Aermacchi MB-339

what is it?

The Aermacchi MB-339 is a military jet trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Italian aviation company Aermacchi. The MB-339 was developed during the 1970s in response to an Italian Air Force requirement that sought a replacement for the service's existing fleet of Aermacchi MB-326s. Its design was derived from that of the MB-326, rather than a new design, and thus the two aircraft share considerable similarities in terms of their design.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · 10.9 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 898 km/htop speed
• range 1,760 kmwithout refuelling
• size 5,897 kgmax take-off weight
• built 230made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 50 years ago, in 1976.
• 🏎️Top speed is 6.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.9 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🌍Range of 1,760 km: 10× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.7× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1976-08-12

introduced

1979

status

still flying

number built

230

role

advanced trainer and light attack aircraft

makers

Aermacchi

engines

1× Rolls-Royce Viper Mk. 632

crew

2

length

11 m

wingspan

10.9 m

height

3.6 m

max take-off weight

5,897 kg

top speed

898 km/h

range

1,760 km

ceiling

14,630 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.