Alenia Aermacchi
Aermacchi
MB-339

Photo: Robert Deering 6/13/2017
USS Intrepid Museum
New York City, New York

The Aermacchi MB-339 is an Italian military trainer and light attack aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier MB-326.

The MB-339 is of conventional configuration and all-metal construction, and shares much of the 326's airframe. It has a low, un-swept wing with tip tanks and jet intakes in the roots, tricycle undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in tandem. The most significant revision was a redesign of the forward fuselage to raise the instructor's seat to allow visibility over and past the student pilot's head. The aircraft was fitted with a larger fin and powerplant for the initial versions was the same Rolls-Royce Viper 632-43, producing 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN), as fitted to the MB-326-K.

The first flight took place on 12 August 1976 and deliveries to the Italian Air Force commenced in 1979. It was still in production in 2004 in an enhanced version with a much-modernised cockpit. Over 200 MB-339s have been built, with roughly half of them going to the Italian Air Force.

The Lockheed-Aermacchi MB-339 T-Bird II was a losing contender in the USA's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) aircraft selection. Among the seven to enter, the Raytheon/Pilatus entry won, which became the T-6 Texan II.

According to an article posted on the Italian website 'Il Porto Franci', called 'Armi e finanziamenti nel corno d'Africa', Eritrea paid about $US 50 million for six MB-339 CEs in 1997. This is the original MB-339 with more advanced avionics for the ground attack role, RWR, uprated Viper 680-43 engine, and larger wingtip tanks. It is capable of carrying Sidewinder AAMs, AGM-65 Maverick AGMs, and laser-guided bombs. Unit price of the MB-339C would have to be somewhere around $US 8.3 million dollars in 1997.

SPECIFICATIONS: PERFORMANCE:
Span:  10.97 m (36 ft 0 in) Maximum speed:  898 km/h (485 knots, 558 mph) at sea level
Length:  10.86 m (35 ft 7½ in) Cruising speed: 
Height:  3.60 m (11 ft 9¾ in) Range:  1,760 km (950 NMI, 1,093 mi)
Empty Weight:  3,075 kg (6,780 lb) Service ceiling:  14,630 m (48,000 ft)
Gross Weight:  4,400 kg (9,700 lb)  
Crew:  Student and instructor
Engines:  1 × Rolls-Royce Viper Mk. 632 turbojet, 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN)
Armament: 
  • Guns: Provision for two 7.62mm miniguns or two 30mm DEFA cannon in under wing pods (MB-339CD)
  •  Bombs: Up to 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) of weapons on six hardpoints, including AIM-9 Sidewinder or R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, Sea Killer anti-ship missiles, Matra Durandal anti-runway bombs, BAP 100 cluster bombs, BAT 120 anti-vehicle bombs, general-purpose bombs, and pods for Zuni or SNEB unguided rockets.
SOURCE:  Wikipedia