CANT Z.506
Encyclopedia
The CANT Z.506 Airone (Italian
: Heron
) was a triple-engine floatplane
produced by CANT
from 1935. It served as a transport and postal aircraft with the Italian airline "Ala Littoria". During World War II
it was used as a reconnaissance aircraft, bomber and air-sea rescue
plane, by the Italian
Regia Aeronautica
and Regia Marina
, Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
and the Luftwaffe
. The military version revealed itself to be one of the best floatplanes ever built. Despite its wooden structure it was able to operate in very rough seas. A number of Z.506S air-sea rescue aircraft remained in service until 1959.
, powered by three 455 kW (610 hp) Piaggio Stella IX radial engine
s. It was derived from the larger and heavier Z.505 seaplane. The Z.506 entered production in 1936 as the Z.506A, powered by more powerful 560 kW (750 hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 nine cylinder radial engines, giving a maximum output of 780 CV on take off and 750 CV at 3,400 meters. The fuselage had a wooden structure covered in tulipier wooden lamellas. The wings were built with a structure of three box-type spars linked by wooden wing-ribs covered by plywood. The floats were made of duraluminium, covered in chitonal and were 12,50 meters long. The armament consisted of a 12,7 (0,5 inch) Breda-SAFAT machine-gun in the dorsal position and three 7,7 mm (0,303 inch) machineguns, one in the ventral position and two on the sides of the fuselage. It had a crew of 5. It was produced at the "Cantieri Riuniti dell 'Adriatico" and "Cantiere Navale Triestino" (CRDA CANT) factories in Monfalcone
and Finale Ligure
respectively. It was also produced by Piaggio under licence. The Z.506A entered service with the Ala Littoria
air company flying around the Mediterranean.
While flown mostly by Mario Stoppani, the Z.506A set a number of altitude, speed and distance records for its class between 1936 and 1938, including speeds of 191.539 mph (308.25 km/h) over 3,107 (5000 km) and 198.7 mph (319.78 km/h) over 1,243 miles (2000 km), and 200.118 mph (322.06 km/h) over 621 miles (1000 km). It subsequently flew 3,345.225 miles (5383.6 km) in a closed circuit. It carried a load of 4,409 lb (2000 kg) to 25,623 ft (7810 m.) and 11,023 lb (5000 kg) to 22,693 ft (6917 m).
A military version was developed as the Z.506B. It was powered by three 560 kW (750 hp) Alfa Romeo 127 RC 55 engines and entered service in 1939. This version was also a record breaker. A larger version of the Z.506A was built in 1937 as the Z.509
.
aircraft and torpedo bomber
in the Spanish Civil War. On the outbreak of World War II, 97 aircraft were operational with two Stormi da Bombardamento Marittimo (sea bombing units) and some Squadriglia da Ricognizione Marittima. 31° Stormo B.M. "autonomo" with 22 planes was based at Cagliari-Elmas airport
, in Sardinia; 35° Stormo B.M., with 25 Z.506 in Brindisi
, Puglia. It was used extensively in 1940-41 in France and Greece.
The type had its baptism of fire on 17 June 1940, the day after some French bombers had attacked Elmas base, killing 21 airmen and destroying some Cant. Z.501s. On the evening of 17 June, four 506Bs from 31° Stormo attacked targets in Northern French Africa, each dropping two 250 kg and three 100 kg bombs. The type also took part in the Battle of Calabria
. In the war against Greece it was used against coastal targets and the Corinth canal. It played an important part in the conquest of many Greek islands, including Corfu
, Cephalonia and Zante. Due to its vulnerability against fighters
, it was restricted to use by 'recce' units (Squadriglie da Ricognizione). Later in the war, it was used in maritime patrol
and air-sea rescue missions. The 506 was often forced to land in Spain, due to engine failure, combat damage or a lack of fuel. A special air-sea rescue version, the Z.506S Soccorso, was produced; it was used in small numbers by the Luftwaffe
.
When Italy entered the war, on 10 June 1940, four Squadriglie for air-sea rescue missions were formed in Orbetello
. These were the 612a in Stagnoni, with aircraft marked DAMB, GORO, BUIE, CANT (the prototype) and POLA, and the 614a in Benghazi
, with DUCO, ALA, DODO and DAIM. The two other sections with two aircraft each were based in Torre del Lago
and in the Aegean Sea
at Leros
. The latter was later transferred to Rhodes
. These units suffered severe losses as many Allied pilots did not stop attacking their aircraft even after they had spotted the red crosses. For instance, on 12 June 1942, off Malta, a Hawker Hurricane
from 46 Squadron
shot down a CANT. then shot another one down which had been sent to rescue the crew of the first. Sergeant Etchells, in 249 at Malta recalled:
A Cant 506 became famous, among the Allies, because it was the only plane hijacked by prisoners of war on the Western Front
(it was then used by the RAF from Malta).
When Italy surrendered to Allied, on 8 September 1943, about 70 Cant 506s were still in service with Italian Navy. Some surviving aircraft served with the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
. The Germans soon captured the 506 and started using them in Italy, Germany, France, Yugoslavia
and even on Greek islands and in Poland. The Cant of 171a Squadriglia kept on operating air/sea rescue and patrol missions from the military port of Toulon
, with mixed Italian/German crews. Some 506s captured by Germans, flown by Italian volunteer crews, operated in 1944 on the Baltic sea, patrolling the area around Peenemunde
. Some examples survived in postwar service until 1959.
Z.506A
Z.506B
Z.506S
Z.506 Landplane
Z.509
Nazi Germany
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
Spanish State - Nationalist Forces
Postwar
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: Heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
) was a triple-engine floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
produced by CANT
Cant
Cant, canting, or canted may refer to:*Empty, uncritical thought or talk - see *The slope or angle at which something is set, such as the frames of a ship's hull - again, see *Cant , a secret language...
from 1935. It served as a transport and postal aircraft with the Italian airline "Ala Littoria". During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used as a reconnaissance aircraft, bomber and air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue
Air-sea rescue is the coordinated search and rescue of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people who have survived the loss of their sea-going vessel. ASR can involve a wide variety of resources including seaplanes, helicopters, submarines, rescue boats and ships...
plane, by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
and Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
, Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
thumb|250px|Wing emblem of the A.N.R. from 1944 to 1945.The National Republican Air Force was the air force of the Italian Social Republic during World War II, closely linked with the German Air Force in northern Italy.-Description:This air force was tasked with defending the industrial areas of...
and the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. The military version revealed itself to be one of the best floatplanes ever built. Despite its wooden structure it was able to operate in very rough seas. A number of Z.506S air-sea rescue aircraft remained in service until 1959.
Design and development
The CANT Z.506 was designed as a 12 to 14-seat transport twin-float seaplaneSeaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
, powered by three 455 kW (610 hp) Piaggio Stella IX radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
s. It was derived from the larger and heavier Z.505 seaplane. The Z.506 entered production in 1936 as the Z.506A, powered by more powerful 560 kW (750 hp) Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 nine cylinder radial engines, giving a maximum output of 780 CV on take off and 750 CV at 3,400 meters. The fuselage had a wooden structure covered in tulipier wooden lamellas. The wings were built with a structure of three box-type spars linked by wooden wing-ribs covered by plywood. The floats were made of duraluminium, covered in chitonal and were 12,50 meters long. The armament consisted of a 12,7 (0,5 inch) Breda-SAFAT machine-gun in the dorsal position and three 7,7 mm (0,303 inch) machineguns, one in the ventral position and two on the sides of the fuselage. It had a crew of 5. It was produced at the "Cantieri Riuniti dell 'Adriatico" and "Cantiere Navale Triestino" (CRDA CANT) factories in Monfalcone
Monfalcone
Monfalcone is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia , located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian....
and Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure is a comune on the Gulf of Genoa in the Province of Savona in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera.-Geography:...
respectively. It was also produced by Piaggio under licence. The Z.506A entered service with the Ala Littoria
Ala Littoria
Ala Littoria was the Italian national airline that operated during the 1930s and 1940s.- History :Ala Littoria was formed by a merger of Società Aerea Mediterranea , Società Anonima Navigazione Aerea , Società Italiana Servizi Aerei and Aero Espresso Italiana in 1934...
air company flying around the Mediterranean.
While flown mostly by Mario Stoppani, the Z.506A set a number of altitude, speed and distance records for its class between 1936 and 1938, including speeds of 191.539 mph (308.25 km/h) over 3,107 (5000 km) and 198.7 mph (319.78 km/h) over 1,243 miles (2000 km), and 200.118 mph (322.06 km/h) over 621 miles (1000 km). It subsequently flew 3,345.225 miles (5383.6 km) in a closed circuit. It carried a load of 4,409 lb (2000 kg) to 25,623 ft (7810 m.) and 11,023 lb (5000 kg) to 22,693 ft (6917 m).
A military version was developed as the Z.506B. It was powered by three 560 kW (750 hp) Alfa Romeo 127 RC 55 engines and entered service in 1939. This version was also a record breaker. A larger version of the Z.506A was built in 1937 as the Z.509
CANT Z.509
|-See also:-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985 , Orbis Publishing...
.
Operational history
The Z.506B was first used as a reconnaissanceReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
aircraft and torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
in the Spanish Civil War. On the outbreak of World War II, 97 aircraft were operational with two Stormi da Bombardamento Marittimo (sea bombing units) and some Squadriglia da Ricognizione Marittima. 31° Stormo B.M. "autonomo" with 22 planes was based at Cagliari-Elmas airport
Cagliari-Elmas Airport
Cagliari-Elmas Airport is an international airport located in the territory of Elmas, near Cagliari, on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The airport was upgraded in 2003 and the terminal was expanded and provided with 6 loading bridges for passenger boarding, with a capacity of 4 millions...
, in Sardinia; 35° Stormo B.M., with 25 Z.506 in Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, Puglia. It was used extensively in 1940-41 in France and Greece.
The type had its baptism of fire on 17 June 1940, the day after some French bombers had attacked Elmas base, killing 21 airmen and destroying some Cant. Z.501s. On the evening of 17 June, four 506Bs from 31° Stormo attacked targets in Northern French Africa, each dropping two 250 kg and three 100 kg bombs. The type also took part in the Battle of Calabria
Battle of Calabria
The Battle of Calabria, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. It was fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. The battle occurred 30 miles to the east of Punta Stilo, the "toe" of Italy , on 9 July 1940...
. In the war against Greece it was used against coastal targets and the Corinth canal. It played an important part in the conquest of many Greek islands, including Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Cephalonia and Zante. Due to its vulnerability against fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, it was restricted to use by 'recce' units (Squadriglie da Ricognizione). Later in the war, it was used in maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
and air-sea rescue missions. The 506 was often forced to land in Spain, due to engine failure, combat damage or a lack of fuel. A special air-sea rescue version, the Z.506S Soccorso, was produced; it was used in small numbers by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
When Italy entered the war, on 10 June 1940, four Squadriglie for air-sea rescue missions were formed in Orbetello
Orbetello
Orbetello is a town and comune in the province of Grosseto , Italy. It is located c. 35 km south of Grosseto, on the eponymous lagoon, which is home to an important Natural Reserve.-History:...
. These were the 612a in Stagnoni, with aircraft marked DAMB, GORO, BUIE, CANT (the prototype) and POLA, and the 614a in Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, with DUCO, ALA, DODO and DAIM. The two other sections with two aircraft each were based in Torre del Lago
Torre del Lago
Torre del Lago is a town of almost 11,000 inhabitants, a frazione of the comune of Viareggio, in the province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, between the Lake of Massaciuccoli and the Tyrrhenian Sea....
and in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
at Leros
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
. The latter was later transferred to Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. These units suffered severe losses as many Allied pilots did not stop attacking their aircraft even after they had spotted the red crosses. For instance, on 12 June 1942, off Malta, a Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
from 46 Squadron
No. 46 Squadron RAF
No. 46 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force, formed in 1916, was disbanded and re-formed three times before its last disbandment in 1975. It served in both World War I and World War II.- World War I :...
shot down a CANT. then shot another one down which had been sent to rescue the crew of the first. Sergeant Etchells, in 249 at Malta recalled:
"I shot down a Cant Z506 near Sicily, painted white, which had red crosses on its wings, and was apparently an air-rescue aircraft. Sqn Ldr Barton disapproved but the AOC approved. I did not see the red crosses on its wings at the time and do not know if it would have made any difference had I done so."
A Cant 506 became famous, among the Allies, because it was the only plane hijacked by prisoners of war on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
(it was then used by the RAF from Malta).
When Italy surrendered to Allied, on 8 September 1943, about 70 Cant 506s were still in service with Italian Navy. Some surviving aircraft served with the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
The Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , or Air Force of the South , was the air force of the Royalist "Badoglio government" in southern Italy during the last years of World War II. The ACI was formed in southern Italy in October 1943 after the Italian Armistice in September...
. The Germans soon captured the 506 and started using them in Italy, Germany, France, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and even on Greek islands and in Poland. The Cant of 171a Squadriglia kept on operating air/sea rescue and patrol missions from the military port of Toulon
Military port of Toulon
The military port of Toulon is the principal base of the French Navy, sited in the city of Toulon. It holds most of France's force d'action navale, comprising the aircraft carriers Charles de Gaulle as well as its nuclear attack submarines, in total more than 60% of the tonnage of the French...
, with mixed Italian/German crews. Some 506s captured by Germans, flown by Italian volunteer crews, operated in 1944 on the Baltic sea, patrolling the area around Peenemunde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
. Some examples survived in postwar service until 1959.
Variants
Z.506- Prototype, one built.
Z.506A
- Civil version
Z.506B
- Military version, 324 built.
Z.506S
- Air-sea rescue version
Z.506 Landplane
- One aircraft was converted to a landplane for an attempt by Mario StoppaniMario StoppaniSergente Mario Stoppani was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.-World War I:Stoppani was an auto mechanic before World War I. He enlisted in aviation in 1913, but was prevented from flight training until 1915. He scored his first aerial victory on 9 July 1916, sharing it...
on an endurance record. It did not take place to due bad weather.
Z.509
CANT Z.509
|-See also:-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985 , Orbis Publishing...
- A larger and heavier version of the Z.506B, three built.
Operators
Nazi Germany
- LuftwaffeLuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
(captured)
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- Ala LittoriaAla LittoriaAla Littoria was the Italian national airline that operated during the 1930s and 1940s.- History :Ala Littoria was formed by a merger of Società Aerea Mediterranea , Società Anonima Navigazione Aerea , Società Italiana Servizi Aerei and Aero Espresso Italiana in 1934...
- Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
- Regia MarinaRegia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
- Italian Co-Belligerent Air ForceItalian Co-Belligerent Air ForceThe Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , or Air Force of the South , was the air force of the Royalist "Badoglio government" in southern Italy during the last years of World War II. The ACI was formed in southern Italy in October 1943 after the Italian Armistice in September...
- Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
received 1 aircraft out of 6 ordered. This was destroyed during the German Invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
.
Spanish State - Nationalist Forces
- Spanish Nationalist Air Force
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
captured one aircraft which was briefly operated from Malta
Postwar
- Italian Air ForceItalian Air ForceThe Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...