Grapes and Glory...

[Hauksbee]

While purusing the Aynsley photos of the Italian Air Force, I ran across this pic. of a Macchi M.39, the Italian entry in the 1926 Schneider Cup races, and which the Italians won. Going to America, the Italians were confident of victory, but distressed at the prospect of Prohibition. The prospect of three weeks, or so, across the Atlantic with nothing to drink was real hardship duty. In the end, it was the plane that saved them: Schneider Cup planes carried their fuel in the pontoons. The Italians installed brand new tanks and filled them with red wine.

[+elephant]

[+Olham]

That's great story about human inventive talent, Hauksbee!

[+RAF_Louvert]

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Beautiful plane. And you do have to hand it to them for creative thinking in handling that problem.

 

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[+Olham]

I like the Italian design for planes and sportscars. Here are two more Macchi plane designs.

 

 

 

 

[Bullethead]

Great story! I really liked those Macchi racers, especially the later version with 2 engines in tandem. Also note how nearly the entire wing surface is radiator :)

[Hauksbee]

Can somebody familiar with Italian tell me how 'Macchi' is pronounced? Is the double-C a soft C, or hard? Is it pronounced "ma-chi', or 'ma-kee'?

[Hauksbee]

I really liked those Macchi racers, especially the later version with 2 engines in tandem.

Here y' go, BH...The Macchi-Castoldi M.72. Two V-12 engines placed end-to-end. After winning in 1926, the Italians were poised for victory in 1927 and 1929. (If an aero club won three races in five years, they would retire the cup. Each race was hosted by the previous winning country. Each club could enter up to three competitors with an equal number of alternates.) The M.72 was prepped, but engine troubles prevented the Italians from entering. The British then went on to retire the cup in 1931, but by that time Mussolini had become interested in the M.72 and continued to fund the project. In 1934, Francesco Agello pushed the M.72 to 440 mph, a record that stands today for seaplanes.

[Bullethead]

Yup, that's the one. Simply an amazing machine, built solely to go REALLY FAST for a short period of time. Look at how practically the entire surface, even the struts, is radiator. That must have been the very Devil to plumb and keep from leaking. And what about filling the cooling system and getting all the air bubbles out? But all it had to do was keep the engine from overheating for a few minutes :)

[UK_Widowmaker]

The Italians certainly have Style.

[+Olham]

"Macchi" should be pronounced "Mak - kee".

But since it's a name, only an Italian could tell us.

 

See the word "macchie" here, and click on the speaker symbol left of it:

 

http://deit.dict.cc/?s=macchie

[tranquillo]

ch together have a hard sound as in Mak-kee. c is soft when it is followed i or e and has a sound like in Chug.

[MikeDixonUK]

The Italians certainly have Style.

 

Hmm, I wear an Italian designed Fleece with a Seaplane on it, though the Seaplane is a Supermarine S6B, so does that make me only half stlyish?

[Hauksbee]

But all it had to do was keep the engine from overheating for a few minutes :)

For the speed trials, yes. But if it had competed in the race proper...

[Bullethead]

For the speed trials, yes. But if it had competed in the race proper...

 

The course could be completed in less than 1/2 hour by such planes. They had no more fuel than that and skin-tight radiators only worked with fast air flowing over them. So it was start the engine, spend the minimum time making sure it was hitting on all cylinders, and then full speed ahead. Essentially a drag race of seaplanes.