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| Macchi M.C. 72 |
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The Macchi M.C. 72 was an experimental
seaplane designed and built by the Italian
aircraft company Macchi Aeronautica. In 1933
and 1934 it set a world record for speed over
water.
For two years the plane suffered from many
mechanical defects as well as the loss of two
test pilots who died trying to coax world
class speed out of the M.C. 72 (first Monti
and then Bellini). The final design of M.C.
72 used a double, counter-rotating
fixed-pitch propeller powered by a modified
Fiat AS-6 engine generating some 2,500 to
3,100 horse power (thanks to supercharging).
After 35 flights, the engines were overhauled
in preparation for a record attempt. The
aircraft finally lived up to expectations
when it set a new world speed record (over
water) on 10 April 1933 with a speed of 682
km/h (424 mph). It was piloted by Warrant
Officer Francesco Agello (the last qualified
test pilot). Not satisfied, development
continued as the aircraft's designers thought
they could break 700 km/h with the M.C. 72.
This feat was in fact achieved on 23 October
1934 when Agello piloted the plane for an
average speed of 709 km/h over three passes
(440 mph). This record remains (as of 2006)
the fastest speed ever attained by a piston
engine seaplane. After this success, the
M.C.72 was never flown again.
The M.C.72 held the world speed record for
all aircraft for five years. For comparison,
the record holder for a land-based aircraft
was held (for a time) by the Hughes H-1 Racer
with a top speed of only 566 km/h (352 mph).
Then in 1939 two German racing aircraft
passed the M.C.72. The first was a Heinkel He
100 which reached the speed of 746 km/h (464
mph). The second racer was a Messerschmitt Me
209 which set the new world speed record of
756 km/h (470 mph) in August - just days
before the start of World War II. The current
world speed record for a piston-engine
aircraft is 850 km/h (528 mph) set by a
heavily modified American F8F Bearcat named
Rare Bear in 1989.
One M.C.72 is a surviving airframe, and is on
display at the Vigna di Valle Aircraft
Museum, near Rome.
General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 8.32 m (27 ft 3.5 in)
Wingspan: 9.48 m (31 ft 1.25 in)
Wing area: 15 m² (151.46 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,505 kg (5,512 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,907 kg (6,409 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 3,031 kg (6,669 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Fiat AS-6 Liquid-cooled V24
engine, 2,126 kW (2,850 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: 709.209 km/h (382.9 knots,
440.681 mph)
Tags : Macchi M.C. 72 Warrant Officer Francesco Agello |
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Affichage : 10690
Durée : 200 s |
| Macchi e Armstrong |
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L'incontro tra i campioni di ciclismo Lance
Armstrong e Fabrizio Macchi in occasione di
una corsa per Livestrong, l'associazione
fondata da Armstrong che sostiene i malati di
cancro e i loro familiari. Immagini tratte da
Controluce di Skysport
Tags : cancro Lance Armstrong Fabrizio Macchi ciclismo |
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Affichage : 441
Durée : 180 s |
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