The CANT Z.504 was a prototype reconnaissance biplane flying boat made by
CANT CANT may refer to:
*CANT, a solo project from Grizzly Bear bass guitarist and producer, Chris Taylor.
*Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini
CANT (''Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini'', the Trieste Shipbuilding and Naval Aeronautics; also ...
in the 1930s.
Development
Since the 1920s the Regia Aeronautica evaluated the opportunity to equip some of its units with support aircraft. To overcome the difficulties of use in the presence of heavy seas, launch structures were installed, real and proper, on which was appropriately fixed the aircraft that was brought at a speed sufficient to allow take-off.
After using various seaplanes designed for civil use such as
Macchi M.18
The Macchi M.18 was a flying boat designed by Alessandro Tonini and produced by Aermacchi, Macchi in Italy in the early 1920s.Taylor 1989, 617''World Aircraft Information Files'' File 901 Sheet 01 Originally planned as a passenger aircraft, it ...
, or more specific
Piaggio P.6
The Piaggio P.6 was an Italian catapult-launched reconnaissance floatplane designed and built by Piaggio for the ''Regia Marina'' (Italian Royal Navy).
Development
To meet a ''Regia Marina'' requirement for a two-seat catapult-launched seaplane, ...
and
CANT 25, in
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
the
Ministry of Aeronautics
The Ministry of the Air Force () was a department of the Kingdom of Italy, and subsequently of the Italian Republic, with jurisdiction over both military and civil aviation. Established in 1925, it was abolished in 1947 when it merged with the ...
on behalf of the Regia Marina, issued a specification for the supply of a new two-seater aircraft to be used in the roles of reconnaissance and hunting, and able to replace the previous designs and characterized mainly from a single-engine configuration.
The performances required by the specifications concerned the maximum speed at low altitude, set at at least , the stall speed, equal to , a rise time that at full load allowed the achievement of a quota equal to in 26 minutes, an autonomy at cruising speed of 6 hours 30 minutes and a range of action of .
The Z.504 flew on September 1, 1934, but lost out to the
IMAM Ro.43 for the production contract. The Z.504 was later owned by the brothers Callisto and Alberto Cosulich, where it was presumably used as a training aircraft.
Design
The Z.504 was designed by
Filippo Zappata
Filippo Zappata (6 July 1894 – 30 August 1994) was an Italian engineer and aircraft designer. He worked for Officine Aeronautiche Gabardini, Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CANT), Blériot, Breda, and Agusta. Zappata was the designer of many ...
, the successor to
Raffaele Conflenti
Raffaele Conflenti (4 December 1889 – 16 July 1946) was an Italian aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer. During his career, he worked for some of the most important seaplane manufacturers in Italy and designed a large number of aircraft in ...
, chief designer at CANT. The aircraft was characterized by a biplane veiling, the only model of Zappata to use it, and by a central hull configuration with an aerodynamically well-groomed profile.
Specifications
See also
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cant Z.504
Z.0504
1930s Italian patrol aircraft
Flying boats