| Aeronautica Umbra | |
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HW100 - 45000
UAW55 - 105000 RRW100 - 175000 PKRR - 7500 |
Aeronautica Umbra Aeronautica Umbra SA was an Italian aircraft manufacturer founded at Foligno in 1935 by Muzio Macchi. The firm produced SM.79 bombers for the Regia Aeronautica but never enjoyed success with its own designs. Its best-known attempt was the AUT.18 fighter of 1936. Another promising prototype, the MB.902 had two Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines within the fuselage, driving contra-rotating propellers mounted on the wings, but this was destroyed without ever having flown. After World War II, the company re-formed and in 1968 commenced work on a design for a three-engine STOL transport aircraft designated the AUM-903. This, however, was never actually built, although the company did manufacture Scheibe Falke under licence for a time. Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 AUT.18 Role - Fighter National origin - Italy Manufacturer - Aeronautica Umbra Designer - Felice Trojani First flight - 22 April 1939 Number built - 1 The AUT.18 was a prototype fighter aircraft developed in Italy by Aeronautica Umbra shortly before the outbreak of World War II. It was designed in 1934 by Felice Trojani, who at that time was collaborating with Umberto Nobile on the Arctic flights of the airships Norge and Italia. The aircraft's designation came from initials of the manufacturer, the surname of the designer, and the aircraft's wing area (18 m²), the sole prototype receiving the serial no. M.M.363. Design & Development Born from the same Regia Aeronautica requirement that spawned the Caproni-Vizzola F.5, FIAT G.50, Macchi C.200, Meridionali Ro 51 and Reggiane Re 2000 fighters, the A.U.T.18 flew for the first time on 22 April 1939, powered by a 1,044 hp (778.51 kW) Fiat A.80 R.C.41 radial engine. The fighter had an all-metal stressed-skin structure, covered in duralumin, featuring an inwardly-retracting undercarriage and retractable tail-wheel and was armed with two 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine-guns mounted in the wings just outboard of the undercarriage. Flight trials proved disappointing and lagged behind the other fighters in Progetto R - the modernisation (riammodernamento) of the Regia Aeronautica. With no production orders forthcoming, despite the prototype being returned to the Umbra factory at Foligno for modifications on 20 February 1940 and a second flight test series from 5 November 1940, no improvement was demonstrated over fighters already in production so the A.U.T.18 was abandoned. Operational history After delivery to the Regia Aeronautica on 5 November 1940 the fate of the prototype is not known, possibly being transferred to Germany for evaluation, it was also rumoured to have been captured by British forces, but it is more likely that it was destroyed in a raid after its transfer to Orvieto. Specifications (AUT.18) General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 8.56 m (28 ft 1 in) Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) Height: 2.88 m (9 ft 5 in) Wing area: 18.70 m2 (201 sq ft) Empty weight: 2,320 kg (5,110 lb) Gross weight: 2,975 kg (6,560 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Fiat A.80 R.C.41 , 780 kW (1,044 hp) Performance Maximum speed: 480 km/h (300 mph, 260 kn) Range: 800 km (500 mi, 430 nmi) Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft) Armament 2 x 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Fiat G.50 Macchi MC.200 Reggiane Re.2000 |