Macchi M.6
| Company type | Prototype flying boat fighter |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aviation |
| Founded | 1917 |
| Headquarters | Italy |
| Products | Flying boat fighters |
The Macchi M.6 was an Italian prototype flying boat fighter developed in 1917.
Design and development
During 1917, Nieuport-Macchi produced the M.6 to serve as a comparative model against its existing Macchi M.5 flying boat fighter, which had entered operational service that same year and performed effectively over the Adriatic Sea against Austria-Hungary during World War I. The M.6 shared most characteristics with the M.5; both were single-seat wooden biplane flying boats featuring plywood and fabric coverings, powered by a 139-kilowatt (187-brake horsepower) Isotta Fraschini V.4B engine installed on struts above the hull and beneath the upper wing, driving a pusher propeller. The cockpit was positioned below the radiator, and armament consisted of one 7.7-millimeter (0.303-inch) Vickers machine gun. The hull design remained consistent with that of the M.5.
The principal distinction between the M.6 and the M.5 lay in the wing structure: whereas the M.5 utilized interplane Vee struts for wing bracing along with smaller Vee struts supporting the upper wing’s overhanging leading edge, the M.6 adopted parallel steel tube struts instead. The outermost parallel struts on the M.6 were mounted farther outboard compared to the Vee struts on the M.5, and additional parallel struts were positioned closer to the hull.
Flight evaluations compared the prototype M.6 directly with standard M.5 units to determine if the altered wing cellule offered any performance improvements over that of the M.5 fighter. As no benefits were demonstrated, development of the M.6 ceased, and no further examples were constructed.
Operators
Specifications
Additional Information:
- Time to reach 4,000 m (13,123 ft): 20 minutes
See also
Notes
References
- Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers, 1994.
http://www.aviastar.org/air/italy/macchi_m-6.phpISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
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