Alenia Aermacchi

Alenia Aermacchi is a company designing and producing trainer aircraft for military pilots.

Profile

In July 2003, Alenia Aermacchi was integrated into the Finmeccanica Group, which increased its shareholding to 99%. The company's facilities are located at Venegono Superiore (Varese province). Its workforce totals about 1,800 and its plants occupy an area of 274,000 m². Facilities include laboratories and workshops for structural tests and a wind and a water tunnel in addition to an airfield for flight test activities.

Military trainers

The products include:

Military collaboration

;AMX Program Alenia Aermacchi takes part in the AMX program with Alenia Aeronautica and Embraer of Brazil with a total share of 24%. Alenia Aermacchi develops and manufactures the fuselage forward and rear sections and installs some avionic equipment in the aircraft. A Mid-Life Updating program is required by the Italian Air Force to upgrade the aircraft capabilities.

;Panavia Tornado program Alenia Aermacchi designs and produces wing pylons and wing tips, roots, trailing edges and flaps, which represent a 5% share in the overall program.

;Eurofighter program Alenia Aermacchi has a share, exceeding 4% in, for the design and development of wing pylons, twin missile and twin store carriers, ECM pods, carbon fiber structures and titanium engine cowlings.

;C-27J program After participating in the G-222 transport aircraft program, the company is involved in the new Military Transport Aircraft C-27J Spartan, for the production of outer wings.

Civil programs

In 1999, the company established a joint venture (MHD) with Hurel-Dubois (presently Hurel-Hispano, of SNECMA group), a French company specializing in the development and manufacture of thrust reversers, to obtain the full responsibility for the development of nacelles installed on maximum 100-seat aircraft.

Aermacchi aircraft

During World War I

Interwar

During World War II

Post-World War II

Current Models

Motorcycle history

Soon after World War II had ended peacetime production began with a three-wheeler truck. Then, anticipating the motor cycle boom and intending to have a stake in it, the Aermacchi chiefs looked for a designer who could produce an attractive lightweight. Their choice was Lino Tonti, who had been at Benelli and had worked on aircraft engines during the war. Tonti designed a 50 cc motorcycle that broke the land speed record for the displacement.

The bikes produced by Aermacchi were quite successful in the postwar Italian market, partly due to their use on race tracks. The firm designed and produced models incorporating the Italian word "Ala" (wing) in its names, such as "Ala Verde", "Ala Blu" and "Ala d'Oro" (respectively "green wing", "blue wing" and "golden wing").

In the 1960s, 50% of Aermacchi stock was acquired by Harley-Davidson to produce, in its assembly plant at Schiranna (near Varese), several models of small bikes (with engine displacement between 125cc and 350cc) for the American and the European market. This was an attempt to take back market sectors that were at the time increasingly being taken by Japanese manufacturers such as Honda and Yamaha. Aermacchi went on to have success in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world with rider Renzo Pasolini finishing 2nd in the 1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship.

After 1974, when the American manufacturer acquired complete control of the Italian company, Aermacchi bikes re-badged as Harley-Davidsons won the 250 cc Roadracing World Championship three years in a row in 1974, 1975 and 1976. They also won the 350 cc World Championship in 1976.

Upon the acquisition of Harley-Davidson by AMF in 1978, the Italian operations of the firm were sold to the Castiglioni brothers, founders of the Cagiva motorcycle company, which continued to produce bikes branded "HD Cagiva" until 1980.

External links

Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Italy Category:Defence companies of Italy