The Macchi MB.308, later Aermacchi MB-308, is a light aircraft produced in Italy in the late 1940s.

Development Development of the MB.308 began shortly after the end of the Second World War under the direction of Macchi technical director Ermanno Bazzocchi. Seeking to re-establish the company’s presence in the emerging civil aviation market, Bazzocchi based the new aircraft on his earlier CNA PM.1 light aircraft design, a pre-war project that had never entered production after its prototype was destroyed during the war. The resulting aircraft retained the PM.1’s general arrangement as a high-wing cabin monoplane but incorporated a tricycle undercarriage.

The prototype, registered “I-FABR”, was completed in 1946 and made its maiden flight on 19 January 1947. It was initially powered by a 60 hp CNA D.4 engine, but difficulties obtaining sufficient engines led Macchi to adopt readily available American-built Continental engines for production aircraft, beginning with the Continental C65 and later more powerful C85 and C90 variants as the design evolved.

The production aircraft was a conventional high-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage. Construction throughout was of wood. The pilot and a single passenger or instructor sat side by side, and later examples had a third seat behind them.

The MB.308 was ordered in quantity by the Italian Air Force, which leased them out to Italy's aeroclubs. A modified version with a higher-powered engine was put into production in Argentina, under licence to sailplane manufacturer German Bianco.

Operational history

Operators

Argentine National Gendarmerie

Egyptian Air Force

Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana) - received 81 aircraft in 1948 and were retired in 1954

Lebanese Air Force

Variants

MB.308 Two-seat version with an or Continental engine. 137 built. MB.308 Idro Seaplane version MB.308G Three-seat version with a Continental C90 engine. MB.308-100 MB.308G built by German Bianco in Argentina with a Continental O-200-A engine. Approximately 46 built.

Specifications (MB.308 - C85 engine)

See also

Notes

References