Giovanni Pegna

Giovanni Pegna
Born	Template:Birth date Unknown
Died	19 May 1961(1961-05-19) (aged 73) Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Military Aeronautics Engineer

Giovanni Pegna (4 January 1888 – 19 May 1961) played a significant role in advancing Italian aviation. He led the design division at Piaggio and subsequently at Officine Meccaniche Reggiane, a branch of Caproni.

Biography

Born on 4 January 1888, Giovanni Pegna developed an early fascination with the nascent field of aviation during the early 1900s. By 1904, at just sixteen years old, he crafted various scale models of propellers and gliders. The following year, he enrolled in the Naval Academy located in Livorno, where he studied for six years and earned a degree in shipbuilding. Despite this focus, his enthusiasm for aeronautics remained strong, culminating in a thesis centered on longitudinal stability as applied to aircraft.

Military career

After completing his studies, Pegna was assigned to the Naval Arsenal of La Spezia, where he experienced his inaugural flight as an observer aboard a two-seat reconnaissance [seaplane]. This flight inspired him to develop two seaplane projects early in his career; however, these designs never progressed beyond the conceptual stage.

He was appointed to lead the seaplane division, initially stationed at Pesaro, before relocating to Porto Corsini, Brindisi, and finally Taranto. During this period, Pegna recognized the potential for using seaplanes as torpedo-armed attack aircraft. Although he conducted demonstration tests, his superiors did not endorse this concept.

In 1915, Pegna was transferred to Milan to oversee aeronautical firms that were rapidly advancing their design and manufacturing capabilities due to the demands of World War I. This exposure enabled him to conceive three new aircraft designs: one seaplane and two four-engine planes. The first prototype’s construction was commissioned by Isotta Fraschini, and Pegna persisted with its development even after official cancellation of the order. Military authorities suspected that Pegna had unduly influenced the company's decision, leading to his trial and a three-month imprisonment for disobedience.

By 1917, while assigned to the Air Force Technical Directorate, Pegna pursued research on an aircraft intended for stratospheric flight. Despite his efforts, this project was deemed militarily non-essential and subsequently discontinued. Following the conclusion of World War I, Pegna departed from the Italian Navy in 1919 holding the rank of major.

Civil career

In 1922, Count Giovanni Bonmartini persuaded Pegna to establish the Pegna-Bonmartini manufacturing firm. That same year, Pegna embarked on designing an innovative military aircraft—a compact fighter with advanced conceptual features.

Projects by Pegna Bonmartini

Aircraft	Year	Engines	Notes
Helicopter	1923	?	Featured four distinct propeller blades driven by gears. Project never realized.
Leonardo da Vinci	1923	Fiat A.12 bis	Commercial biplane seaplane equipped with sixteen transatlantic-type engines, total mass of 55 tons and payload capacity of 20 tons.
P.B.N.	1922	Hispano-Suiza 300 hp	Night bomber biplane with four engines, capable of reaching 8,000 m altitude. Acquired by the Air Force Commissioner and later developed into the Piaggio P.3 with SPA 6A engines.
P.B.N. High altitude	1922	Hispano-Suiza 300 hp	Four-engine high-altitude night bomber biplane, able to operate at 8,000 m altitude using a single compressor for all engines. Maximum speed of 240 km/h.
Rondine	1923	A.B.C. 3 1/2 hp	Compact ultra-light single-seat touring aircraft, successfully tested by Renato Donati, but not produced in series.
Rondone	1923	A.B.C. 3 1/2 hp	Similar to the Rondine but configured as a two-seater; evolved into the Piaggio P.1.

By 1923, with the prototype nearing completion, Rinaldo Piaggio, owner of Piaggio Aero Industries—which had previously focused on nautical furnishings and railway components—opted to expand into aviation by recruiting Pegna for aircraft development. Despite Bonmartini's resistance to Pegna leaving their partnership, Piaggio gained full control of the company.

In subsequent years, Pegna continued his role as a designer. Serving as technical director at Piaggio, he developed numerous models, primarily focusing on seaplanes such as the Piaggio p.6.

In 1936, Pegna transitioned to work with Reggiane, part of the Caproni group.

Pegna is particularly recognized for his avant-garde aircraft designs for the era, including the seaplane Piaggio P.7, created in 1928 to compete in the Schneider Trophy, as well as his extensive work on flying wing concepts at the "aviation city" of Guidonia (DSSE) during the pre-war period.
Among his notable projects were also the Piaggio P.32 and the Caproni-Reggiane Ca.405 C.

See also

• Bastianelli PRB 1
• Alberto Faraboschi

External links

• Biografia – http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/SitoAM/Default.asp?idnot=5636&idsez=1&idarg=7&idente=1394
• Piaggio P.C.7 – http://www.aerei-italiani.net/PEGNAPC7.htm
• il Piaggio P.C.7 e la Coppa Schneider – http://www.aviogatti.it/piaggio1.htm (archived)
• Le idee di Pegna sugli idrovolanti da corsa – http://aeroweb.lucia.it/it/history/pegna1.htm (archived)
• Piaggio P.32 – http://www.aerei-italiani.net/SchedeT/aereop32II.htm