Modern-Aviation

The Macchi M.C.94 was a 1930s Italian commercial flying boat built by Macchi. The M.C.94 was designed by Mario Castoldi as a commercial passenger transport flying boat to replace the Ala Littoria airline's 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, which was an amphibian with a retractable wheeled undercarriage which swung forward into streamlined casings in the leading edges of the wings. It was followed by 11 production aircraft, which were all pure flying boats. From the seventh aircraft, 570 kilowatts 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.

The M.C.94 was designed by Mario Castoldi (1888-1968) as a commercial passenger transport flying boat to replace the Ala Littoria airline's elderly CANT 10s. Constructed mainly of wood, it was a high-wing cantilver monoplane with a two-step hull and single fin and rudder. The prototype, which was an amphibian with a retractable wheeled undercarriage which swung forward into streamlined casings in the leading edges of the wings, was powered by two 574-kilowatt (770-horsepower) 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, 570-kilowatt (765-horsepower) Alfa Romeo 126 RC 10 radial engines were fitted. The three-man crew was accommodated in a raised and enclosed cockpit and a main cabin could accommodate 12 passengers.

Ala Littoria purchased the prototype and first five production aircraft in 1936. The Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) declined purchase of the final six production aircraft, which Ala Littoria then also bought.

General characteristics
Crew: 3
Capacity: 12
Length: 16.167 m (53 ft 0.5 in) (Anfibio 15.5 m (51 ft))
Wingspan: 22.924 m (75 ft 2.5 in) (Anfibio 22.8 m (75 ft))
Height: 5.448 m (17 ft 10.5 in)
Wing area: 75.79 m2 (815.8 sq ft)
Empty weight: 5,339 kg (11,770 lb) (Anfibio 5,987.5 kg (13,200 lb))
Gross weight: 7,534 kg (16,610 lb) (Anfibio 8,233 kg (18,151 lb))
Powerplant: 2 × Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.10 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine,
580 kW (780 hp) each - Take-off rating 596.6 kW (800 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 291 km/h; 157 kn (181 mph) at 1,000 m (3,281 ft) (Anfibio 282 km/h (175 mph))
Cruise speed: 245 km/h; 132 kn (152 mph) (Anfibio 240 km/h (149 mph))
Range: 1,387 km (862 mi; 749 nmi) (Anfibio 901 km (560 mi))
Endurance: 5 hours 30 minutes
Service ceiling: 6,000 m (19,680 ft) (Anfibio 5,798 m (19,022 ft))
Rate of climb: 4.18 m/s (823 ft/min) (Anfibio 3.55m/s (698ft/min))
Time to altitude: 7min 58 sec to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) and 19min 30sec to 4,000 m (13,123 ft)

Role: Commercial flying boat
Manufacturer: Macchi
Designer: Mario Castoldi (1888–1968)
First flight: 1935
Introduction: 1936
Primary users: Ala Littoria (Italy)
Corporación Sudamericana de Servicios Aéreos (Argentina)
Number built: 12