane V from the ESA spaceport at
Kourou.
In 1990 Finmeccanica merged Aeritalia
with Selenia, to form a s ingle aircraft and
electronics production company. Selenia was
an aerospace electronics manufacturer
formed by Finmeccanica, Raytheon and
Edison in 1960. It specialised in radar and
other sensors and surve illance systems, so in
combining them with Aeritalia, Finmeccanica
created a centre of excellence for every aspect
of aeronautics and spacellight. The new
company was an amalgamation of the two
names and was known simply as Alenia. •
Words: Tim Callaway
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION

Aermacchi
Yakovlev, SIAI-Marchetti
~~o~~~~:~~~itiWy
after its success with the MB.326 and 339, Aermacchi continued
trffiner IDrcrnft e
to develop its command of this field, firstly by collaborating with
Russian design centre Yakovlev on a new military trainer and then
in 1996 with its acquisition of SIAI-Marchetti.

I
n 1990 the Soviet government, in its
final year of existence, issued a
request to industry for a trainer to
replace the Aero L-29 and L-39 aircraft
then in service. Five responses were
received and a selection process reduced
these to two in 1991 - the Mikoyan Gurevich
MiG-AT and the Yakovlev Yak-UTS. At the
same time, in Italy, Aermacchi was
considering a replacement aircraft for the
MB.339, developing the New Technology
Trainer (NTD and the Advanced Trainer 2000
concepts.
ln 1993, realising the similarities between
their requirements, Yakovlev and Aermacchi
signed an agreement to jointly develop the
Yak-UTS design concept. This aircraft, now
known as the AY-130 or the Yak/ AEM-130,
first flew in 1996 as a technology
demonstrator, and was delivered to Venegono
for flight testing and evaluation. Over the next
four years, the aircraft amassed hundreds of
hours of flight time until, in 1999, the
companies recognised that their requirements
for the aircraft were very different.
Yakovlev went on to develop the Yak-130
separately, building the trainer for the Russian
Air Force and six export customers so far.
Aermacchi began development of the M-346
Master, which will be described later in this
magazine. Althoug h superficially similar, the
two aircraft are very different in terms of
structure, aerodynamics and equipment.
The long history of Aermacchi in
producing trainers for the world led it to
acquire another successful Italian trainer
manufacturer, SIAI-Marchetti, in 1996. SIAI
Marchetti had a long history of building
successful trainers, the most famous of which
was the SF.260, designed by Stelio Frati and
first flown on July 15, 1964. Originally
intended as a light touring aircraft and
aerobatic trainer, the SF.260 was quickly
recognised as an ideal military basic trainer
and is still in production today.
Since its first flight, more than 870 have
been built and supplied to 33 air forces
worldwide. Aside from being a basic and
aerobatic trainer, the tough SF.260 airframe
can also carry underwing weapons in the light
ground attack role, eight of the customer
nations actually using the type in combat. The
most recent development for the Aeronautica
Militare ltaliana (AMO is the Aermacchi
SF.260EA, with a redesig ned canopy and
various other improvements. Thirty of these
trainers were purchased for the AMI in 2005.
The aircraft has also been re-engined with a
450hp Allison 250-B17F turboprop to produce
the SF.260TP, a number of operators choosing
to upgrade to this version of the aircraft. Due
to the continuing popularity of the SF.260,
Aermacchi has entered into a production
agreement with Russian aircraft manufacturer
Sokol. Sokol builds the complete SF.260
airframes, which are then delivered to
Venegono for outfitting, assembly and flight
testing. Aside from being a very effective
trainer, the SF.260 is also a very beautiful one,
its pleasing, fighter-like lines underscoring its
impressive performance and superb handling.
Aside from the piston engined SF.260, SIAI-
Marchetti had also produced a single engined
light jet basic trainer called the S.211. The
design work on the aircraft had begun as a
private venture in 1976 with the prototype
making its first flight on AprillO, 1981. Aside
from the basic jet training role, the S.211
could also carry 660kg (1500lb) of weapons

The technology demonstrator version of the AY-130 o r Yak/ AEM-130

wa s a very different a ircraft to the later machines. Note the w ing lets The Philippine Air Force upgraded its SF.260s to SF.260TPs with t he
and the lack of the wing fences for exam ple. Alenia Aermacchi p urc hase of the t urboprop powered ve rsion. Alenia Aermacchi

114 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG


on four under wing pylons to fulfil the light
ground attack or close air support role. The
first custome r was Singapore, which ordered
10 in 1983, increasing its order to 32 in total,
of which 24 were built locally by Singapore
Aircraft Industries. Haiti ordered four S.21ls
in June 1985, followed by the Philippines
which ordered 25, of which 15 were
assembled by the Philippine Aerospace
Development Corporation.
It is believed that 12 of the Philippine
S.21ls are still in service, but Haiti retired its
examples in April1990, selling two to
Singapore as replaceme nts and two to private
companies in the US. These last two were
used to develop the S.211A with Northrop
Grumrnan, an e ntry into the US Joint Primary
Aircraft Training System competition in 1995.
In December 2009, 21 surviving Singapore
S.21ls were sold to the lAP Group in
Australia, which has since sold 14 of them to
civilian owners. Given the continuing interest
in the S.211, in 2004 Aermacchi produced two
prototypes of an upg raded aircraft with
modern avionics and a strengthe ned and
lightened structure, the M.311.
These first flew on] une 1, 2005, and have an
increased weapons load of 1000kg (2205lb) for
their secondary attack role through the
addition of a centreline pylon under the
fuselage. The M.311 is intended to be an
introduction to the M.346 advanced trainer and
complement the type in service. In April 2008,
Alenia and ENAER of Chile signed an
agreement to market the two trainers in South
America, and in May the same year, Boeing and
Alenia agreed on a co-operative joint sales and
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
support venture for the M.311 and the M.346
worldwide. The aircraft is supplied with a
complete ground training package and is fitted
with an Embedded Tactical Training Simulation
(ETfS) suite, enabling threats and weapons
delivery to be simulated. From 2012, to show
the complimentary nature of the two aircraft,
the M.311 was redesignated the M.345.
In 1996, Aermacchi also purchased the
manufacturing rights to the Finnish Valmet L-
90TP, a turboprop traine r development of the
earlier Valmet L-80 Turbo Vinka design, itself
a development of the L-70 Vinka piston
eng ined trainer. The first L-80 flew in
February 1985, and was further developed by
Valmet and Aermacchi into the Aermacchi
M.290 RediGo. Aside from its training role,
the M.290 has six underwing hardpoints for a
total of 800kg (1760lb) of weapons to enable it
to act in the light support role. The M.290 is
powered by a 450hp Allison 250-B17F
turboprop which gives the trainer a maximum
speed of 352kph (220mph). Finland operated
eight of these aircraft, along with 14 in Eritrea
and seven in service with the Mexican Navy.
As has already been me ntioned, aside from
these acquisitions and developments in the
range of trainers Aermacchi was producing,
the new factory facilities at Venegono airfield
South of Varese were being rapidly developed.
The company was in the middle of moving
house so to speak throughout the early 1990s,
and eventually the original Varese factory
closed, having produced the huge range of
world beating aircraft recorded in these pages
since production began there in 1912. •
Words: Tim Callaway
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
0
ne of the largest and most
controversial European aircraft
programmes of the last 20 years
has been the Airbus Military
A400M military tactical and
strategic transport aircraft. In 1990, Alenia had
joined the eight nation partnership to build
and order the aircraft The plan was for it to
build the rear fuselage, flaps and cargo
handling system for the aircraft as its part of
the workshare ag reement. However,
11 6 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
continuing delays and escalating costs forced
the Italian Government to re-evaluate its part
in the programme and its pressing transport
aircraft needs. In October 2001, Italy withdrew
from the A400M project, having already
ordered Lockheed C-130] Hercules and
Boeing K-767 tanker transports to meet its
immediate operational needs. There was one
other transport aircraft in the process of
acquisition, a development of an aircraft that
has already appeared in this story.
DEVELOPINGTHE C-27J
In 1995, Alenia and Lockheed Martin had
begun a study to transfer the glass cockpit
technology developed for the C-130] to the
G.222 twin engined military transport. The
study had included an engine upgrade to the
3400hp General Electric T-64 tu rboprop
engines, but in 1996 it was decided to use the
4640hp Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engine and six
bladed propeller combination from the C-130]
as well, reducing the cost and development

time of the programme by combining already
proven elements of the two aircraft The
G.222 had been designated the C-27A in
USAF service, so the new aircraft naturally
became the C-27].
Development began in 1997 with the
integration of the new systems into an existing
airframe. This proved so successful that
though the production aircraft were all brand
new, not refurbished G.222s, the Aeronautica
Militare Italiana (AMI) received its first C-271
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES & CONSOLIDATION
A two seat Eurofighter Typhoon
over the Alps and a C-27J.
Alenia Aermacchi
in October 2006, an incredibly short
development time for a modern military
aircraft. One side effect of the increase in
power is that Alenia has created the world's
first aerobatic transport aircraft! Displays at
airshows by C-27Js have included such
manoeuvres as loops and rolls since the type
entered service, an astounding thing to
witness by an aircraft this large. While this
work was progressing, in 2005 the US Army
had recognised the limitations of its Short C-23
Sherpa fleet, particularly in operations in hot
and high conditions, and that the aircraft
would soon need replacing. The Joint Cargo
Aircraft competition was announced to supply
a tactical airlifter for both Army and US Air
Force use. Alenia joined with L-3
Communications to promote the C-27] for the
contract, as Lockheed was entering the C-130] .
On June 13, 2007, the Pentagon
announced that the C-27] had won the
competition and an initial contract for 78
aircraft was placed. The first production
C-271 for the US contract flew almost exactly
a year later, on June 17, 2008, the aircraft
being delivered on September 25. Both Air
National Guard and Army National Guard
personnel were trained at Robins Air Force
Base in Georgia, although in May 2009, the
order was cut to 38 aircraft from the original
78 due to budget cuts.
In August 2011, the first two C-27Js
deployed to Kandahar in Afghanistan,
operating extremely successfully until
December and effectively cutting the load on
the US Army's heavylift helicopters. In
November 2012, the C-27Js deployed inside
the US for the first time, operating in support
of the relief effort in the aftermath of
Hurricane Sandy. Sadly, the severe
sequestration budget cuts forced on the US
military have probably caused the C-271
programme to be cancelled, the aircraft do
not appear in the inventory after 2013, a cut
announced on March 23, 2012. There may be
a reprieve or redeployment of the aircraft,
but at the moment that is deemed unlikely.
However, the C-271 has enjoyed export
success elsewhere, the powerful twin being
supplied to the air forces of six other
countries as listed above: >-
Alenia Aermacchi 117

The MC-27J can carry cannon for gunship
missions. Alenla Aermacchi
Pilots training in the C-27J simulator.
Alenia Aermacchi
One of the eight C-27Js supplied to the
Hellenic Air Force. Alenia Aermacchi
Side view of a 4• Stormo Eurofighter
Typhoon T-1. Keith Draycott
118 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
The first C-27J built for
the JCA competition in
2005. Alenia Aermacchi
As well as these current operators,
Australia has ordered 10 C-27Js for delivery
in 2015 to replace the DHC-4 Caribou.
Canada is considering the C-27J to fill its need
for a fixed wing search and rescue aircraft,
while the air forces of Slovakia, India, Taiwan,
Indonesia and the Philippines have all
expressed interest in the type as a military
transport, the latter announcing an order for
three C-27Js in June 2012.
GUNSHIPS AND JEDIS
Three additional variants of the C-27J have
been built, the first of these being the AC-27J
Stinger II gunship proposed by the US Air
Force in 2008, a single example of which was
converted from a C-27A in storage in the US.
The C-27A was used to test the feasibility of
mounting 30mm and 40mm cannon on the
aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, but
budget cuts again put the concept on hold in
May 2009. In July 2012, Alenia Aermacchi
announced the MC-27J as an upgrade package
to existing air frames or as new build aircraft.
This would be a multi-mission version of the
aircraft, with command and control and
communications capabilities and the ability to
carry a 30mm cannon or Hellfire missiles to
operate as a gunship. Lastly, the AMI
developed a package of electronic warfare
systems that could be fitted to the C-27J as
part of the Jamming and Electronic Defence
Instrumentation Oedi) programme. Aircraft
with the package fitted are known as EC-27J
A 179th Air Wing Alenia C-27J of the Ohio
National Guard. Keith Draycott
'Jedi', and are able to disrupt communications
and electronic systems over a wide area. With
these export orders and upgrades, the future
for the C-27J is looking very bright.
TYPHOON
Alenia, and before it Aeritalia, has been a
member of one of the most important aircraft
projects in European history from its
beginning, the EurofighterTyphoon. In April
1982, the Agile Combat Aircraft progamme
was launched by the same three partner
companies who had formed Panavia to
produce the Tornado, Messerschmitt Bolkow
Blohm (now EADS), the British Aircraft
Corporation (now BAE Systems) and
Aeritalia (now Alenia Aermacchi). The
following year, CASA of Spain joined what was
now known as the Future European Fighter
Aircraft (FEFA) project. A joint company
called Eurofig hter Jagdflugzeug GmbH was
formed in Munich to manage the aircraft in
1986, as was EurojetTurbo GmbH, to
manage the engine development between
RoLls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, Fiat Avio
(now Avio) and !PT. The production
workshare on the aircraft between the nations
was 33%to Germany, 33%to Britain, 21% to
Italy and 13% to Spain, figures arrived at from
the number of fighters each country would
order. Alenia would produce the left wing, the
rear fuselage and the outboard flaperons of
every aircraft as its share. Design and
production definition began in earnest and the
first prototype took to the air at Manching in
Germany on March 27, 1994 in the hands of
test pilot Peter Weger.
Prototypes for all four nations followed,
the test programme running at a very fast
pace so that the first production contract
was able to be signed on January 30, 1998.
The first production Typhoons were
delivered to the AMI on December 16, 2005,
entering ser vice at Grosseto Air Base as air
defence fighters. The first operational
deployment of AMI Typhoons was on July 7,
2009, when aircraft were sent to protect
Albania's airspace when that country
became a full member of NATO. Aside from
the four partner nations, Typhoons have also
been exported to Austria, Saudi Arabia and
Oman and other nations have expressed
interest, but no orders have yet been
forthcoming. By March 2013, 355 Typhoons
had been delivered to customer air forces
against a total of 471 currently on order. The
AMI will receive 96 Typhoons, those
delivered already being in service with 4
Stormo at Grosseto, 36 Stormo at Gioia del
Colle and 37 Stormo at Trapani. Aside from
the work carried out by Alenia on the
Typhoon programme, Aermacchi A single and two seat Eurofighter
contributed a 4%workshare to Eurofighter, Typhoon from 4 Stormo based at
taking particular advantage of its expertise Grosseto. Alenia Aermacchi
in modern materials by designing the wing
pylons, double missile and store carriers,
ECM pods, carbon fibre structural members
and titanium engine cowlings.

FURTHER CONSOLIDATION
While all this work was going in, there was
a further reorganisation of the companies
by Finmeccanica with the formation of
Alenia Aerospazio and Alenia Difensa in
1997. This effectively separated the Alenia
elements of aircraft on the one hand and
missiles and electronics on the other that had
been joined in the amalgamation of Aeritalia
and Selenia in 1990. A year after the split,
Alenia Difensa merged with Marconi to
form Alenia Marconi Systems. Finally, in April
2001, one of the largest manufacturers of
avionics, missiles and weapons systems in the
world was formed when Alenia Marconi
Systems merged with the missile divisions of
BAE Systems (Matra BAe Dynamics) and
EADS (Aerospatiale Matra Missiles) to
become MBDA.
For Alenia, only one step remained before it
would become the company we know today, A superb shot of a two seat Eurofighter
events that will be covered in the last chapter Typhoon showing just what a clean airframe The rugged C-27J over the equally rugged
of this magazine. • Words Tim Callaway it is. Alenla Aermacchi terrain of Northern Italy. Alenia Aermacchi

A rare photograph of a Eurofighter

Typhoon from each of the four partner
nations together. Alenia Aermacchi

Ale nia Ae rmacchi 119

Into the 21st century
Alenia Aermacchi is formed
As can be seen, the Alenia and Aermacchi companies were both

A
s already mentioned, Alenia had
been split into Alenia extremely busy at the turn of the century, with ongoing work for
Aerospazio and Alenia Difensa major international programmes and their own air and spacecraft to
in 1996. Finmeccanica complete. As the new century began, Finmeccanica was to finalise
rationalised its businesses as
the new century began, so the company was
its reorganisations with one final split then one final m erger.
split still further in 2002 with Alenia Spazio
being created to deal exclusively with the
manufacture of spacecraft. The aircraft
manufacturer was now known as Alenia
Aeronautica, but this was not to last for long.
In July 2003, Finmeccanica purchased a 99%
share of Aermacchi, initially keeping the
businesses separate. By 2006 they were
referred to as Alenia Aermacchi both
internally and generally, so on January 1,
2012, 100 years since the foundation of
Aermacchi, the companies were officially
merged to become the aerospace g iant we
know today, Alenia Aermacchi.

UAVS
With the new name also came a new business
direction, that of unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs). The first of these was Sky-X, a V-tail
technology demonstrator to provide research
data. This was rolled out in May 2003 then
taken to the huge Swedish test and weapons
range at Vidsel for flig ht trials. On May 29,

120 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

2005, the Sky-X became the first European
UAV over lOOOkg (2205lb) to fly successfully.
Powered by a SNECMA Mircoturbo TRIOO.
268 turbofan, the Sky-X is capable of 648kph
(403mph) . Aside from the initial tests using
ground control, the Sky-X was used to develop
autonomous flight capabilities. In 2008, the
Sky-X demonstrated the ability to join up in
formation with a C-27J, in preparation for air-
to-air refuelling. In June 2006, a second
research UAV was unveiled, the Sky-Y. This is
a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV
(MALE UAV), able to operate for long
periods. On October 30, 2007, Sky-Y set a new
UAV European endurance record of eight
hours continuous flight
These two technology demonstrators have
brought Alenia Aermacchi into two new
programmes. The first of these is the Molynx,
a larger MALE UAV developed from the Sky-Y
project Alenia Aermacchi's success with the
autonomous flight capabilities of both
programmes resulted in its becoming
Dassault's first partner company in the
stealthy nEUROn Unmanned Combat Air
Vehicle (UCAV) project in 2005. With a 22%
share in the programme, Alenia Aermacchi is
responsible for the weapon firing system, the
Smart Integrated Weapon Bay (SIWB), air
data system, electrical system and flig ht
testing of the type. The nEUROn prototype
made its first flight on December 1, 2012 and
will be used for research into developing the
next generation of UCAVs.
MASTER TRAINER
In 1993, Aermacchi had worked with Yakovlev
on the AY-130 project that Yakovlev later
developed into the Yak-130 military trainer for
Russia. Aermacchi independently developed a
very different, although superficially similar
aircraft, the Alenia Aermacchi M.346 Master.
This is a very advanced aircraft, equipped
with the latest in simulation technology to
allow cost effective combat training to take
place with simulated threats and weapons.
The simulation systems present the pupil pilot
with realistic situations and challenges and
have a long term impact on system cost For
example, weapon deliver y can be practiced
without needing either weapons or an
expensive target range, the computers can
accurately s imulate weapon delivery against
any chosen target The M.346 is intended as a
lead-in fig hter trainer for fifth generation
aircraft such as the Eurofig hter Typhoon and
Lockheed F-35 Lightning 11. The prototype
A Boeing 787 of All Nippon
Airlines. Alenia Aermacchi
build s the nacelles and tail of
these airliners. Keith Draycott
,A
\ _.
-~- B
The Alenia Aermacc hi M .346 production line.
Alenla Aermacchl
first flew on July 15, 2004, powered by two
very fuel efficient Honeywell F124-GA-200
turbofans of 2835kg (6250lb) thrust The non-
afterburning engines give the M.346 a
maximum speed of 1255kph (780mph), on
December 18, 2008, the aircraft reaching
Mach 1.17. This performance is a product of
the extremely efficient aerodynamics of the
new trainer. While the pre-production models
were being built, refinements in the design
and the extended use of modern composites
resulted in a reduction in weight of 780kg
(1720lb) in the third M.346, the first
production standard airframe. This reduction
has increased acceleration and climb
performance and allowed the carriage of more
fuel, extending the endurance of the trainer.
The advanced flight control system configures
the leading edge slats and flaps to the mission,
giving the aircraft a variable camber wing in
effect. This means the way the aircraft reacts
can be configured, as the pupil gains in
experience the M.346 can be programmed to
increasingly resemble the handling of the
operational aircraft they will go on to fly.
In the summer of 2007, the M.346 was
based at the historic city of AI Ain in Abu
Dhabi, at one of the training bases for the
United Arab Emirates Air Force. The new
trainer was demonstrated to the UAE and
underwent trials proving its ability to operate
in hot and high conditions. Since then, both
the Hellenic Aircraft Industry of Greece and
ENAER of Chile have signed understandings
to become partners in the M.346 programme,
along with Hoeing which has a co-operative
joint sales and support agreement with Alenia
Aermacchi for the M.311 and the M.346
A side view of the first
prototype of the Alenia
Aermacchi M.346.
Keith Draycott
The first flight of the nEUROn UCAV on
December 1. 2012. Alenla Aermacchl
worldwide. The M.346 has been ordered by
the air forces of Italy (15 aircraft in 2009),
Singapore (12 aircraft in 2010) and Israel (30
aircraft in 2012), with the UAE air force in the
process of negotiating a contract for 48 of the
type as a trainer and ground attack aircraft.
Most recently, in January 2013, Alenia
Aermacchi has partnered with General
Dynamics to offer the aircraft as the T-100
Integrated Training System. This to compete
in the US Air Force's T-X programme to
replace the Northrop T-38 Talon.
OTHER PROJECTS
Alenia Aermacchi has been supplying
specialist systems, such as de-icing and sound
suppression equipment for many aircraft since
the 1990s. It has also been a major
manufacturer of eng ine nacelles for a wide
variety of commercial aircraft, with over 7000
being delivered. These aircraft range from
business jets such as the Dassault Falcon
family, regional twin jets such as the Embraer
ERJ-170 series and Superjet S.lOO, to the
largest and most advanced airliners such as
the Airbus A330 and A380 and the Hoeing 787.
Alenia Aermacchi is also a partner with
Hoeing in the 787, building the tail of the
aircraft. Italy is an investment partner in the
Lockheed F-35 Lighting 11 fighter for service
into the next century. To build F-35s in
Europe, Alenia Aermacchi has developed the
final assembly and checkout facility (FACO)
at Cameri. Just looking at this list of
programmes it is clear that Alenia Aermacchi
is superbly placed to be an international
aerospace leader into the 21st centur y.
• Words: Tim Callaway
Ale n ia Ae rmacchi 121
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 This Macchi M.39 was p iloted by
Major Mario de Bernardi who
won the 1926 Schneider Trophy.
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle
urv1vors
Aermacchi, Fiat and
other aircraft on display
T
he aviation heritage
of Italy is alive and
well, as this list
clearly shows.
There are some
surprising survivors from the
past, from a rare Macchi M.20
The Macchi M.20 two seat light aircraft in the main hall o f the
Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics in Trento. Italy.
Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics
124 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
• AERFER
and the racing seaplanes of the
Schneider Trophy to a variety
of Second World War aircraft.
Most popular among the
preserved air frames are the
Aermacchi MB.326 and the Fiat
G.91, examples of which are to
be fo und in museums around
the world. The Fiat licence-built
versions of the F-104
Starfighter have also been
preserved on display in
museums as far apart as Brazil
and Estonia.
These many different types
have been arranged by
company, then type, then serial
number for ease of reference.
The list of aircraft here is as
complete as we can make it, but
as ever, there may be aircraft
we have missed or which have
moved to new owners. As
already mentioned, there ar e a
large number of preserved
aircraft., so if you know of any
that are not listed here, please
do let us know and we will
publish the details on the
Aviation Classics website. •
Words: Tim Callaway
Aefer Soglttarlo 2- MM.561 -
The second of two p rototypes
of a supersonic jet fighter is
now on d isplay in the Museo
storico dell'Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle, Italy.
Aefer Arlete- MM.569- The
only Ariete built is now on
display in the Museo storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare d i
Vigna di Valle, Italy.
ALENIA AERMACCHI/
AERMACCHI/ MACCHI
Hanrlot HD.l - 515 - A Macchi
built example on display at the
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle, Italy.
Macchl M.20 - 5 - On
display at the Museo
dell' Aeronautica Gianni
Caproni. Trento, Italy.
Macchl M.39- MM.76- This
aircraft was piloted by Major
Mario de Bernardi who won the
1926 Schneider Trophy race
and set two world speed
records that year - On display
at the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare d i
Vigna di vane. Italy.
Macchl M.52 - A single right
wing of an M.52 is held by the
Technical University of Turin
and has been restored by the
Gruppo Amici Velivoli Storici
(GAVS).
 Macchi M.67- MM.105-
This aircraft took part in the
1929 Schneider Trophy rac e
flown by Giovanni Motti - On
display at the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Macchi MC.72- MM.181-
This aircraft set a new world
speed record in 1934. flown by
Warrant Office r Francesc o
Agello - On d isplay at the
Museo Storico d ell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Macchl c-200 Saetta- 372-
5/MM.8146 -On display at the
National Museum of the United
States Air Force. Dayton. Ohio.
USA.
Macchi C.200 Saetta -
369/MM.5311 - On display at
the Museo Storico
d e ll' Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna d i Valle. Italy.
Macchi C.202 Folgore - 73-
7/MM.7844 -Actually
MM.9667. on display at the
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Macchl C.202 Folgore -
MM.92166- A hybrid of C .202
and C.205 parts. On d isplay at
the Museo Storico
de ll' Aeronautic a Militare di
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Macchi C.202 Folgore - 90-
4/MM.9476 - On display at the
US National Air and Space
Museum. Smithsonian.
Washington DC. US.
Macchi C.205 Veltro -
MM.91818- A hybrid of C.202
and C.205 parts. restored in
1981 by Aermacchi. Fiat and
the Italian Air Force. On d isplay
a s 41/MM 9372 at the National
Museum of Science and
Technology in Milan. Italy.
Macchi C.205 Veltro- 97-
2/MM. 9546- hybrid of C .202
a nd C.205 parts. On display at
the Museo Storico
de ll' Aeronautic a Militare di
Vigna d i Valle. Italy.
Macchl C.205 Veltro - On
display at the Palazzo
d e ii'Aeronautic a . Rome .
Macchl C.205 Veltro -
MM.9327 - On display at the
Parc o E Museo d el Volo
Volandia at Vizzola Ticino.
Milan. Italy.
Macchl M.416 - AA-
48/MM.53762 - On d isplay at
the Museo Storico
d e ll' Aeronautic a Militare di
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Aermacchl AL-60 - 969/ZU-
CWZ - Built under lice nce a s
the Atlas C4M Kudu. now at the
South African Air Force Museum.
Swartkop. South Africa.
This Macchi M.67 took part in the 1929 Schneider Trophy race flown by Giovanni Motti.
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica Militare d i Vigna di Valle
This Macchi MC.72 set a new world speed rec ord in 1934. flown by
Warrant Officer Franc esco Agello. Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle
Macchl MB.308 - SG-8/MM.
53058 - On display at the
Museo Storic o dell' Aerona utic a
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Macchl MB.323 - MM.554 -
On display at the Museo
Storico dell'Aeronautic a
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326 -
MM54380 - On display a s a
c ommemoration of designer
Ermanno Bazzo c chi at Tradate
near Varese. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54155- On d isp lay as a gate
guard Viterbo Air Base. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54168- On d isplay at San
Possidonio, Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54189 - On display at
Museo de ll'A ria. Montagnana.
Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54190 - Preserved at
Gosseto Air Base. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54193 - Preserved at
Decimomannu Air Base.
Sa rdinia.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54194 - On display at
Museo de ll' Aviazione.
Cerbaiola. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM .54195 - Preserved at t he
lstituto Tec nic o Industria le.
Novara. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM .54199- Preserved at Gioia
d el Co lle Air Base. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54202 - Preserved at
Roncofe rraro Airport. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54208 - On display a t
Sezione de ll'Associazione
Arma Aeronautica. Vercelli.
Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54211 - Preserved at
Brindisi Air Base. Ita ly.
Aermacchl MB.326H -
MM .54216 - On display a t
Museo de ll' Aviazione.
Cerbaiola. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54218 - Preserved at t he
lstituto Tecnic o lndustria le.
Milan. Ita ly.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54219 - Preserved at
Vestone D'ldro. ltaly.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54244- Preserved at the
lstituto Tecnico lndustriale.
Padova-Brusega. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54245- Preserved at
Sigonella Air Base. Sicily. Ita ly.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54246- Preserved at
Roverbe lla (Mantova) A irport.
Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54274 - Preserved at
Cameri A ir Base. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54278 - Preserved a t
Cagliari Elmas Air Base. Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326E -
MM.54377- Preserved at
Martina Franc o , Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326E -
MM.54385- Preserved at
Pratic a d i Mare Air Base.
Po mezia. Rome . Ita ly.
Macchi MB.326E -
MM.54389- On display at the
Museo Storico de ll' Aeronautic a
Militare d i Vigna d i Valle. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326G -
MM.54289- Preserved at
Poggio Renatico Air Base.
Ferrara. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.326GB - 4-A-
108/0647 - On display at the
Comando d e Aviaci6n Nava l
Argentina . Rio G rande.
Argentina .
Aermacchi MB.326K -
MM.54391 - On disp lay at
Pratic a di Mare Air Base .
Pomezia. Rome . Ita ly.
Aermacchl MB.326KC
lmpala 2 - 066/1065 - On
display at the South African Air
Fo rce Museum. Swartko p. South
Africa.
Ale nia Ae r macch i 125
 Aermacchi MB.326H- 51-
78 - Now on display at Parco
Tematico dell'Aviazione, Rimini,
Italy.
Aermacchi MB.326H - A7-
001 - On display at the Royal
Australian Air Force Museum,
Point Cook. Victoria, Australia.
Aermacchi MB.326H - A7-
025 - On display at the
Aviation Heritage Museum of
Western Australia. Bull Creek.
Western Australia. Australia.
Aermacchi MB.326H - A7-
043 - On display at the Royal
Australian Air Force Base
Wagga. New South Wales.
Australia.
Aermacchi MB.326H - A7-
041 -On display in Australia.
Aermacchi MB.326H - A7-
062 - On display at the Fighter
World Museum. RAAF
Williamtown. New South Wales.
Australia.
Aermacchl MB.326H - A7-
077 - On display at the Fleet Air
Arm Museum. Nowra. New
South Wales. Australia.
Aermacchl MB.339A -
MM.54454 - Preserved at
Lecce Air Base. Italy.
Aermacchl MB.339AA - 4-A-
115/0766- On display at the
Comando de Aviaci6n Naval
Argentina. Rio Grande.
Argentina.
Aermacchi MB.339CB -
NZ6460 - Preserved at the New
Zealand Air Force Museum,
Wig ram, Canterbury, New
Zealand.
Aermacchl MB.339PAN -
MM.54439- On display at the
USS Intrepid Sea. Air and Space
Museum Complex, New York,
New York. USA.
Aermacchl MB.339PAN -
MM.54486- Preserved at Rome
Ciampino Airport, Italy.
Aermacchi~211-9V-341-
instructional airframe at
Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore.
Aermacchi ~211 - 9V-343 -
instructional airframe at ITE
College Central (Yishun
campus). Singapore.
Aermacchi ~211 - 9V-383 -
instructional airframe at Paya
Lebar Air Base, Singapore.
Aermacchi ~211- 9V-384-
gate guard at RSAF Museum.
Paya Lebar Air Base. Singapore.
AN SALDO
Ansaldo SVA.S - 11721 - On
display at Pratica di Mare Air
Base. Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
Ansaldo AC.2 - MM.1208 -
On display at the Museo
Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle, ltaly.
126 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG
FIAT
Flat AC.2 - MM.130 - On
display at the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Fiat CR.32- 1-262- On
display at the Museo del Aire,
Cuatro Vientos. Madrid, Spain.
Fiat CR.42 Falco - 2542 -
Under restoration at The Fighter
Collection, Duxford, UK.
Flat CR.42 Falco -
MM.5643 - On display at the
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle, Italy.
Flat CR.42 Falco - 13-
95/MM.5701 - On display at
the RAF Museum, Hendon,
London. UK.
Flat G.212 - 142-
5/MM.61804 - On display at
the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Fiat G.46 - 3A BB - Now on
display at the Fliegermuseum,
Zeltweg. Austria.
Flat G.46 - SG-4/MM52805 -
On display at Parco Tematico
dell' Aviazione, Rimini, Italy. Flat G.91 R/1 - 2- Flat G.91 R/3- 30 86- Ex-
Fiat G.46 - MM.53284 - On 23/MM.6283 - On display at Luttwaffe. cockpit only now on
display at the Parco E Museo the Tourniaire Museum. Orange. display at the Hemerskeil
del Volo Volandia, Milan, Italy. France. Museum. Germany.
Fiat G.46 - MM.53286 - On Flat G.91 R/1 A - 2- Flat G.91 R/3- 30 93 - Ex-
display at the Museo Storico 41/MM.6303- On display at Luttwaffe. now on display at the
dell' Aeronautica Militare di Sassuolo. Emilia-Romagna.ltaly. Musee de I'Epopee de
Vigna di Valle. Italy. Flat G.91 R/1 B -MM.6382 - l'lndustrie, Albert, France.
Fiat G.59 - MM.53265 - On On display at National Flat G.91R/3- 31 21 -Ex-
display as a Fiat G.55 at the Museum of Science and Luttwaffe. now on display at the
Museo Storico dell'Aeronautica Technology. Milan. Italy. Baden Baden Museum.
Militare di Vigna di Valle, Italy. Fiat G.91 R/1 B -MM.6387 - Sollingen, Germany.
Fiat G.59- MM.53276 - On On display at the Malta Fiat G.91R/3- 31 35- Ex-
display at the Museo Storico Aviation Museum.Ta'Qali. Malta. Luttwaffe. now on display at the
dell' Aeronautica Militare di Fiat G.91 R/1 B -2- Dornier Museum,
Vigna di Valle, Italy. 05/MM.6405 - On display at Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Flat G.59 - MM.53530 - the Museo Aeroportuale, Flat G.91 R/3- 31 39- Ex-
Preserved at the Dipartimento Cameri. Italy. Luttwaffe. now on display at the
di lngegneria Aeronautica. Flat G.91 R/1 B -2- Museum fUr Lumahrt und
Palermo. Italy. 14/MM.6416- On display at Technik. Wernigerode. Germany.
Fiat G.80 - MM.53882 - On Rivolto-Udine. Italy. Flat G.91R/3- 31 47- Ex-
display at the Museo Storico Fiat G.91 R/3 - 30 85 - Luttwaffe. painted in Frecce
dell' Aeronautica Militare di Ex-Luttwaffe. now on display at Tricolori markings now on
Vigna di Valle. Italy. the Brussels Air Museum. display at the Speyer Technik
Fiat F.86K- 51- Brussels. Belg ium. Museum. Germany.
50/MM.554815 - On display at
the Deutsche Technikmuseum.
Berlin. Germany.
Flat G.91 PAN - 2 - Now on
display at Parco Tematico
dell' Aviazione, Rimini. Italy.
Fiat G.91 PAN - MM.6244 -
On display at the Museum of
Flight. Seattle. Washington, USA.
Fiat G.91 PAN - MM.6250 -
On display at the Museo
Storico dell'Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Fiat G.91R/1 - 2-
33/MM.6280- On display at
the Museo Storico
d ell' Aeronautica Militare di The Macchi C-200 Saetta at the National Museum of the United
Vigna di Valle, Italy. States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, USA. USAF Museum

Flat G.91 R/3 - 31 70- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now painted as 257-5
of the Italian Air Force. on
display at the Hemerskeil
Museum. Germany.
Flat G.91R/3- 31 95- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
lnternationales Lumahrt
Museum. Schwenningen.
Germany.
Flat G.91 R/3 - 32 15- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Luflwaffe Museum. Berlin.
Flat G.91 R/3 - 32 38- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now preserved at the
Beja Air Base. Portugal.
Flat G.91 R/3 - 32 43 - Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at
Association des Am is du
Musee du Chateau. Savigny
les Beaune. France.
Flat G.91 R/3 - 32 52- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now preserved at
Fi.irstenfeldbruck Air Base.
Germany.
One of thre Fiat G.91 s at the Luflwaffe Museum at Gatow in Berlin. this
one a G.91R/3. Constance Redgrave
This Aermacchi MB.326. MM54380. is displayed as a
commemoration of designer Ermanno Bazzocchi at Tradate near
Varese. Italy. Alenia Aermacchi
Flat G.91 R/3 - 32 64- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Auto und Technik Museum.
Sinsheim, Germany.
Flat G.91R/3- 32 70- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Zruk Air Park. Zruk. Czech
Republic. A7-043, an Aermacchi MB.326H on d isplay at Royal Australian Air
Fiat G.91 R/3 - 32 72 - Ex- Force Base Wagga. New South Wales. Australia. RAAF
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Luflwaffe Museum, Gatow,
Berlin, Germany.
Flat G.91R/3- 34 01 -Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Deutsches Museum. Munich.
Germany.
Flat G.91 R/3 - 99 12 - Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display
at the Luflwaffe Museum.
Gatow. Berlin.
Germany.
Flat G.91R/3- 99 39- Ex-
Luflwaffe. now on display at the
Musee de I' Air. Le Bourget. The Aermacchi AL-60 was built under licence as the Atlas C4M
Paris. France. Kudu. this one at the South African Air Force Museum. Swartkop,
South Africa. SAAF Museum
The gate guard at the Royal Singapore Ai r Force Museum is this
Aermacchi S-211 . RSAF
Ale nia Ae rmacch i 127
 Flat G.91 R/3 - 5453 - Ex-
Portuguese Air Force, painted
as 5463, now a gate guard at
the Montijo Air Base. Portugal.
Flat G.91R/4- 35 41- Ex-
Luftwaffe, now on display at the
Luftwaffe Museum. Gatow,
Berlin. Germany.
Flat G.91R/4- 5404- Ex-
Portuguese Air Force, now
preserved at the Montijo Air
Base. Portugal.
Fiat G.91R/4- 5425- Ex-
Portuguese Air Force. now
preserved at Coimbra.
Portugal.
Fiat G.91R/4- 5438- Ex-
Portuguese Air Force. now on
display at the Museu co Ar.
Sintra Air Base. Portugal.
Flat G.91R/4- 5445- Ex-
Portuguese Air Force. now
preserved at Sintra Air Base.
Portugal.
Flat G.91R/4- 75 00- Ex-
Luftwaffe. now on display at the
Museum fUr Lumahrt und
Technik, Wernigerode,
Germany.
Flat G.91T/1- MM.54398-
On display at Cavalcaselle.
Italy.
Flat G.91T/l- MM.54415-
On display at the Museo
Gottard Park, Castelletto Ticino,
Piemonte, Italy.
Fiat G.91T/1- MM.6333-
Preserved by the Sezione
Associazione Arma
Aeronautica, Arezzo. Italy.
Fiat G.91T/1 -60-
40/MM.6340- Preserved at
Campagnola, Italy.
Fiat G.91T/1 - SA-
47 /MM.6344 - On display at
the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna d i Valle. Italy.
Flat G.91T/1- MM6356- On
display at the lnternationales
Lumahrt Museum.
Schwenningen. Germany.
Flat G.91T/1 - MM6362- On
display at the Montelimar
Museum. Montelimar. France.
The rare Fiat G.80. Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle
Flat G.91T/1- MM6368- On
display at the Aero Club at
Viterbo, Italy.
Flat G.91T/3 - 99 40- Ex-
Luftwaffe. now on display at the
Luftwaffe Museum. Gatow.
Berlin, Germany.
Flat G.91T/3- 99 41 -Ex-
Luftwaffe. now on display at the
Luftwaffe Museum. Gatow.
Berlin, Germany.
Flat G.91T/3- 1801- Ex-
Portuguese Air Force. now on
display at Association des Amis
du Mu see du Chateau, Savigny
les Beaune. France.
Flat G.91 Y- R5-11/MM.579 -
Preserved at Pratica di Mare Air
Base, Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
Fiat G.91Y- 8-30/MM.6474
- On display at the Museo
Aeroportuale, Cameri. Italy.
Fiat G.91 Y- 8-27/MM.6491
- On display as a gate guard,
Latina. Italy.
Flat G.91Y -MM.6952-
Preserved at Am€mdola Air
Base. Italy.
Flat G.91Y -8-62/MM.6956-
Preserved at Cervia-San Gio.
Italy.
Flat G.91Y -MM.6957-
Preserved at the lstituto Tecnico
Industria le Maxwell. Milan, Italy.
Flat G.91 Y - 8-66/MM.6959
- On display at the Museo
Storico dell' Aeronautica
Militare di Vigna di Valle. Italy.
Flat F-1 04G starflghter -53-
21 /MM.6504 - On display at
the Museo Aeroportuale,
Cameri, Italy.
Flat F-1 04G starflghter -4-
1/MM.6505- Preserved at
Grosseto Air Base, Italy.
Flat F-1 04G starflghter -
MM.6507 - On display at the
Estonian Aviation Museum,
Veskiorg, Tartumaa, Estonia.
Fiat F-1 04G Starfighter -
50/MM.6514- On display in
5oth Anniversary markings of
the Reparto Sperimentale Volo
at Villafranca, Italy.
Flat F-1 04G Starflghter -R5-
03/MM.6527 - On display at
Pratica di Mare Air Base,
Pomezia , Rome, Italy.
Flat F-1 04G Starflghter -4-
52/MM.6529- Preserved at
lstrana Air Base. Italy.
Flat F-1 04G Starflghter -3-
01 /MM.6547 - Preserved at
Villafranca. Italy.
Flat F-1 04G Starttghter -3-
11/MM.6590 - On display as a
gate guard, Viterbo Air Base.
Italy.
Flat F-1 04G starflghter -3-
01/MM.6609- On display a t
the Museo dell' Aeronautica
Gianni Caproni. Trento, Italy.
Flat F-1 045-ASA starflghter -
MM.6836 - On display at the
Museo Gottard Park,
Castelletto Ticino, Piemonte,
Italy.
Flat F-1045-ASA starflghter-
4-10/MM.6941- On display in
the grounds of the Technical
School. Pisa. Italy.
Flat F-1 045-ASA·M
Starfighter- MM.6870- On
display at the Muzeum
Letectva. Kosice. Slovakia .
Flat F-1 045-ASA·M
Starflghter- MM.6890- On
display at the Museu
Aeroespacial. Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil.
ROMEOnMAM
IMAM Ro.37bls - 11 0-
12/MM.11341 -On display a t
the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautic a Militare d i
Vigna di Valle. Italy.
IMAM Ro.43 - OR8-
23/MM.27050- On display at
the Museo Storico
dell' Aeronautica Militare d i
Vigna di Valle. Italy.

The very rare IMAM Ro.43 floatp la ne. Museo A close up of the camera nose that made This Fiat G.91 PAN of the Frecce Tricolo ri is at
Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare di Vigna the G.91R a multi role a ircraft in Luftwaffe the superb Museum of Flight. Seattle.
diValle service. Constance Redgrave Washington. Editor

128 IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALENIA AERMACCHI - 100 YEARS YOUNG

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