7015 MACCHI MC 72 'WORLD SPEED RECORD'

Macchi MC 72 (or: Macchi MC72) was an Italian experimental racing seaplane that was flown in 1931. Probably only 5 copies of this machine were built. The plane was 8.32 meters long with a wingspan of 9.48 meters. The drive was provided by a single Fiat AS.6 engine with a maximum power of 2,851 HP. The top speed was 709 km / h! The MC 72 model was developed by the Macchi Aeronautica aviation company as another link in a long chain of great racing seaplanes designed especially by Mario Castoldi and dedicated to racing in the Schneider Trophy competition. Initially, the machine was plagued by numerous technical problems, mainly related to the power unit that was powerful at that time. These problems led to a series of accidents in which two pilots were killed. Ultimately, however, in 1933 and 1934 The Macchi MC 72 set a new speed record for seaplanes, breaking the magic 700 km / h barrier the second time. To this day, only one copy of the Macchi MC 72 has survived and is on display at the Italian Air Force Museum near Rome.