The MB-339 is of conventional configuration, and shares much of the 326's airframe. It has a low, unswept wing with tip tanks and jet intakes in the roots, tricycle undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in tandem. The most significant revision was a redesign of the forward fuselage to raise the instructor's seat to allow visibility over and past the student pilot's head.
The first flight took place on August 121976 and deliveries to the Italian Air Force commenced in 1979. Still in production in 2004 in an enhanced version with a much-modernised cockpit. Over 200 MB-339s have been built, with roughly half of them going to the Italian Air Force.
Aermacchi built 21, with initial deliveries to Australia in 1967; Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of Australia then assembled or license-built 54 for the RAAF, and went on to build 12 more for the RAAF and ten for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) -- giving a total of 97 MB-326Hs in Australian service.
Aermacchi also built an improved two-seat trainer, the "MB-326L", which was essentially an MB-326G with the airframe improvements of the MB-326K; it is unclear if the MB-326L featured the Viper 632-43 engine or retained the older Viper 20-540 engine.
Aermacchi also built an improved two-seater, the "MB-339C", with advanced avionics, with prominent radar warning receiver antennas on the tailfin; the Viper 680-43 engine; and the big tip-tanks.
After receiving a study contract from the Italian Air Force, Aermacchi undertook nine different studies to create a second-generation jet trainer to succeed the ageing Aermacchi MB.326 and Aeritalia (Fiat) G91 fleet.
The most promising studies were two models of the Aermacchi MB.339, powered by the Larzac turbofan (MB.339L) or the Viper 600 series turbojet (MB.339V).
In February 1975 the Italian Air Force adopted the Viper powered version, and the first of two prototypes first flew on 12 August1976 at Venegono airfield.
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