Macchi M.C.77

Macchi

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1930s
Headquarters	Italy

Template:Infobox aircraft

The Macchi M.C.77 was a flying boat designed for reconnaissance and bombing roles, developed by Macchi in the 1930s. The aircraft remained at the prototype phase and never entered full production.

Development and design

In 1933, the Ministry of Aeronautics issued a requirement for a new seaplane capable of reconnaissance and bombing missions to serve within the Regia Aeronautica, aiming to replace the Savoia-Marchetti S.78, which had been operational since 1932. Both CRDA CANT, the aeronautical branch of Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, and Aeronautica Macchi responded to this call for proposals.

The Macchi M.C.77 featured a central hull with a single-step design and twin stabilizing floats. It was configured as a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a pusher engine mounted above the hull on a tubular support frame. Its construction combined materials, with a metal fuselage housing the warload compartments on either side.

Presented to the Regia Aeronautica in 1934 while its prototype was under construction, the M.C.77 lagged behind its competitor, the CANT Z.501, which had already completed its maiden flight. Although the Air Force technical staff found the design promising, development delays meant that the prototype was not finalized until 1935 and was unavailable for the acceptance trials scheduled for August 1936 at Nisida. Consequently, the Regia Aeronautica selected the Z.501 as the successor to the S.78.

Additionally, Macchi produced a scale model of the M.C.77 that was showcased at the inaugural Milan International Air Show in October 1935. However, due to limited interest from military aviation authorities, further advancement of the project was discontinued.