If It Can Fly, It Can Float!!!

fubar57 · Feb 20, 2016

That was a cool looking beast Jim.

Geo

Capt. Vick · Feb 20, 2016

Yeah...

Wayne Little · Feb 21, 2016

johnbr · Feb 22, 2016

Wayne Little · Feb 23, 2016

johnbr · Feb 25, 2016

The Macchi M.39 racing float plane was designed by Mario Castoldi. It was 25 feet, 6 inches (7.772 meters) long with a wingspan of 30 feet, 4½ inches (9.258 meters) and height of 9 feet, 9 inches (2.972 meters). The empty weight of the Schneider Trophy racer was 2,772 pounds (1,257 kilograms) and the maximum takeoff weight was 3,472 pounds (1,575 kilograms). It was powered by a liquid-cooled 31.4 liter (1,916.4 cubic inch) Fiat AS.2 60° DOHC V-12 engine rated at 800 horsepower, driving a two-bladed, fixed-pitch propeller. The AS.2 was based on the design of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company's D-12 engine.
17 November 1926: At Hampton Roads, Virginia, Major Mario de Bernardi, Regia Aeronautica, broke his own record, set just four days earlier, when he flew the Aeronautica Macchi M.39, number MM.76, to a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Speed Over a 3 Kilometer Course with an average speed of 416.62 kilometers per hour (258.88 miles per hour).

FAI Record File Num #11835 [Direct Link]
Status: ratified – superseded since approved
Region: World
Class: C (Powered Aeroplanes)
Sub-Class: C.bis (Seaplane)
Category: General
Group: Not applicable
Type of record: Speed over a 3 km course
Performance: 416.62 km/h
Date: 1926-11-17
Course/Location: Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA (USA)
Claimant Mario De Bernardi (ITA)
Aeroplane: Macchi S.39
Engine: 1 Fiat A.S.2

Wurger · Feb 25, 2016

nuuumannn · Feb 26, 2016

Attempting to identify the Japanese float-biplane in John's post: I think it's a Yokosho Navy Type 14-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane, or Yokosuka E1Y3 as is more commonly known.

Yokosuka E1Y - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Njaco · Mar 23, 2016

Wurger · Mar 24, 2016

Capt. Vick · Mar 24, 2016

Nice!

Gnomey · Mar 24, 2016

Nice shots guys!

Peter Gunn · Mar 25, 2016

Cool pics Njaco, although in the third photo the plane on the left in the background seems to be levitating. :lol:

Peter Gunn · Mar 25, 2016

A way I've always wanted to cross the Pacific, especially with a hot blonde and the Deluxe Cabin. The two black and whites with the autograph were taken in Auckland New Zealand in 1941.