Aeronautica militare half wing4/29/2023 ![]() ![]() Note the full size landing gear gear cover. There were no major differences between the first and second prototypes apart from a few small details, such as a one-piece rear canopy, anti-rollover structure and shorter exhaust pipes. FIAT and IMAM had already completed test flights months before, and there was a risk that the Macchi fighter would not be taken into consideration by the Regia Aeronautica.ĭuring the exhibition flight for the commission, Ambrogio Colombo performed 38 exercises with the prototype fully loaded and at an altitude of 3,300 meters (10,827 ft). Macchi was late with developing the aircraft. On March 1st, 1938, Colombo was asked to impress the ministerial commission composed of General Ferdinando Raffaelli, Lieutenant Colonel Torre and Major Lippi. First prototype during assembly in the Varese plant. Due to Burei’s untimely death during a flight test of the seaplane Macchi M.C.94, the subsequent test flights of the first prototype were conducted by Ambrogio Colombo. 336 ( Matricola Militare Military Serial Number), flew for the first time on 24th December 1937 from the Lonate Pozzolo runway, piloted by test pilot Giuseppe Burei that I judge the driving of the aircraft positively. Hastily produced, the prototype, with serial number MM. stood for Macchi-Castoldi to emphasize the prestige that the company gave to its chief engineer. 72, the latter still holding the speed record for a seaplane powered by a non-standard engine. The Macchi MC 200 was designed by a team of engineers led by Mario Castoldi (1888-1968), a successful designer who had already worked on the Macchi M. The prototypes of both aircraft first flew in 1937, and both would enter service in 1939. The FIAT G.50 was not as highly praised, but still accepted into service. ![]() 200 was found to have excellent flying characteristics, meeting most requirements that were stipulated in the original request. ![]() Photo taken prior to its first test flight. 2000 which did not see great success, however it was used to develop the more powerful Re. In 1938, Officine Meccaniche Reggiane also responded to the request by presenting the Reggiane Re. (AUSA) had the AUSA AUT 18, Caproni the Caproni Vizzola F.5 and Industrie Meccaniche Aeronautiche Meridionali (IMAM) had the IMAM Ro. 200, FIAT Aeronautica, a subsidiary of FIAT, had the FIAT G.50, Aeronautica Umbra S.A. Aeronautica Macchi presented the Macchi M.C. The largest aeronautical companies in Italy responded to this order. The requested armament was to be composed of one or two 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns, the engine had to be the FIAT A.74 radial with an entirely metal fuselage. The maximum speed was to be 500 km/h (310 mph), with a range of 2 hours, and a climb rate of 6,000 meters (19,685 ft) in 5 minutes. On 10th February 1936, the Direzione Generale Costruzioni Aeronautiche or DGCA ( General Directorate of Aeronautical Construction) requested the development of a low-wing monoplane ground interceptor fighter with retractable landing gear. 32 appeared in 1935, the leaders of the Royal Air Force issued a request for a new aircraft. ![]() In the mid-30s it became clear to the Italians that the biplane configuration was more than outdated and they needed new, state-of-the-art, low-wing, all-metal monoplane aircraft, and, only one year after the biplane FIAT C.R. 32, which were considered among the best biplanes produced in Europe at the time.ĭuring the early 1930s the Regia Aeronautica had in service some of the best biplanes of the world, not for nothing it was considered one of the best air forces in the world, with records in both civilian and military spheres. It yielded good results on all fronts where the Italian forces operated, from the hot and dusty desert of North Africa, to the cold and snowy Russian steppes.Īfter 8th September 1943, both the Luftwaffe and Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (Eng: Italian National Air Force) on the Axis side, and the Aeronautica Cobaelligerante Italiana (Eng: Italian Co-belligerent Air Force) on the Allied side used the surviving aircraft.Īfter the war, the Aeronautica Militare (Eng: Italian Military Air Force) used the few Macchi 200 that were still functioning for another two years, until 1947, for training tasks.īefore the Macchi 200, the Regia Aeronautica was equipped with fighter biplanes, such as the FIAT C.R. 200 ‘Saetta’ (Lightning) was a fighter aircraft developed by Aeronautica Macchi (AerMacchi) of Italy around the mid-1930s, resulting in one of the most produced and used aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) during the Second World War. This aircraft was part of the middle production run of the SAI Ambrosini plant. 200 of the 272ª Squadriglia of the 153° Gruppo Autonomo ‘Asso di Bastoni’. ![]()
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