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Description: Here is an example of what can be a little recon/tourism aircraft** **armed to the teeth. I present to you the Aerfer-Aermacchi AM3. This little boy was a joint development that involved two companies,Aerfer and Aermacchi, in 1964 when the Italian army presented a request for a new recon aircraft for the Aviazione Leggera Dell’Esercito (Light Air Force Of The Army) to replace the old American aircraft that were still in service. (In 1964, when the project was started by Aermacchi, the first name of this aircraft was MB335; after the collaboration with Aerfer in the same year, the name changed to AM3). It was not only projected as a recon aircraft,but it was also able to provide light CAS support. The first time that the first prototype made by Aermacchi flew was on May 12, 1967, and the second was made by Aerfer on August 22, 1968. In 1968, the aircraft got the seaworthiness certificates for the Italian RAI and the FFA. After 1969, the Italian army tested it and endorsed it, but the normal version was not good in every aspect, so another version was made called AM3C. The aircraft remain operational. In the Italian Army, a small number of prototypes were made, but they were exported to South Africa and Rwanda. Talking about itself, it was powered by a Continental GTSIO 520-C with 340 horsepower that provided the aircraft with a total speed of 308 km/h,a very big loadout including AS11 and AS12 ATGM,Hydra 70 mm rokets, 7.62 mm miniguns, butterfly bombs,various unguided bombs and rifles, and napalm bombs.
Statistics:
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Engine: 1 Continental GTSIO 520-C with 340 HP.
Wingspan 11.73m
Length: 8.73m
Height: 2.75m
Wing surface: 19.04 m2
Empty weight: 930kg.
Total weight: 1,350kg.
Maximum total weight:1,500kg
Max speed at 0m: 270 km/h
Max speed at 4,900m: 308 km/h
Tangency: 8,900 m.
Autonomy: 850km
Crew:3 people
Weapons:
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4x double 7.62 machinegun mm gun pod
4x 7.62 mm Minigun pod
4x AS11 ATGM
4x AS 12 ATGM
4x 70 mm Hydra rokets pod
4x Napalms bombs
32x HVAR rokets
96x Butterfly bombs
Various Bombs and others rokets
Pictures:
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AM3 in the South African service with rokets and a night vision pod
http://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/JS/Janes/vol1/4/182-1.jpg
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