Macchi M.3
| Macchi M.3 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1916 |
| Number of pieces: |
approx. 200 |
The Macchi M.3 was a biplane designed flying boat with a single-stage hull.
development
On May 27, 1915, an Austrian Lohner L flying boat (license plate L.40) fell into the hands of the Italian armed forces . The L-Type was one of the few flying boats that was successfully used in combat missions against ships and ground targets and even as a fighter aircraft. The Nieuport-Macchi company was commissioned to produce a copy of the prey machine. The first copy was completed in June 1915 and was given the designation L.1 to make it clear that it came from Lohner. After the 139 built L.1s, ten improved L.2s were produced.
Felice Buzio finally developed the L.3 from the Macchi L.2 in 1916 in Macchi's seaplane department in Schiranna. From the L.2, the wings were adopted in a one-and-a-half-decker design with widely different spans above and below. The fuselage and tail unit have been redesigned so that one can speak of an independent Macchi construction.
When it was taken over by the Italian Navy in 1917, the name was therefore changed to Macchi M.3. The motor was arranged on struts between the wings and drove a pressure screw . About 200 machines were built for the Italian Navy .
Calls
The Italian Navy used the Macchi M.3 in the Adriatic as a bomb, reconnaissance, patrol and escort aircraft. She undertook numerous air raids on the Austrian naval bases Pola and Cattaro . Aerial flights over these bases and Trieste were also carried out. After the First World War, the type remained in use for training units until 1924.
A copy of the M.3 set a world record for seaplanes over Lake Maggiore in 1916 , reaching 5,400 m in 41 minutes.
The Swiss airline Ad Astra Aero bought several copies to use for sightseeing flights over the Swiss lakes. The planes were converted for this. Two passengers sat side by side behind a large windshield. The pilot was behind it in a raised open cockpit .
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 pilot, 1 observer, shooter |
| span | 15.95 m |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1,350 kg |
| Top speed | 145 km / h |
| Range | 450 km |
| Engine | an Isotta Fraschini V.4B engine with 160 PS (approx. 120 kW) |
| Armament | a movable 7.7 mm FIAT machine gun and four light bombs |
See also
literature
- Aero issue 108
- Christopher Chant: Austro-Hungarian Aces of World War 1 (= Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. 46). Osprey Publishing, London 2002, ISBN 1-84176-376-4 .
- Kenneth Munson: Flying boats and seaplanes since 1910 (= planes of the world in colors. ). Orell Füssli, Zurich 1972, pp. 28 f., 113 f.
