CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull) Reconnaissance Flying Boat (1936)
The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano was a serviceable floatplane for Italian interests in World War 2, though hardly an offensive-minded weapon.
First flown in 1934 as a prototype, the Z.501 was a design of famous Italian aviation engineer Filippo Zappata in an attempt to replace the aged Savoia-Marchetti S.78 series. Design was of a traditional type, with a large wing assembly mounted on struts up high and away from the fuselage, which featured a boat-like hull. The engine was mounted in the wing structure and was of a single type - an Isotta Fraschini Asso XI R2C.15 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine of 900 horsepower. A crew of four or five personnel were called upon to operate the various positions and systems of the aircraft which included a bow gun position, an engine nacelle gun position and a dorsal fuselage gun position. The machine guns were supplemented by the 1,411lb bombload.
In combat, the Z.501 were pressed into service mainly for their reconnaissance capabilities but also served in search and rescue sorties. In either case, the aircraft performed superbly thanks to the type's long range capabilities and loitering times. Losses of the system were high as is expected with these slow flying boat types but the aircraft saw action against French and British forces nonetheless and also took part in the Spanish Civil War before that. Aircraft production in wartime necessitated the need for speed and as such many were sent off the production lines in less than stellar operating condition. If the Z.501 had a blotch on its otherwise adequate operating record it was in the wooden fuselage construction which had a tendency to break up in rough waters. As an aircraft, the Z.501 fared better than as an ocean-going craft. In terms of combat performance, the Z.501 was nothing to speak of - finishing the war without a single air-to-air kill.
The Z.501 did go on to break several distance endurance records during its production run. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull)
Reconnaissance Flying Boat
Country of Origin: Italy
Manufacturer: Cant - Italy
Initial Year of Service: 1936
Production: 200
Focus Model: CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull)
Crew: 4 to 5
Length: 46.92ft (14.3m)
Width: 73.82ft (22.50m)
Height: 14.44ft (4.40m)
Weight (Empty): 8,488lbs (3,850kg)
Weight (MTOW): 15,543lbs (7,050kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Isotta Fraschini Asso XI R2C.15 12-cylinder liquid-cooled inline engine developing 900hp.
Maximum Speed: 171mph (275kmh; 148kts)
Maximum Range: 1,491miles (2,400km)
Service Ceiling: 22,966ft (7,000m; 4.3miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 820 feet per minute (250m/min)
Hardpoints: 2
Armament Suite:
1 x 7.7mm machine gun in bow position
1 x 7.7mm machine gun in engine nacelle position
1 x 7.7mm machine gun in dorsal position
Up to 1,411lbs (640 kg) of bombs.
Variants:
Z.501 - Base Series Designation
Operators: Italy, Spain and Romania.
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