In 1987 i was in the Australian army, posted in Perth. We quite regularly would see the Macchi's, from RAAF Pearce, doing mock dogfights out over the ocean. RAAF Pearce was where they did jet conversion training i think.
Our airforce here in S.A. the SAAF follow a similar training program with the Italian Macchies replacing the British Vampires. It was also locally manufactured at the Denel corporation and was called the Impala two seat trainer. Later on the one seat Impala ground support attack version followed with a slightly stronger engin which was also operational during the Angola war. The Impala was replaced also by the British Hawk 120 trainer a.c. SAAF Also enquire some Pilatus trainer a.c. Unfortunately the SAAF status quo currently is of such a pathetic condition it isnt worth to see it as a force to recon with.
The Macchi was built like the proverbial brick-sh1thouse. We took a christmas photo at Pearce with all the sumpies (engine guys) on the wing of one, it had quite a lean, it flew 30 minutes later, no problems. I flew in one on a test flight, my first experience of a bubble cockpit, brilliant, fantastic. The view from the rear cockpit wasn't brilliant for landing, the rear seat was no higher than the front. The fuel leaks were reportedly from the BFCU (Barometric Fuel Control Unit), flat gasket near the adjuster. Lost 1 aircarft at Pearce, while I was there from that. We lost another from a student trying to push the main landing gear through the wings, they didn't flare on landing. The PC9 (we called the pissy 9) was nowhere near as robust, only a small part of the wing could be walked on, it didn't have single point refuelling (RAAF went cheap), and they took a lot of work to ground run (had to chain it to the ground).
Had to recovery a Macchi while on “Duty Crew” (Weekend support) at 492 SQN Edinburg South Australia after the refueler filled it up with Avgas rather than Avtur, didn’t make it to the taxiway before it started blowing thick white smoke and stopped.
@@glennmcc64 Not sure of what the damage was (I was a RadTech, not a Engine Fitter ), it sat down at ARDU tarmac for a couple of weeks, certainly added a little bit of excitement for an otherwise boring weekend.
The Roulette's Macchis in Sale regularly had scrapes and dents on their tip tanks - I feel like they got flown like NASCARs. These, Mirages and F-111s were a big part of my RAAF childhood and I miss seeing jets in formation.
Shame to not mention that they haven't been fully retired and have trained 2 generations of aircraft technicians at wagga. The old girls still putting in work.
Australia makes parts for F-35s (that go to all F-35s I think), mainly aft fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilisers at BAe in SA, wheels and brake systems in Victoria and a whole bunch other bits and bobs all over the place.
@@550r Hey mate. That's true but it's also typical F-35 production strategy. They build bits & pieces of it in almost every US state just to keep all the politicians from each state on board, & hand out "bibs & bobs" to partner countries (ie, foreign customers) for the same reason. The insane effect that this has on cost is irrelevant to them. I guess I just miss the days when we made not just bibs & bobs, but whole planes, cars & a bunch of other stuff we needed ourselves.
There's a fair bit more to an F35 than a Sabre. Military aircraft are so complex now that it's kind of beyond the scope of any single nation to pay to develop one. The US still can, with F22 and their new bomber but at a truly eye-watering cost.
@@chuckygobyebye Yeah true, but we never "developed" any of the above aircraft that we locally built. They were already developed. We just built them once they were already proven.
I see your comment now - sorry I missed it. Is the image yours? It was probably picked up somewhere and we didn't see a copyright notice. If you are claiming copyright and don't want it used we can take it down. Alternatively we can put a note in the video description crediting you with the image.
@@Trash_Can81 Thanks John (I'm assuming you are John) - I'll put your name in the description. And when I get around to it I'll be doing an information page on the aircraft, so can i use the image there as well? If you have other's I'd love to be able to use them. My email matt@amaha.au
In 1987 i was in the Australian army, posted in Perth. We quite regularly would see the Macchi's, from RAAF Pearce, doing mock dogfights out over the ocean. RAAF Pearce was where they did jet conversion training i think.
Our airforce here in S.A. the SAAF follow a similar training program with the Italian Macchies replacing the British Vampires. It was also locally manufactured at the Denel corporation and was called the Impala two seat trainer. Later on the one seat Impala ground support attack version followed with a slightly stronger engin which was also operational during the Angola war. The Impala was replaced also by the British Hawk 120 trainer a.c. SAAF Also enquire some Pilatus trainer a.c. Unfortunately the SAAF status quo currently is of such a pathetic condition it isnt worth to see it as a force to recon with.
The Macchi was built like the proverbial brick-sh1thouse. We took a christmas photo at Pearce with all the sumpies (engine guys) on the wing of one, it had quite a lean, it flew 30 minutes later, no problems. I flew in one on a test flight, my first experience of a bubble cockpit, brilliant, fantastic. The view from the rear cockpit wasn't brilliant for landing, the rear seat was no higher than the front.
The fuel leaks were reportedly from the BFCU (Barometric Fuel Control Unit), flat gasket near the adjuster. Lost 1 aircarft at Pearce, while I was there from that.
We lost another from a student trying to push the main landing gear through the wings, they didn't flare on landing.
The PC9 (we called the pissy 9) was nowhere near as robust, only a small part of the wing could be walked on, it didn't have single point refuelling (RAAF went cheap), and they took a lot of work to ground run (had to chain it to the ground).
Loved watching the Macchi as a kid visiting an unc le who was an instrument fitter with the RAAF. Did not realised so many of them were lost.
The 76 SQN grey scheme was only surpassed as my favourite by Ray Funnell’s white scheme. Although his PC-9’s blue was even better.
Had to recovery a Macchi while on “Duty Crew” (Weekend support) at 492 SQN Edinburg South Australia after the refueler filled it up with Avgas rather than Avtur, didn’t make it to the taxiway before it started blowing thick white smoke and stopped.
😂
That would have killed the fuel pump, the avgas doesn't lubricate the piston fuel pump at all, kero is a bit "oilier".
@@glennmcc64 Not sure of what the damage was (I was a RadTech, not a Engine Fitter ), it sat down at ARDU tarmac for a couple of weeks, certainly added a little bit of excitement for an otherwise boring weekend.
Loved flying the Macchi.
The Roulette's Macchis in Sale regularly had scrapes and dents on their tip tanks - I feel like they got flown like NASCARs. These, Mirages and F-111s were a big part of my RAAF childhood and I miss seeing jets in formation.
Merredin has a Macchi - always love seeing it
Nice video, thanks mate.
Italian design + Rolls Royce engines= a winner.
We had a lot of Macchis
Awesome mate 👍✈️🇳🇿
I was just searching for this type of aircraft yesterday
Looks like the love child from a coupling of the Hunter and Jet Provost, especially from a head on view lol 😂.
Beautiful plane.
Did 9 years on them.
Man that's a long time to be at RAAF-STT
Good stuff. Can't really take the Roulettes seriously in the Pilatus. Need to be jets or not bother.
Shame to not mention that they haven't been fully retired and have trained 2 generations of aircraft technicians at wagga. The old girls still putting in work.
Seems we used to build so much of our own stuff. Sabres, Mirages, Macchis, Hornets. What happened?
Australia makes parts for F-35s (that go to all F-35s I think), mainly aft fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilisers at BAe in SA, wheels and brake systems in Victoria and a whole bunch other bits and bobs all over the place.
@@550r Hey mate. That's true but it's also typical F-35 production strategy. They build bits & pieces of it in almost every US state just to keep all the politicians from each state on board, & hand out "bibs & bobs" to partner countries (ie, foreign customers) for the same reason. The insane effect that this has on cost is irrelevant to them. I guess I just miss the days when we made not just bibs & bobs, but whole planes, cars & a bunch of other stuff we needed ourselves.
There's a fair bit more to an F35 than a Sabre. Military aircraft are so complex now that it's kind of beyond the scope of any single nation to pay to develop one. The US still can, with F22 and their new bomber but at a truly eye-watering cost.
@@chuckygobyebye Yeah true, but we never "developed" any of the above aircraft that we locally built. They were already developed. We just built them once they were already proven.
A week, and you still haven't bothered!
I'm sorry I don't always get to read all the comments - what seems to be the problem?
I see your comment now - sorry I missed it. Is the image yours? It was probably picked up somewhere and we didn't see a copyright notice. If you are claiming copyright and don't want it used we can take it down. Alternatively we can put a note in the video description crediting you with the image.
@@raafdocumentariesYou can use it. It belongs to John Bartels.
@@Trash_Can81 Thanks John (I'm assuming you are John) - I'll put your name in the description. And when I get around to it I'll be doing an information page on the aircraft, so can i use the image there as well? If you have other's I'd love to be able to use them. My email matt@amaha.au
You might consider getting permission to use your cover picture.
How come?
@@jamesf1185That image is not an RAAF owned image.
@@Trash_Can81Is it yours?