Hi Clint
Well, you are correct about there being too many double serials in our Italian lists
I am slowly progressing through the WDF volumes (I think I have all with direct connection to Italy) but I don't have all of them, so some French and English types may slip by.
I will send it over to you when "finished"....
With regard to the M.5 Alegi actually calls the batch M.4866 - 4875 type MA. Photos shown: Ma.4868, M.4869, M.4870 and Ma.4873. Seems it was a sort of interim type. The M.5 was a single-seater (and thus smaller) while the L.3 (M.3) was a side-by-side two-seater, but since they are basically in scale it is dificult to see unless you have two persons in the cockpit...
As far as I know he has made extensive research into flying boats so I am pretty certain he is correct this time.
Cheers
Stig