Italeri 1461 MB-339 60th P.A.N. anniversary

The Aermacchi MB-339 is a modern Italian jet trainer and fighter-bomber in the low wing configuration. The drive is provided by a single Bristol Siddeley Viper 632-43 engine. The prototype flight took place in 1976. Serial production started in 1978 and continues today. Up to now, approximately 220 machines of this type have been manufactured. The aircraft is armed with - depending on the version - 2 7.62 mm machine guns or 2 30 mm DEFA cannons and a load of up to 1800 kg of bombs or rockets.

The Aermacchi MB-339 was created as the successor of the successful MB-326 and the Fiat G.91 aircraft in the Italian aviation. When designing the new machine, many elements from the MB-326 were used, but also a lot changed: first of all, the front of the fuselage, the contour of the wings were redesigned, a more modern version of the Viper engine was used, the lifting capacity of the aircraft was increased, the on-board weapons were changed and new avionics elements were introduced. The machine entered the service of the Italian Air Force in 1979, gradually replacing the MB-326. Several versions of the MB-339 aircraft were created. One of the first ones is called MB-339RM - it is equipped with a radar. A version of the MB-339C with a completely new avionics was also created. The MB-339 aircraft, like the MB-326, enjoy considerable interest among foreign buyers. They were purchased, among others, by Argentina, Ghana, Peru and Nigeria.