Friday, 14 July 2017

Aermacchi M.B.326, Australian users.

Today, in our last post before holidays (we'll be back soon) we cover the Royal Australian Air Force's usage of this Italian trainer.
Back in the mid-1960s a total of 97 M.B.326 were ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force to Aermacchi. They were designated as M.B.326H and 12 were delivered by Aermacchi, 18 assembled in Australia and 67 were built by both the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and Hawker Aircraft with the designation of CA-30.
The M.G.326H was basically like the M.B.326G but it was equipped with improved avionics.
It was the main trainer for both the RAAF and the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm , in fact they served from 1970 until, oficially 1989 and they were very popular and liked by the pilots thanks to its easy handling. However their service was cut short due to estructural fatigue problems. In order to cope with those problems, the RAN Fleet Air Arm, had a program to extend its life in the 1980s that leaded to the re-wing of some aircrafts after some fatigue related crashes. Even though, they served, together with the Pilatus PC-9 trainers and the very last one of the MB.326H wasn't withdrawn until 2001 when they were replaced by the BAE Hawk 127.










Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-326
2. https://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series3/A7.htm
3. http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_mb326_en.php

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