Aermacchi MB-339A

YaSen · July 20, 2023, 3:17am

Aermacchi MB-339A

This suggestion has been made to support the Italian Aviation Tech Tree in War Thunder, specifically CAS aircraft, which the tree severely lacks.

Hello, War Thunder player! Today I would like to resuggest the implementation of a very beautiful plane - Aermacchi MB-339, which main goal in real life is to train Italian student pilots, though it’s also a nice close air support aircraft. The variant I suggest is Aermacchi MB-339A, this is the most common and less “agressive” in terms of available weapon variant.

Compared to its predecessor, MB.326, MB-339 is characterized by a raised rear seat which is essential to provide the instructor with good forward visibility especially during armed exercises.

Aermacchi MB-339A supplied to the 61st Stormo of Galatina (Lecce) with which student pilots of the Air Force carry out phase II ( Primary Pilot Training ), common to all student pilots military, aimed at identifying the lines on which they will fly: fighters, remote piloting RPA, helicopters, conventional (transport). Besides being a very good trainer and useful for close air support missions, MB-339A has proved to be very favorable for “Frecce Tricolori” activities (in this role PAN variant is used, it’s basically MB-339A equipped with a smoke generators). For the extention of MB-339A and PAN operational life, MLU ( Mid-Life Update) was provided, one of the main improvements of which became new radio and navigation equipment including the installation of “GPS”.

The 339 in service on the Galatina base, in the different versions, have accumulated about 330,000 flight hours, testifying to the high performance levels of the aircraft. MB-339 have also got success on export market, including MB-339A which were used by Argentine Naval Aviation, Ghana Air Force, Dubai Air Wing, Peruvian and Nigerian Air Forces (MB-339AP and MB-339AN respectively). Argentinian MB-339A took part in Falklands War.

Specifications:

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Wingspan: 10.85 m - length: 10.97 m - height: 3.99 m;

Maximum take-off weight: 5,895 kg;

Power plant: a Rolls-Royce Viper Mk.632 turbojet of 1,814 kg / s;

Maximum speed : 940 km / h (0.86 mach);

Ceiling: 13,000 m;

Autonomy: 3,600 km;

Crew: 1/2 pilots;

Armament: up to 2,040 kg of external loads (pods for machine guns or cal. 30 cannon mm, auxiliary tanks, bombs, unguided rockets).

Armament (From AFM):

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“Pod Cannone 30 mm” - 30 mm gunpod (DEFA, 125 rpg)

“Pod Mitraglia 12.7 mm” - 12.7 mm gunpod (AN/M3 350 rpg)

“Bombe Mk.82 LD’”- Mk.82 500lb bomb;

“Razziere LR-25-0” - LR-25-0 rocket launcher;

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LR-25-0 launcher installed on G.91Y
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The LR-25, nickname “ORIONE”, was a launcher produced in Italy by the AEREA factory, initially employed with G-91Y, and F-104 bomber variant. Italy was in search of small caliber rockets for CAS, and the 50mm rockets family produced by SNIA-BPD consortium were choosen: it’s derived from ARF/8M2 employed in FIROS6 saturation batteries. In the various exhibit by Aermacchi from late '70 to half of '80, the 339 was showed with some arsenal never adopted or entered in production: during those times the AEREA renewed the LR-25 employing alluminium alloy and renamed AL-25-50, introduced a smaller variant AL-18-50 (18 rockets instead of 25) and the AL-12-80 with powerful SNORA rockets (12x 80mm SNORA rockets).