Grapes and Glory...

[Hauksbee 103]

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 36]

[Olham 164]

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

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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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 164]

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

 

 

 

 

[Bullethead 12]

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 103]

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 103]

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 12]

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 571]

The Italians certainly have Style.

[Olham 164]

"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 10]

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 5]

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 103]

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 12]

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.