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The Macchi L.3, or later Macchi M.3, was an Italian
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biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
flying boat developed from the earlier L.2.
Development
The Macchi company had learned about flying boat design from copying anAustria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n flying boat to produce the Macchi L.1 L1, L01, L.1, L 1 or L-1 may refer to:
Mathematics, science and technology
Math
*L1 distance in mathematics, used in taxicab geometry
* L1, the space of Lebesgue integrable functions
* ℓ1, the space of absolutely convergent sequences
...
and improving it to produce the L.2. The result was the L.3, which was renamed the M.3 in 1917 to recognise the change in design from Lohner influenced to a Macchi design. Only the unequal-span biplane wings were inherited from the L.2; a new and refined hull and strut-mounted tailplane
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
were designed. Like its predecessors, the new plane was powered by a single Isotta Fraschini
Isotta Fraschini () was an Italian luxury car manufacturer, also producing trucks, as well as engines for marine and aviation use. Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio, and Oreste Fraschini, in 19 ...
engine strut mounted between the two wings and driving a pusher propeller. It was armed with a single machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifl ...
on a trainable mounting and could also carry four light bombs. In 1916, one aircraft gained the world altitude record for a seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
when it climbed to 5,400 m (17,700 ft) in 41 minutes.
Operational history
Over 200 M.3s were built and delivered to the Royal Italian Navy and were used on a variety of missions which includingbombing
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
, reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...
, patrol and escort. For a short period in 1917, it was also used as a fighter. Several aircraft were used in commando-style operations behind Austrian lines. The aircraft were highly regarded by the Royal Italian Navy and they were used on bombing raids and pioneered the Italian use of aerial photography. After World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the type was used by training units until 1924.
In 1919, an L.3 which belonged to the Italian Military Mission in Argentina connected Buenos Aires with Asunción, Paraguay for the first time. This plane was later donated to the Paraguayan government. Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
Arturo Escario, who was already a pilot, trained in the L.3 in Argentina. This plane was destroyed in an accident on 30 September 1919. Its pilot, Lieutenant Escario, died the following day.
A number of second-hand aircraft were used by the Swiss company Ad Astra Aero to carry out charters and joy rides on the Swiss lakes, the two passengers were seated side-by-side behind a large windscreen with the pilot in a raised open cockpit further aft.
Two M.3s were fitted with Fiat A.12 engines and were re-designated Macchi M.4, but they were abandoned after completion in favour of the Macchi M.9
The Macchi M.9 was a flying boat bomber designed by Alessandro Tonini and produced by Macchi in Italy close to the end of World War I and shortly afterwards.Taylor 1989, 617
Design and development
The M.9 was a conventional design for its day, ...
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Operators
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*Regia Marina
The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' (" ...
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*'' Ad Astra Aero''
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* Paraguayan Air Force
Specifications
See also
References
* * * Sapienza Fracchia, Antonio Luis: "La Contribución Italiana en la Aviación Paraguaya". Author's edition. Asunción, 2007. 300pp. {{Macchi aircraft M.03 1910s Italian military reconnaissance aircraft Flying boats Biplanes Single-engined pusher aircraft Military aircraft of World War I Aircraft first flown in 1916