The Macchi M.C.94 was a 1930s Italian commercial

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...

built by

Macchi Aermacchi was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under licence for the Ita ...

Development

The M.C.94 was designed by Mario Castoldi as a commercial passenger transport flying boat to replace the Ala Littoria airlines elderly CANT 10s. Constructed mainly of wood, it was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a two-step hull and single fin and rudder. The

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

, which was an

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

with a retractable wheeled

undercarriage Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include: *The landing gear of an aircraft. *The ch ...

which swung forward into streamlined casings in the leading edges of the wings, was powered by two Wright SGR-1820-F Cyclone nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines mounted above the wing, each driving a tractor propeller. It was followed by 11 production aircraft, which were all pure flying boats. From the seventh aircraft, Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.10 radial engines were fitted. The three-man crew was accommodated in a raised and enclosed cockpit and the main cabin could accommodate 12 passengers. Ala Littoria purchased the prototype and first five production aircraft in 1936. The ''

Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...

'' (Italian Royal Air Force) declined purchase of the final six production aircraft, which Ala Littoria then also bought.

Operational history

The M.C.94 entered service with Ala Littoria in 1936 on

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

routes, and a number were still in service during World War II. In 1939, Ala Italia sold three of its M.C.94s to its Argentinian partner, Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos. The prototype set a number of international world records for flying boats in 1937, including a new altitude record of carrying a payload of , a speed record of over a closed circuit, and a speed record of carrying a payload over a closed circuit.

Variants

;M.C.94 Anfibio :Prototype amphibian version with Wright engines. ;M.C.94 :The first five production aircraft built as pure flying boats with Wright engines. ;M.C.94 :The final six production aircraft, also built as flying boats with Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.10 engines.

Operators

; : Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos : A.L.F.A. (Aviación del Litoral Fluvial Argentino) ; : Ala Littoria :

Specifications (MC.94)

Notes

References

* * * * {{Portal bar, Italy, Companies, Aviation M.C.094 1930s Italian airliners Flying boats High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1935 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft