The Macchi M.5 could remain aloft for nearly four hours and carried two forward-firing Vickers machine guns. About 250 were built, with service in Italy, Brazil, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps. Allied services also bought, borrowed, and evaluated one another's aircraft. A design could be revised and built within six or seven months, allowing useful features to circulate quickly among Allied aviation programmes.
Notable Point · 22:06-24:38
The Macchi M.5 and wartime aircraft exchange
The Italian Macchi M.5 shows how seaplane-fighter designs circulated among Allied services and stimulated rapid adaptation.