Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Gabbiano!

CANT (C.R.D.A.) Z 501 

The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (gull) light reconnaissance flying-boat was serving in fairly large numbers with the Regia Aeronautica when Italy entered World War II in June 1940. Designed by Filippo Zappata in the early 1930s, and built by Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini (CANT), the prototype was first flown in 1934 at Monfalcone, Trieste, and later in that year established a new world seaplane distance record of 4120km with a nonstop flight from Monfalcone to Massawa in Eritrea. In July the following year the Gabbiano set a new record of 4957km by flying from Monfalcone to Berbera in Somaliland.

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