Piaggio P.108

P.108A Artiglieri anti-shipping aircraft

The only four-engine heavy bomber to see operation with Italian forces during World War 11, the Piaggio P.108 was an interesting design. Long established in Italy as engineers and shipbuilders, Piaggio had entered aviation during World War I, producing some aircraft and components under subcontract. Developed from an earlier P .50-11 design for a four-engine bomber, the P.108 was a cantilever low-wing monoplane of all metal construction, with retractable tailwheel landing gear and power provided by four Piaggio P.XIIRC.35 radial engines, two on each wing, in nacelles at the wing leading edges. Four versions were planned, but only the P.108 Bombardiere, which was first flown in prototype form during 1939, was built in any quantity. The variants, built only as prototypes or in small numbers, comprised first the single P.108A Artiglieri anti-shipping aircraft which, converted from the P.108 prototype, had its standard armament supplemented by the installation of a 102-mm cannon. Captured by German forces at the time of the Allied-Italian armistice, it was impressed for service with the Luftwaffe. The P.108C Civile was a civil transport version with increased wing span and a redesigned fuselage to accommodate 32 passengers. A total of 16 was built, including one prototype, but these were modified for use as military transports accommodating 56 troops, and about 24 P.108Bs were also converted to this configuration. One P.108T (Trasporto) military transport prototype was built as a conversion from a P.108C, from which it differed primarily by incorporating side loading doors and a ventral hatch. Proposed variants included the P.108M (Modificato), a development of the P.108B with the single machine-gun in the nose turret replaced by four guns and a 20-mm cannon; and the P.133, an advanced version of the P.108B with uprated engines and an increased bombload.

The P.108B was first deployed in night attacks on Gibraltar during early 1942, and the type saw service subsequently in the Mediterranean, North African and Russian theatres of operation. A total of 163 was built, but heavy losses meant that less than five per cent survived to serve with the Republican Socialist air force after the armistice with the Allies.

Variants

Production totals of the P108C and T are unclear, but combined there were approximately 16 built, with most of the P108Cs subsequently converted to the transport version.

    Prototype : MM 22001

    Series 1 : MM 22002—22008, MM 22601—22604

    Series 2 : MM 24315—24326

    Series 3 : MM 24667—24678

P.108 Prototype

P.108A Artiglieri

    Anti-shipping version. One built.

P.108B Bombardiere

    Heavy bomber version. 24 built.

P.108C Civile

    Civil transport version. Uncertain number built, but probably six.

P.108M Modificato

    Intended modification of P.108B with heavier armament. None built

P.108T Trasporto

    Transport version. More than 12 (including converted P.108Cs).

P.133

    Advanced version of the P.108B with better engines and increased bombload. Not completed.

Specifications (Piaggio P.108B)

General characteristics

    Crew: 6 or 7

    Length: 22.30 m (73 ft 2 in)

    Wingspan: 32.00 m (105 ft)

    Height: 6.00 m (20 ft)

    Wing area: 135.0 m² (1,453 ft²)

    Empty weight: 17,325 kg (38,195 lb)

    Max takeoff weight: 29,885 kg (65,885 lb)

    Powerplant: 4× Piaggio P.XII RC.35 radial engine, 1,120 kW (1,500 hp) each

Performance

    Maximum speed: 430 km/h (267 mph)

    Range: 3,520 km (2,187 mi)

    Service ceiling: 8,500 m (27,187 ft)

Armament

    5 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns

    2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns

    3,500 kg (7,700 lb) of bombs

C.A.N.S.A. FC.20

The first and only C.A.N.S.A. design planned from the outset as an operational military machine was the twin-engine FC.20. Flown for the first time in 1941 by C.A.N.S.A. test pilot Moroni, the prototype was a reconnaissance bomber powered by 840 h.p. FIAT A.74 R.C.38 radial engines. Wing area was 419.6 sq. ft. Performance of the FC.20 included a maximum speed of 292 m.p.h., a range of 807 miles, and a ceiling of 26,000 ft. However, it was decided to develop the basic design as a ground-attack machine, for which parallel studies had already been made.

The ground-attack version, the FC.20bis, appeared shortly after. In addition to a slight increase in wing area, the FC.20bis featured a shortened fuselage with the cockpit moved ahead of the wings and a 37-mm. Breda cannon mounted in the nose. Further armament consisted of a 12.7-mm. machine gun in a dorsal turret and two 12.7-mm. guns in the wing roots. A 54-mm. cannon was considered as a possible alternative to the 37-mm. weapon, but was never actually fitted. Two 352-lb. bombs could be carried beneath the wings outboard of the engine' nacelles, and 126 4.4-lb. anti-personnel bombs could be housed internally. loaded weight was 15,035 lb. Dimensions were: span 52 H. 6 in., length 39 ft. 1tt/2 in., height 12 H. 6 in., and wing area 430.4 sq. H. Maximum and cruising speeds were 261 m.p.h. and 211 m.p.h., range was 715 miles, and ceiling was 22,750 ft. The great similarity in appearance of the FC.20bis to the British Gloster F.9/37 escort fighter should be noted. Had both machines become operational, recognition problems would certainly have arisen. A further coincidence was the fact that liquid-cooled versions of both designs were also tested.

The FC.20ter, the third variant, reverted to the longer glazed nose and further-aft cockpit of the original reconnaissance model, but fitted 1000 h.p. FIAT A.80 R.CAI radial engines. The final model, the FC.20quater, was an FC.20bis fitted with Daimler-Benz DB 601 liquid-cooled engines of 1250 h.p. each (built by FIAT as the R.A:I000). Tested in 1943, the FC.20quater substituted a Mauser Ikaria 37-mm. cannon for the Breda weapon, and two 20-mm. cannon for the 12.7-mm. wing guns. loaded weight increased to 15,730 lb., speed to 311 m.p.h., and ceiling to 26,000 H., although range dropped to 578 miles. Three FC.20bis equipped the 174a Squadriglia Ricognizione Strategica based at Cerveteri in July, 1943, but were never employed operationally.

CAPRONI BERGAMASCHI CA 380

A twin-engined, twin-boom, high-altitude two-seat fighter bomber designed in answer to the DeHavilland Mosquito, the Ca 380 Corsaro (Corsair) was partially completed at the' time of the Armistice but never flew. The pilot and radio operator were seated back to back in the starboard boom, with fuel and equipment in the port boom. The Ca 380 was to have been powered by 1475 h.p. Daimler Benz DB 605 engines, although 1550 h.p. DB 603 units were contemplated as later production replacements. Armament was four 20-mm. Mauser cannon in a pod under the wing center section and two 12.7-mm. SAFAT machine guns in the wings outboard of the airscrew discs. 

Estimated performance was: maximum speed 400 m.p.h. at 23,525 ft., maximum continuous cruising speed 311 m.p.h., range 1336-1616 miles, service ceiling 34,450 ft., and climb to 19,680 ft. in 7 min. 9 sec. Loaded weight was 16,383 lb. Dimensions included a span of 52 ft. 6 in., a length of 39 ft. 01/2 in., a height (in horizontal attitude) of 12 ft. 6 in., and a wing area of 432.7 sq. ft.

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