Cant Z 506 , a monoplane seaplane powered by three engines, with two hulls, served with Royal Italian Air Force after it earned many world records. First example flew on July 1935 powered by three engines Isotta Fraschini Asso XI of 823 HP ( 840 CV ) under the name of CANT Z 505 with the mission of mail service. A new reengined improved version was made with the adding of three engines Piaggio Stella IX of 598 HP ( 610 CV ) which prototype flew August, 19th of 1935 with the CANT chief test pilot Mario Stoppani under the name of CANT Z 506. This version was little and lighter than CANT Z 506 and for the civil transport could carry till to fourteen passengers. The first version to enter in production on 1936 was called CANT Z 506 A and was equipped with three Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 engines by 735 HP ( 750 CV ), so a number of thirty-eight civil examples served with Ala Littoria in the same year in the Mediterranean routes. In the years between 1936 and 1938, CRDA factory collected through its chief test pilot Mario Stoppani, a total of sixteen speed, height and lenght records. The militasry version called CANT Z 506B was exposed in Milan on October 1937 and on november did a new height record with load. Again, it did a long flight from Cadice ( Spain ) to Caravelas ( Brasil ) without steps with Alfa Romeo 127 RC 55 engines of 466 mi ( 750 km ). A number of 324 examples were delivered , included the two prototypes, to serve with Royal Italian Air Force and Royal Italian Navy, this last one also bought twenty-nine examples of thirty examples ordered by Poland but never delivered for the Nazi invasion.At the end of 1938 some examples were delivered to Spain. Some examples of " B " version changed in " S " version to serve like search and rescue and ambulance. The life of this successful plane finished in the early sixties.

CRDA CANT Z. 506 : VARIANTS

Cant Z.506B : military version with an upper cockpit and two tandem seats and bigger windows. Again, a longer cockpit below the main structure hosted the bombardier with the bomb bay and behind at this longer cockpit a seats hosted the gunner with a Breda-SAFAT minigun of 7,7 mm. The Breda M 1 upper turret with two Scotti miniguns of 12,7 mm on the early batches; bomb bay could carry a torpedo of 1760 lbs.(800 Kilos) or similar bomb loading. Further versions could carry a bomb loading till 2640 lbs (1200 Kilos) with a defensive system composed by two Breda-SAFAT miniguns of 7,7 mm that fired out of the windows. This version had been built at CANT factory in Monfalcone, Gorizia (north east area of Italy) and later at Piaggio factory in Finale Ligure (north west) area of Italy

Cant Z.506S : version for sea rescue, an amount of twenty Z.606B converted on 1948 by Savoia Marchetti

Cant Z.506 terrestre : only one example modified to exceed the range record and flew from Mario Stoppani. This example had an aerodynamic landing gear, but the flight had been delayed and consequently deleted for the bad weather conditions

Cant Z.508 : prototype for a big bombardier built on 1936; it was a bigger version of CANT Z. 501 and powered from three Isotta Fraschini Asso XI RC.40 engines of 823 HP (840 CV) that gave a speed of 196 mph (315 Km/h), a wingspan of 98,4 ft (30 metres) and a lenght of 70,36 ft (21,45 metres). This only example exceeded several world records.

Cant Z.509 : three examples of a bigger and a heavy version of CANT Z. 506A built on 1937 for Ala Littoria mail service on South American routes. Powered from three Fiat A.80 RC 41 engines of 980 HP (1000 CV), had a new wing with a wingspan of 93 ft (28,32 metres) and a wing surface of 1076 sq.ft.(100 square metres) to help the bigger take off weight from 21956 lbs to 35123 lbs (from 9980 Kilos to 15965 Kilos). The series production of this plane has been cut after the beginning of WWII

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

CRDA CANT Z. 506B

Primary Function

:

Seaplane for reconnaissance,bomber,search and rescue

Contractor

:

CRDA (Italy)

Power Plant

:

nr. three Engines Alfa Romeo 126 RC 34 735 HP (750 CV )

Maximum Speed

:

227 mph (365 Km/h)

Ceiling

:

24240 feet (8000 meters)

Range

:

1705 mi (2745 km)

Empty Weight

:

18260 lbs (8300 kilograms)

Maximum Takeoff Weight

:

27060 lbs (12300 kilos)

Wingspan

:

86,92 ft. (26,50 metres)

Lenght

:

63,14 ft (19,25 metres)

Height

:

24,27 ft (7,40 meters)

Wing Area

:

936,4 sq. ft. (87 m2)

Armament

:

nr. 2/4 guns and bombs till 2640 lbs. (1200 Kilos) or one torpedo