MB-326H

The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) produced the MB‑326H under licence from Italy’s Aermacchi during the early 1970s, creating the most widely used jet trainer in the Royal Australian Air Force’s history. First rolled out in 1972, the MB‑326H entered service in 1975, replacing the CAC Winjeel and the de Havilland Vampire as the primary elementary‑jet trainer. The aircraft is a low‑wing, single‑engine jet powered by a Rolls‑Royce Viper Mk 632 turbofan delivering 2 300 lbf of thrust, giving a maximum speed of about 695 mph (1 120 km/h) and a service ceiling of 42 000 ft. Its all‑metal airframe incorporates a tandem two‑seat cockpit with ejection seats, a simple hydraulic system, and provision for under‑wing stores, allowing it to double as a light attack platform. Over 50 airframes were built in Australia, and the type saw export to Malaysia and Indonesia, where it served in both training and counter‑insurgency roles. The MB‑326H’s reliability, low operating cost, and straightforward handling made it a cornerstone of pilot conversion programmes, paving the way for later trainers such as the Aermacchi MB‑339 and influencing Australian jet‑training doctrine for decades and cementing Australia’s reputation as a capable producer of advanced military aircraft.

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

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