Macchi M.9

M.9
A M.9 of the Argentine Naval Aviation, circa 1920s
Role	Flying boat bomber Type of aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	Macchi
Designer	Alessandro Tonini
First flight	1918
Number built	ca. 30

The Macchi M.9 was a flying boat bomber designed by Alessandro Tonini and produced by Macchi in Italy close to the end of World War I and shortly afterwards.^[1]

The M.9 was a conventional design for its day, with unstaggered biplane wings of unequal span and a single engine mounted pusher-fashion on struts in the interplane gap, close to the underside of the top wing. The pilot and observer sat side by side in an open cockpit. While earlier Macchi flying boats had conventional interplane struts, the M.9 introduced the Warren truss-style struts that would become characteristic of this manufacturer's designs.

Around 16 examples were delivered to the Italian Navy prior to the Armistice, and around another 14 were assembled after the end of hostilities.^[1] A small number of postwar aircraft were built with four seats under the designation M.9bis and were used in Switzerland for carrying passengers and mail.^[1][2]

 Argentina

• Argentine Navy
  • Argentine Naval Aviation

 Brazil

• Brazilian Naval Aviation

 Kingdom of Italy

• Corpo Aeronautico Militare

 Poland

• Polish Navy (Naval Aviation Base in Puck)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919, p. 390.

General characteristics

• Crew: 2, pilot and observer
• Length: 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 15.40 m (50 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 48.5 m² (521 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,250 kg (2,750 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,800 kg (3,960 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.12 , 208 kW (280 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 188 km/h (118 mph, 103 kn)
• Endurance: 4 hours
• Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,050 ft) ^[3]

Related lists

• List of seaplanes and flying boats

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Macchi M.9.

• Angelucci, Enzo. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. San Diego, California: The Military Press, 1983. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
• Nelcarz, Bartolomiej and Robert Peczkowski. White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939. Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2001. ISBN 1-902109-73-2
• Grey, C.G. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919. London: Sampson Low Marston, 1969 (reprint). ISBN 978-0715346471.
• Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.