Macchi M.7

It may sound strange for a flying boat to compete with a fighter on speed, but that is exactly the case for the Macchi M.7, which was designed to match or exceed the Phönix D.I. The flying boat at least has the advantage of mounting larger engines without a redesign, and the M.7 used the 250hp Isotta-Fraschini V-6B. It was smaller than the excellent Macchi M.5 flying boat-fighter. Out of an order of two hundred, only seventeen had been delivered and only three became operational before the Armistice.

After the war three were sold to Sweden, and Italy continued increasing performance with larger engines, up to the 475hp Lorraine.