Fly Models 1/48 Macchi M.5 Flying Boat by Vince Fiore

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One of the best seaplane fighters of WWI, the Macchi M.5 was designed by Buzio and Calzavara early in 1917. It was a single-seater seaplane, armed with two forward-firing Revelli machine-guns, and it was so efficient that it could match the performance of some land fighters. The first planes (of a total production of 240) entered service in autumn 1917 and were assigned to reconnaissance and escort duty. Five Italian naval squadrons were supplied with this plane at the beginning of 1918. Later in the year, units were also supplied with the M.5 Mod. (Modified) or Macchi 7, which was somewhat smaller in size and was equipped with a more powerful 250 hp version of the Isotta-Fraschini engine. M.5s remained in front-line service until the end of the war. By the end of the conflict, the squadrons equipped with M.5s had carried out 700 missions and shot down 16 enemy planes. Source: Angelucci, E. and P. Matricardi, Origins-World War 1, Sampson Low Guides, Berkshire, 1977

Construction This is the Fly Models - Macchi M.5 Italian Flying Boat - 1/48 - FLY48001, M.7293 1918, Italy. This kit is not difficult to build, but it had a unique problem that took a hard think to solve. The construction is pretty straightforward, however, the mounting of the lower wing presents a tricky problem. The directions state that the wing has to have a three-degree dihedral. If you do not do this when you mount the top wing the strut will be either too long or too short depending on the angle of the dihedral. I tried several methods to mount the top wing to no avail. A solution, I fixed the lower wings using contact cement. This allowed the wings to have some movement up or down. I built the center mount that houses the engine, which then has support for the top wing. I then mounted the top wing. Next, the struts were glued to the top wing. Now because the bottom wings had some movement I was able to raise the lower wing to be able to reach the strut. All the parts were painted before assembly. All the paints and primer used were M R P Laquer. I misplaced the windshield when I took photos, although I found it and has been installed. The paint scheme comes from a postcard I saw online which I have included with the submission of the photos. When completed this is a very nice model. Vintage postcard image of Macchi M.5 M.7293.

Technical Data Aircraft: Macchi M.5 Mod. Manufacturer: S.A. Nieuport-Macchi Type: Reconnaissance/Fighter Year: 1918 Engine: Isotta-Fraschini V.68 liquid-cooled inline, 250 hp Wingspan: 32 ft 7.75 in (9.95 m) Length: 26 ft 7 in (8.1 m) Height: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) Weight: 2,381 lbs (1,080 kg) Maximum Speed: 130 mph (209 kph) at sea level Ceiling: 16,405 ft (5,000 m) Endurance: 3 hrs 40 mins Armament:2 machine-guns Crew: 1

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