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The Macchi L.3, or later Macchi M.3, was an Italian
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 A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
developed from the earlier L.2.


Development

The Macchi company had learned about flying boat design from copying an Austrian flying boat to produce the Macchi L.1 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 were designed. Like its predecessors, the new plane was powered by a single Isotta Fraschini engine strut mounted between the two wings and driving a pusher propeller. It was armed with a single machine gun on a trainable mounting and could also carry four light bombs. In 1916, one aircraft gained the world altitude record for a seaplane 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 including
bombing 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 mechanica ...
, reconnaissance, 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, 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 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 A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...
further aft. Two M.3s were fitted with
Fiat A.12 The Fiat A.12 was a six-cylinder liquid-cooled straight engine, in-line engine with a Bore (engine), bore of 160 mm and a Stroke (engine), stroke of 180 mm, giving a Engine displacement, capacity of just under 22 litres, with variants p ...
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, ...
.


Operators

; * Regia Marina ; *'' Ad Astra Aero'' ; * 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