CANT Z.506 Airone

CANT · Italy · first flew 1935 · transport aircraft

The CANT Z.506 Airone (Heron) was a three-engine Italian floatplane used for maritime patrol, bombing, and torpedo attack during World War II. It was one of the most capable Italian naval aircraft of the conflict.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	3 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Shoulder-mounted tapered wing above the fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Triple-engine Italian floatplane with central float
Shoulder-mounted tapered wing above the fuselage
Long slender hull designed for Mediterranean patrol

Three Alfa Romeo radial engines on a shoulder-mounted tapered wing, a long boat-hull fuselage with a large central float, and twin outrigger floats under the wings are definitive recognition features.

Specifications

The CANT Z.506 Airone has a length of 19.24 m (63 ft).
It has a wingspan of 26.5 m (87 ft).
Its maximum speed is 350 km/h (217 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1935 as a record-setting civil floatplane, the Z.506 was militarised as the Airone for the Regia Aeronautica. It set world speed and altitude records for seaplanes and entered service in 1937. The type participated throughout the Mediterranean campaign.

Variants

The Z.506A was the civil airliner version; the Z.506B was the military torpedo-bomber and patrol variant. Post-war examples were used for air-sea rescue until the 1950s.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Regia Aeronautica throughout World War II in the Mediterranean. Post-war, the surviving airframes continued rescue duties with the Italian Air Force well into the late 1940s.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.