Macchi-Castoli M.C. 72

With the amazing Macchi M. C. 72, Mario Castoldi reached the pinnacle of his design career. This plane used one 2,850 hp Fiat A. S. 6 24-cylinder double V-12 piston engine. Eessentially two V-12 engines in tandem joined by a single crankshaft, each driving one of the two contra rotating propellers via a co-axial shaft, counter rotating propellers which eliminated the on-water torque problems that plagued high-powered seaplanes. On October 23, 1934, an M.C.72 set an absolute world speed record of 440.683 mph, to this day it is still the world speed record for a piston engined float plane.

Mahogany Wood. Scale: 1/20. Wingspan 18 1/2 inches, Length 16 1/4 inches.