Macchi M.41

Macchi

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1912
Headquarters	Italy

The Macchi M.41 was an Italian flying boat fighter prototype created by Macchi in 1927. Its production version, designated the M.41bis, took to the skies for the first time in 1929 and served actively from 1930 until 1938.

M.41

In 1927, the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) organized a competition to find a successor to the Macchi M.7#Variants_and_development_of_M.7ter_and_M.7ter_serie_3/M.7ter_serie_3/M.7ter_serie_4/M.7ter_serie_5/M.7ter_serie_6/M.7ter_serie_7/M.7ter_serie_8/M.7ter#Variants_and_development_of_M.7ter_and_M.7ter_serie_3/M.7ter_serie_3/M.7ter_serie_4/M.7ter_serie_5/M.7ter_serie_6/M.7ter_serie_7/M.7ter_serie_8/Macchi_M.7#Variants_and_development_of_M.7ter_and_M.7ter_serie_3 fighter flying boat, the Macchi M.7ter. Macchi responded by developing the M.41, which was influenced by their earlier 1924 design, the Macchi M.26. The aircraft featured a wooden structure with a single-seat cockpit and a single-bay biplane configuration, equipped with two fixed forward-firing 7.7-millimeter (0.303-inch) machine guns.

The airframe was covered with plywood and fabric, and its wings were of equal length without any stagger between them. Power came from a Fiat A.20 engine producing 313 kilowatts (420 horsepower), which drove a pusher propeller positioned on struts above the hull but below the upper wing level, complemented by an angled frontal radiator for cooling purposes. The design emphasized aerodynamic cleanliness, similar to that of the earlier M.26.

During the 1927 contest, the M.41 prototype competed against the SIAI S.58bis. Macchi constructed only this initial prototype as no production contract was awarded to them. Although plans existed for SIAI to manufacture 97 units of the S.58bis, these were ultimately abandoned when the Regia Marina opted to economize by upgrading the existing M.7ter fleet rather than acquiring new aircraft in that year.

M.41 bis

In 1929, the Regia Marina initiated another competition to find a successor to the M.7 ter. Macchi responded with an updated M.41 model, named the M.41 bis, which was primarily distinguished from the original M.41 by its vertical radiator design. This variant outperformed the SIAI S.58ter during the evaluation, resulting in Macchi securing a contract to manufacture 41 units of the M.41 bis.

Operational history

All 41 M.41 bis aircraft were delivered by Macchi and entered active duty starting in 1930. These planes served within two squadriglie of the 88° Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Marittima. They remained operational on the front lines until 1938, when they were superseded by the IMAM Ro.44 floatplane fighter.

Operators

Template:Country data Kingdom of Italy

• Regia Marina
  • 88° Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Marittima

Template:ESP

• Spanish Air Force

References

Notes