Aermacchi
From Scramble - The Aviation Magazine
Contents |
Official name
Aeronautica Macchi SpA (A Finmeccanica company)
Manufacturer details
Aermacchi SpA
Via Ing Paolo Foresio 1, PO Box 101, I-21040 Venegono Superiore (VA)
e-mail: info@aermacchi.it
Web: Aermacchi company website
History
The original Macchi company, founded by Eugenio Macchi on 1 May 1913 in Varese, produced famous line of high-speed flying-boats and seaplanes. Aeronautica Macchi became holding company for Aermacchi SpA, SICAMB (Società Italiana Costruzioni Aeronautiche Martin-Baker, aerostructures and equipment manufacturing, including licensed production of Martin-Baker ejection seats) and Logic (aircraft equipment and controls). In January 1997, Aermacchi acquired the SIAI-Marchetti company from Alenia-Finmeccanica and on 19 December 2002, Finmeccanica obtained control of Aeronautica Macchi by increasing its 27.4 per cent shareholding to 94.6 percent. Holdings in SICAMB and Logic have been disposed of.
Also obtained with the SIAI-Marchetti agreement were Finmeccanica's nacelle manufacturing activities for Airbus airliners and Dassault Falcon business jets, previously the responsibility of Alenia at Turin. Related activities formerly undertaken by SIAI included Airbus A300 and 310 inspection doors and tailcones, the overhaul and repair of various types of aircraft (notably the C-130 Hercules, DHC-5 Buffalo and Cessna Citation II), participation in national or multinational programmes, producing parts for the Eurofighter Typhoon, Alenia G222/C-27J (wing and tailerons), Panavia Tornado (wing furniture) and AMX. Macchi makes engine nacelles for Airbus A 318, 319, 320, 321 and 330, Dassault Falcon 900 and Falcon 2000. Contracted to build nacelles (in collaboration with Hurel Dubois) for the Embraer 170/190 family. It will produce (with P&W Canada) the complete nacelle and thrust reverser for the Dassault Falcon 7X. It was a risk-sharing partner in the Fairchild Dornier (now AvCraft) 328JET. It also designed engine nacelles for the Trent 900 and GP7200 versions of the Airbus A380, with the first component delivered 6 May 2003. Space activities include elements of Ariane 5.
Aermacchi is the aircraft manufacturing company of the Aeronautica Macchi group. The plants at the Venegono airfield occupy a total area of 274,000 m2(2,949,300 sq ft), including 113,000 m2(1,216,300 sq ft) of covered space. The flight test centre has a covered space of 5,100 m2 (54,900 sq ft) in a total area of 28,000 m2(301,400 sq ft).
Aermacchi was one of two Italian assembly centres for the AMX (an international venture also involving Brazil's Embraer), having produced 36 single seat AMX’s, plus nine AMX-T’s. It also has important roles in the Eurofighter Typhoon and Yakovlev Yak-130 programmes, offering a Westernised version of the latter as the M-346. In January 1996, Aermacchi obtained the production rights to the former Valmet L-90TP Redigo turboprop trainer, which was redesignated M-290TP Redigo. On 1 January 1997, Aermacchi acquired all training activities and programmes of SIAI-Marchetti, including the SF.260 and S.211 (but not SF.600 Canguro, which was obtained by VulcanAir) and support of earlier S.205s and S.208s remaining in service. Production was then transferred from Sesto Calende to the Aermacchi plant at Venegono. It continues to promote the S.211, including a S.211AD “glass cockpit” upgrade based on the MB-339FD. The company allied with Dassault, EADS and Saab in undertaking a feasibility study (contract signed 2 December 2002) for a 12-nation Eurotrainer military training scheme.
Since 1960, 2,000 Aermacchi trainers have been bought by 40 countries.
