CNA Eta

Compagnia Nazionale Aeronautica

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1920s
Headquarters	Rome , Italy
Products	Aircraft, aircraft engines

The CNA Eta represented an Italian single-engine light aircraft from the mid-1930s, notable for establishing world records in both one- and two-seat configurations as a landplane and seaplane. Production was limited to one or two units.

Design and development

Throughout the 1920s, Compagnia Nazionale Aeronautica (CNA) gained recognition primarily for operating a flying school in Rome, while also producing experimental aircraft on behalf of the government. After relocating their Roman operations from Cerveteri to Littorio in 1928, they established a manufacturing facility capable of producing both aircraft and engines—some designs originated externally, others were developed internally. The Eta was both designed and powered by CNA.

The Eta featured a conventional parasol wing layout and was adaptable to either a single-seat or tandem two-seat arrangement. It could be equipped with fixed conventional undercarriage wheels or floats for water operations. Initially, it was powered by an uncowled, supercharged nine-cylinder CNA C-7 radial engine; subsequently, it operated with a supercharged inverted six-cylinder air-cooled inline engine, the CNA C.VI. The wing, exhibiting slight tapering, was mounted high above the fuselage on streamlined parallel struts originating from the mid-fuselage. Additional lighter diagonal struts and shorter forward-leaning supports connected to the upper fuselage for reinforcement. In the single-seat variant, the open cockpit was positioned immediately aft of the wing’s trailing edge. The tail assembly followed traditional design principles, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted atop the fuselage and supported underneath by bracing. The vertical tail surfaces were smoothly rounded. Consistent with the overall simplicity of the design, the fixed wheeled landing gear consisted of unfaired wheels attached via slender V-shaped struts connected to the lower fuselage.

Operational history

The Eta gained recognition primarily for establishing three world records in the light aircraft category. During that era, the FAI classified the lightest airplanes into two divisions: C.II for single-seat models with empty weights under 200 kg (441 lb), and C.I for two-seat aircraft weighing less than 400 kg (882 lb). Each of these was further split into landplane and seaplane classes. Powered by a 130 kW (170 hp) CNA C-7 engine, a Fiat AS.1 had previously set the Category I altitude record in December 1932. Subsequently, on 6 November 1933, the single-seat Eta equipped with the same engine and fitted with floats achieved a new C.II altitude record of 8,411 m (27,595 ft). Later that year in December, after being reconfigured with its wheeled landing gear, the Eta reached a new C.II landplane altitude record of 10,008 m (32,835 ft). Both record flights were piloted by Furio Niclot Doglio.

By 1936, the Eta was operating as a two-seat seaplane powered by an inline 112 kW (150 hp) CNA C-VI engine. On 15 May of that year, it established a new world speed record for the C.I category over a 100 km (62 mi) circuit at an average velocity of 192.62 km/h (119.7 mph), flown by Gian Giacomo Chiesi and Domenico Rossetti.

Variants

It remains unclear whether these designations refer to separate aircraft or modifications of the same airframe.

Category II

single-seat configuration with CNA C-7 engine, available as both landplane and seaplane.

Category I

two-seat layout equipped with CNA C.VI engine, offered in both landplane and seaplane versions.