CANT Z.515
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founder | Filippo Zappata |
| Products | Aircraft |
The CANT Z.515 was an Italian twin-engine monoplane floatplane developed for maritime reconnaissance at the onset of World War II. Despite its design, it never entered operational service.
Design and development
Conceived under a requirement for a reconnaissance seaplane capable of light bombing, the Z.515—where "Z" identifies it as a Zappata design—was smaller and lighter than the existing three-engine CANT Z.506 reconnaissance bomber.
The aircraft featured a cantilevered, low-wing monoplane configuration with straight-tapered wings exhibiting noticeable dihedral and rounded tips. Flaps were positioned inboard of the ailerons. Power was provided by two 560 kW (750 hp) V-12 Isotta-Fraschini Delta engines mounted well ahead of the wing's leading edge, aligned with the wing's thrust line. Fairings beneath the engine mounts extended rearwards nearly to the trailing edge of the wing; these rear engine mountings also served as attachment points for rearward-leaning N-form struts supporting the pair of long, single-stepped floats. The floats were laterally stabilized by inverted-V struts connecting to the fuselage underside. The tailplane was installed atop the fuselage, featuring more dihedral than the wings and equipped with endplate fins. Both horizontal surfaces were straight tapered, and elevators and rudders incorporated trim tabs. The vertical stabilizers were nearly elliptical, with fin and unbalanced rudder areas roughly equal.
At the front, the Z.515 had a fully glazed lower nose section with an elongated cockpit situated largely ahead of the wing’s leading edge. Defensive armament included a low dorsal machine gun turret located mid-chord and three additional lighter caliber machine guns positioned lower on the fuselage. The aircraft could carry up to 600 kg (1,320 lb) of bombs.
The prototype made its initial flight in 1939 but did not advance beyond this stage. Some accounts indicate a maiden flight date of 8 or 9 July 1940. The Regia Aeronautica authorized production in 1941, placing orders for 64 units from CANT and another 50 from Aeronautica Sicula in Palermo; however, only ten were ultimately completed.
Operators
Specifications
References
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