The Bazzocchi Connection

For decades, the name Aermacchi was synonymous with Italian aeronautical excellence. Renowned in the inter-war years for its striking red racing aircraft and later for fighter designs that saw combat during the Second World War, the company entered the jet age with a legacy already firmly established. Yet its most enduring influence would come after 1945, shaped largely by the vision of one man: Ermanno Bazzocchi.

Joining Aermacchi as a young engineer in the late 1930s, Bazzocchi rose to prominence in the post-war period as the architect of a new generation of jet-powered training aircraft. His work redefined how pilots were trained worldwide, establishing concepts and design principles that would influence air forces for decades to come. The culmination of this approach was the MB.326, developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s—a robust, adaptable, and affordable jet trainer that soon became affectionately known to pilots and ground crews alike as the Macchino or simply the Macchi.

Exported to more than a dozen air forces around the world, the MB.326 trained thousands of pilots and, despite often being overshadowed by more glamorous combat aircraft, proved itself in a surprising number of high-intensity conflicts. In several theatres it demonstrated an ability to operate effectively in roles far beyond its original training remit, frequently outperforming more advanced opponents. In the early 1970s, its successor, the MB.339, continued this legacy, achieving further commercial success and remaining in frontline service well into the twenty-first century.

After more than ninety years of independent existence, Aermacchi was ultimately absorbed into what is today Leonardo S.p.A. Yet Bazzocchi’s influence did not end with the disappearance of the company as a standalone marque. His design philosophy and approach to advanced jet training live on, most visibly in the M-346, another highly successful Italian jet trainer that continues to shape pilot training across the world.

Drawing on extensive research and richly illustrated with colour profiles and photographs, this volume traces the worldwide operational history of the MB.326 and MB.339, placing them within the broader technological and doctrinal evolution of post-war air power. More than a study of two aircraft types, it is an examination of a design lineage—and a legacy—that continues to influence modern air forces to this day. 

"The prolific British publisher Helion has just published the 14th volume in the Technology@war series, which will certainly arouse great interest among Italian enthusiasts. This title is dedicated to our Aermacchi MB.326 and MB.339, appreciated at home and abroad, with the former model being decidedly revolutionary for its time and the latter renowned for having been the aircraft of our glorious PAN since 1982 and having carried out effective missions under the Argentine flag in the skies over the Falkland Islands. The Italian authors, known to enthusiasts for their long-standing collaboration with various specialized publications, have illustrated every major stage of the two aircraft, from the first sketches drawn by Engineer Bazzocchi in the early 1950s to the final designs......The rich and captivating illustrations, with many previously unpublished photos and 30 impeccable profiles by Tom Cooper and Luca Canossa, complement a volume that will delight the large number of "Macchini" enthusiasts.!" JP4 Magazine, No 4, April 20206 (translated from Italian)