Macchi M.71

Macchi

Industry	Aerospace, Aircraft manufacturing
Headquarters	Italy
Products	Aircraft

Template:Infobox aircraft

The Macchi M.71 was an Italian seaplane fighter from the 1930s, engineered and produced by Macchi.

Design and development

In 1930, Macchi introduced an updated variant of its M.41bis flying boat fighter, intended for deployment via catapult launch from vessels of the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy). This new model, the M.71, retained the same dimensions as the M.41bis and featured an aerodynamically refined design for its class. It closely resembled the M.41bis, being a wooden-constructed, single-seat, single-bay biplane equipped with two fixed forward-firing 7.7 mm (0.30 in) machine guns. Its surface was covered with plywood and fabric, and it had unstaggered wings of equal span. The powerplant was a 313 kW (420 hp) Fiat A.20 engine mounted above the hull on struts beneath the upper wing, driving a pusher propeller configuration, complemented by a vertical radiator.

What set the M.71 apart from the M.41bis was its reinforced wing structure and the inclusion of catapult attachment fittings. Additionally, to streamline assembly and disassembly aboard ships, the M.71 utilized angled steel tube struts connecting the hull, interplane struts, and upper wing section instead of the bracing wires found on the M.41bis.

Operational history

The Regia Marina commissioned the M.71 into service, with Macchi manufacturing a limited quantity estimated at no more than twelve units. These aircraft were briefly deployed on Regia Marina warships throughout the 1930s before being superseded by the IMAM Ro.43 reconnaissance floatplane and the IMAM Ro.44 floatplane fighter.

Operators

Template:Country data Kingdom of Italy

• Regia Marina

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. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.