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CANT Z.501 Gabbiano

first flew 1934· patrol aircraft

🎖️ military retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Cant Z.501 beached: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  2. 2. Cant Z501 at Preveza under attack 1943: No. 252 Squadron RAF· Public domain
  3. 3. A sinking Italian CANT Z.501 seaplane with lifeboat (27374081915): Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons· No restrictions
  4. 4. CANT Z 501 1939: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
  5. 5. CANT Z.501 seaplanes in various stages of construction at Aeronautica Sicula, Palermo, Sicily (Italy), 11 November 1943 (342-FH-3A27052-80558AC): U.S. Army Air Forces photo 342-FH-3A27052-80558AC· Public domain
  6. 6. CANT Z.501 seaplanes under construction at Aeronautica Sicula, Palermo, Sicily (Italy), 11 November 1943 (342-FH-3A27053-A80558AC): U.S. Army Air Forces photo 342-FH-3A27053-A80558AC· Public domain
  7. 7. Cantz501-2: Andrea Nicola· Public domain
  8. 8. Cantz501-4: sconosciuto· Public domain
  9. 9. CRDA Cant. Z.501 Gabbiano: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
  10. 10. CRDA Cant.Z.501 Gabbiano mitragliere: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
CANT Z.501 Gabbiano, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Wikimedia Commons· Public domain

what is it?

The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Italian: Gull) was a parasol wing flying boat with two outboard stabilising floats. The engine was contained in a nacelle mounted in the middle of the wing. It had a crew of 4–5 men and served with the Italian Regia Aeronautica during the Second World War as a reconnaissance aeroplane.

How to recognise it: 1 engine · 22.5 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 275 km/htop speed
  • range 999 kmwithout refuelling
  • size 7,050 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 467made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 92 years ago, in 1934.
  • Top speed is 2.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Wingspan of 22.5 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

spec sheet

first flight
1934-03-07
introduced
1935
retired
1950
status
retired
number built
467
role
patrol aircraft
makers
Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini
engines
1× Isotta Fraschini Asso XI R.2C.15
crew
4
length
14.3 m
wingspan
22.5 m
height
4.4 m
max take-off weight
7,050 kg
top speed
275 km/h
cruise speed
240 km/h
range
999 km

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q1024271, Wikipedia: CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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