Macchi M.C. 72

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.

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, counter-rotating fixed-pitch propeller powered by a modified Fiat AS-6 engine generating some 2,500 to 3,100 horse power (thanks to supercharging).

After 35 flights, the engines were overhauled in preparation for a record attempt. 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.

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.

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

General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 8.32 m (27 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 9.48 m (31 ft 1.25 in)
Wing area: 15 m² (151.46 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,505 kg (5,512 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,907 kg (6,409 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,031 kg (6,669 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Fiat AS-6 Liquid-cooled V24 engine, 2,126 kW (2,850 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 709.209 km/h (382.9 knots, 440.681 mph)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Macchi
• M.C.
• 72
• Warrant
• Officer
• Francesco
• Agello

[lofi73]

Still holding an aviation record after nearly 75 years!!.Amazing machine

[midpoint37]

The reason seaplanes were faster back then was that they could make long takeoff runs which their fixed pitch props needed to get up to speed.

The introduction of the variable pitch prop allowed land planes to accelerate quickly enough to get off the ground within the confines of an aerodrome.

Still, 441mph in a wire braced float plane is a remarkable achievment.

Thanks Bomberguy.

[GSmr666]

An absolutely great plane!

The float plane racing rules enabled the use of extremely thin low drag wings as the major forces on them could be taken by wires to the floats ! Unlike a normal monoplane which needed thicker cantilever wings !

[gracefulbutterfly]

take the floats off that thing and then see what speed they can get to....

[FrapsYou]

that hitler salute. italians were with nazis back then. thus this plane got forgotten i gues

[GSmr666]

midpoint37 s comments are very interesting !

The "high gearing" of the fixed pitch props for high speed must have made take off difficult but the drag of the floats on water must be surely worse than lightweight wheels even on the then common old grass airfields !

I suggest the Schneider Trophy races for seaplanes were for max entertainment and thrills over and in lovely settings !

[bf109e4trop]

is determined by various witnesses that during a test flight was the maximum speed reached 460 mph dioltre (740 km / h). This was unfortunately not recorded speed since the flight of a Test.

[MrGodsend69]

@FolgoreColMoschin maybe it should be revisited and given another run :)

[393WR]

@munich84ss is an italian typical characteristic. Italians are completely unable to war. But Germans too. IIWW was loose because extreme sophisticated deutsch weapon were extremely fragile. You can see the difference between Merlin and DB: Merlin no maintenance, Db always in reparation. This way continues today: I bought an Audi and I felt that everything could break! ;-) PS: In Italy coexist Macchi MC72, Ferrari and 130 km/h speed limit... Is not that crazy?

[393WR]

Other Italy, other Italians.

[McLarenMercedes]

@captinseperoth

??? Hitler did NOT rule Italy, Mussolini did. Hitler did NOT run the military at all in the first few years of WW2. He planned which countries to attack, but his generals were the true geniuses behind the early successes. Without guys like Von Manstein, Guderian and Rommel, where would Hitler be?

And what hell are you smoking? The chauchat was a French light machine gun used in WW1, and the most manafacturered automatic weapon in the entire war.

Better get your facts right.

[savoyk1]

I think that Reginald Mitchel , If he was still alive , Would contest your statement of fastest seaplane