LIMITED-EDITION RUN: ONLY 12 MADE WORLDWIDE!

* Includes TG-GW060C sentry figure!

The Macchi M.5 was an Italian single-seat fighter flying boat designed and built by Nieuport-Macchi at Varese. It was extremely manoeuvrable and agile and matched the land-based aircraft it had to fight.

The M.5 was operated by five Italian maritime patrol squadrons as a fighter and convoy escort, and some were embarked on the Giuseppe Miraglia. Towards the end of World War I, the aircraft were flown by both United States Navy and United States Marine Corps airmen. Ensign Charles Hammann won the first Medal of Honorawarded to a United States naval aviator in an M.5.

In 1923, when the Regia Aeronautica was formed, 65 M.5s were still in service, although they all had been scrapped within a few years.

This aircraft was flown by Friedrich Welker in Austro Hungarian colours. The Austrians captured this aircraft after the over eager Italian pilot (Daniele Minciotti) flying it, ran out of fuel over enemy territory whilst chasing 2 enemy aircraft!  Welker was given command of this aircraft but after flying several missions he crashed this aircraft in Trieste harbour sustaining fatal wounds, the aircraft was of course written off.

Info: Macchi M5 Austro Hungarian Biplane Flown by Friedrich Welker Display Model - Comes with TG-GW060C sentry figure