CANT Z.501 Gabbiano

The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Italian: Gull)
was a high wing central hull flying boat, with two outboard floats. It was powered by an engine installed in the middle of the main plane and had a crew of 4–5 men. It served with the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II, as a reconnaissance aeroplane. During its debut in 1934, it set a world distance record. It was obsolete by 1940, but was still used throughout the Second World War, suffering many losses. A few remained in service until 1949.

Filippo Zappata was one of the foremost Italian aircraft designers. He worked for Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini (CANT) for some years, but went to France in 1927 to work for Blériot. He returned to Italy at the prompting of Italo Balbo and resumed work at CANT on a series of new aircraft. The first of these was the Z.501, designed to replace the Savoia Marchetti S.78. The prototype Z.501 was first flown in 1934 by test pilot Mario Stoppani.

The aircraft had a very slim fuselage, a high parasol wing and a wing mounted engine nacelle. In the prototype a 560 kW (750 hp) inline Isotta Fraschini Asso 750. RC engine was fitted, with an annular (circular) radiator that made the installation resemble a radial engine, although it was liquid cooled. Some versions of other planes such as the Ju 88 and Fw 190D had this same feature. The engine nacelle was extended to carry a rear facing machine gun and other guns were mounted in the centre fuselage and nose. All were Breda SAFAT machine guns. Bombs up to [4 × ] were carried under the wings. The aerodynamic low drag design was typical of Zappata designed aircraft, as was the wooden construction. Production of the Z.501 began in 1935 with 24 aircraft ordered from CANT and thirty from Aeronautica Sicula, a company in Palermo. Registration numbers started with MM.35168. but instead the aircraft flew to Berbera, Somaliland, in 25 hours.

Z.501s were used for search and rescue missions and anti submarine patrols. The Z.501 was put into service with some modifications, including; turrets for the machine guns, and some reinforcement of the airframe that increased the weight by The more powerful Isotta Fraschini Asso XI. RC engine was fitted, but even with an additional , the maximum speed dropped to , cruise speed to and range to One of these 12 flying boats was lost during the war, shot down in the autumn of 1943 by Soviet ace Grigoriy Rechkalov. The Gabbianos performed well in the Black Sea, one unit managing to sink two Soviet submarines in August 1941.