CANT Z.506 Airone

what is it?

The CANT Z.506 Airone (Italian: Heron) was a trimotor floatplane designed and produced by the Italian aircraft manufacturer CANT. By some metrics, it was the largest floatplane to see service during the Second World War. Derived from the larger Z.505 seaplane during the first half of the 1930s, the Z.506 was designed to serve in the transport role, seating up to 14 occupants. Despite possessing a wooden structure, it was capable of operating on relatively rough seas.

🔎How to recognise it: 3 piston engines with propellers · floatplane · 26.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 350 km/htop speed
• range 2,000 kmwithout refuelling
• size 12.7 tmax take-off weight
• built 324made 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 91 years ago, in 1935.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.7× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 26.5 m: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 2,000 km: 11× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1935

introduced

1936

retired

1959

status

retired

number built

324

role

patrol aircraft

origin

🇮🇹 Italy

makers

Piaggio, Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini

engines

3× Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.34

crew

5

length

19.2 m

wingspan

26.5 m

height

7.5 m

max take-off weight

12.7 t

top speed

350 km/h

cruise speed

300 km/h

range

2,000 km

ceiling

7,000 m

wings

monoplane

landing gear

floatplane

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