Macchi M.C.72

infobox Aircraft
name =M.C.72
type =Seaplane racing aircraft
manufacturer =Aeronautica Macchi

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caption =
designer =Mario Castoldi
first flight =July 1931
introduced =
retired =
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produced =
number built =5
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The Macchi M.C. 72 was an experimental seaplane designed and built by the Italian aircraft company Macchi Aeronautica. In 1933 and 1934 it set a world record for speed over water.

Design and development

The Macchi M.C. 72 was one of a series of seaplanes developed by Macchi Aeronautica. An earlier model, the Macchi M.24 was a twin engine flying boat armed with machine guns and capable of carrying a torpedo. Later in the 1920s, Macchi focused on speed and on winning the Schneider Trophy. In 1922 the company hired aircraft designer Mario Castoldi to design high-speed aircraft.

In 1926, the company won the trophy with the Macchi M.39 which attained a top speed of 246 mph (395.8 km/h). Further planes (the M.52, M.52R, and the M.67) were designed and built but victory in the Schneider races kept eluding the Italians. Castoldi then designed the ultimate racing seaplane, the M.C. 72, a single seater aircraft with two floats.

The design of the Macchi M.C. 72 was unique with a fuselage partly metal to the cockpit and wood monocoque bolted to the front tubular portion by four bolts. Kinert 1969, p. 35.] The streamlined nose contours enclosed an oil tank with its outside wall exposed to the airstream. The wing was all metal with flat tubular water radiators smoothly faired into the wings. The twin pontoons had three smoothly faired radiators on the outer surfaces, the forward radiator for water and the centre and rear radiators for oil cooling. Kinert 1969, p. 35.] The float struts also featured water radiators and another radiator was fitted during hot conditions under the fuselage running from cockpit to tail. Kinert 1969, p. 35.]

It was built in 1931 with the idea of competing for what turned out to be the final Schneider Trophy race but, due to engine problems, the plane was unable to compete.Instead of halting development, Macchi continued work on the M.C. 72. Benito Mussolini personally took an interest [Taylor, 1980, p. 618, 796.] in seeing development of the M.C. 72 continue and directed state funds to the company.

Operational history

For two years the plane suffered from many mechanical defects as well as the loss of two test pilots who died trying to coax world class speed out of the M.C. 72 (first Monti and then Bellini). The final design of M.C. 72 used a double, contra-rotating propellers powered by a modified FIAT AS-6 engine V24 engine) generating some 2,500 to 3,100 horse power (thanks to supercharging) [ Cowin 199, p. 45.] .

After 35 flights, the engines were overhauled in preparation for a record attempt. Kinert 1969, p. 35.] The aircraft finally lived up to expectations when it set a new world speed record (over water) on 10 April 1933 with a speed of 682 km/h (424 mph). It was piloted by Warrant Officer Francesco Agello (the last qualified test pilot). Not satisfied, development continued as the aircraft's designers thought they could break 700 km/h with the M.C. 72. This feat was in fact achieved on 23 October 1934 when Agello piloted the plane for an average speed of 709 km/h over three passes (440 mph). This record remains (as of 2006) the fastest speed ever attained by a piston engine seaplane. After this success, the M.C.72 was never flown again.

peed record

The M.C.72 held the world speed record for all aircraft for five years. For comparison, the record holder for a land-based aircraft was held (for a time) by the Hughes H-1 Racer with a top speed of only 566 km/h (352 mph). Then in 1939 two German racing aircraft passed the M.C.72. The first was a Heinkel He 100 which reached the speed of 746 km/h (464 mph). The second racer was a Messerschmitt Me 209 which set the new world speed record of 756 km/h (470 mph) in August - just days before the start of World War II. The current world speed record for a piston-engine aircraft is 850 km/h (528 mph) set by a heavily modified American F8F Bearcat named "Rare Bear" in 1989.

urvivors

One M.C.72 is a surviving airframe, and is on display at the Vigna di Valle Aircraft Museum, near Rome.

Popular culture

* The Miyazaki film "Porco Rosso", while clearly not historical, seems inspired by Italian seaplanes and pilots of this period.

pecifications (M.C.72)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref="Flying-boats and Seaplanes since 1910" [ Munson 1971, p. 41.]
crew=1 pilot
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 8.32 m
length alt= 27 ft 3.5 in
span main= 9.48 m
span alt= 31 ft 1.25 in
height main=
height alt=
area main= 15 m²
area alt= 151.46 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,505 kg
empty weight alt= 5,512 lb
loaded weight main= 2,907 kg
loaded weight alt=6,409 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,031 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 6,669 lb
more general=
engine (prop)=Fiat AS-6
type of prop= Liquid-cooled V24 engine
number of props=1
power main= 2,126 kW
power alt= 2,850 hp
power original=
max speed main= 709.209 km/h
max speed alt= 382.9 knots, 440.681 mph(world speed record
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
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loading main=
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ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
* Supermarine S.6B
* Curtiss CR-3
sequence=
lists=
* List of seaplanes and flying boats
see also=

References

;Notes;Bibliography
* Cowin, Hugh W. "The Risk Takers, A Unique Pictorial Record 1908-1972: Racing & Record-setting Aircraft" (Aviation Pioneer 2). London: Osprey Aviation, 1999. ISBN 1-85532-904-2.
* Kinert, Reed. "Racing Planes and Air Races: A Complete History, Vol. 1 1909-1923". Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1969.
* Munson, , Kenneth. "Flying-boats and Seaplanes since 1910" (Blandford Colour Series: The Pocket Encyclopedia of World Aircraft in Colour). London: Blandford Press, 1971. ISBN 0-7137-0537-X.
* Taylor, Michael J.H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation "(Vol. 4). Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.

External links

* [http://aeroweb.lucia.it/en/history/mc72.htm Gregory Alegi on the MC 72]
* [http://www.flyandrive.com/Story3.htm The seaplane speed record of Francesco Agello]
* [http://members.xoom.alice.it/_XOOM/mc72/mc72.htm Italian web page on the M.C. 72]