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Broplan 1/72 CANT Z.506C I-DITO Civil Transport by Vincent Fiore |
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The most successful of Zappata's water-based designs, the Z.506 began a twenty-four-year
career in 1935 as a twelve-passenger commercial seaplane. Initially, three 610 h.p. Piaggio
Stella IX R.C. nine-cylinder radial engines were fitted, but later versions used 750 h.p.
Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.34 radials. The Z.506 set a number of speed, altitude, and distance records for seaplanes during 1936-38. Among these records, mostly secured by Mario Stoppanl were speeds of 191.54 m.p.h., 198.7 m.p.h. and 200.12 m.p.h. over distances of 3105 miles, 1242 miles, and 621 miles respectively. These records, achieved with the Alfa Romeo engines, exceeded those set earlier by a Z.506 equipped with 700 h.p. FIAT A.59 R.C. radial engines. The Z.506 reached an altitude of 25,623 ft. carrying a 4400-lb. payload, and 22,693 ft. carrying 11,000 lb. A distance record of 3345.23 miles over a closed circuit followed soon after. The Z.506C entered service with Ala Littoria airline in 1936 powered by Piaggio engines. Sixteen aircraft were ordered during 1936-38. The Piaggio units were later replaced by Alfa Romeo 126 R.C.10 engines. The seaplane carried up to eighteen passengers at a cruising speed of 162 m.p.h. Maximum speed was 244 m.p.h. with a range of 746 miles. Empty and loaded weights were 15,873 lb and 23,147 lb. Dimensions were: span 86 ft. 11 in., length 62 ft. 1 in., height 22 ft. 2 1/2 in., and wing area 936 sq. ft. Reference: Jonathan W. Thompson , Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945, January 1, 1963 |
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In Civil Use Ala Littoria airline placed an order for a first batch of floatplanes in December 1934 and introduced five aircraft into service during 1936 powered by Wright Cyclone SGR-1820-F52A engines giving 770 hp. The first production version provided seating for 12 passengers and 4 crew members. Cruising speed was 310 km/h at 2800 m (194 mph at 8500 feet). Ala Littoria even before obtaining the required R.A.I. (Italian Civil Aviation Register) certification had already been testing the prototype I-CANT on postal service on the Rome-Syracuse-Bengazi line as from 1 June 1936. The first production aircraft made its first flight on 31 January 1936, entering into service with Ala Littoria at the end of June on the same route. Another aircraft from the first construction batch, registered I-POLA was converted into a landplane by mounting a fixed landing gear from a SIAI S.81 bomber, in order to try breaking a distance record taking off from Cagliari-Elmas airport. However the attempt was first delayed due to bad weather and later cancelled when an urgent requirement by Ala Littoria to start its service use could no longer be delayed. So it was eventually converted back to its original seaplane configuration. During 1937 two further aircraft were delivered to Ala Littoria in 12 passenger configuration, one of them being fitted with the Wright Cyclones and the other one, registered I-LERO, with the 750 hp Alfa 126 RC34 engines, driving metal propellers with in-flight variable pitch. Between 27 and 28 May 1937, Ala Littoria's pilots Mario Stoppani and Carlo Tonini remarkably broke ten international records while flying I-LERO: on the 27th Stoppani led the floatplane taxying Monfalcone, with a maximum weight excess of 15,000 kg and its floats heavily submerged, then took off in 62 seconds instead of the 26 normally required with a full load take-off run. The trial consisted repeating 10 times the Monfalcone-Rimin-Senigallia route, with the last 200 kilometers covered running twice the Monfalco Punta Tagliamento Lighthouse-Pun Salvatore Lighthouse route, for a total 5,200 km. Flying time was approximately 17 hours and arrival was at 9:54 a.m. on the 28th. The speed records with 1,000 kg payload, previously held by I-CANT both on 1,000 and 2,000 km, reducing speed to 322.04 and 319.78 km/h respectively. Three new speed records, the 5,000 km distance with up to 1,000 kg payload, were also set at an average speed of 308.24 km/h, as well the seaplane distance record on a fixed circuit, now established at 5,200 km. At that time the Cant 506 broke as many as 14 records, out of the 23 specified by the F.A.I. (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) for the 'C.bis' class, while C.R.D.A as a company held 18 of them. As I-LERO obtained these records it was obviously realized that they virtually included with a safe margin, the possibilty of breaking also the flight distance record in a straight line, by simply converting the unused payload into extra fuel. However, to attempt this new record, it was deceided to modify a military version of the plane then in the development stage. A second construction batch of float planes, designated Cant Z.506C, was fitted with a 14 passenger cabin and featured a strenghtened structure with increased payload and fuel. This version used three Alfa Romeo 126 RC1O engines providing 800 hp and featured an increased range and the adoption of the same strenghtened tailplane as already designed for the military version Cant Z.506B. The first five 'C version' (Civil) aircraft were placed into service during 1938 and the first plane of this production batch I-ALAL, easily recognized by its windowless fuselage, was used for experimental flights. Between 20 and 26 March 1937, in order to try the South American routes I-ALAL flown by Carlo Tonini and Ing. Umberto Klinger, president of Ala Littoria, made a ferry flight from Cagliari to Buenos Aires via Gambia and Bahia returning back via Rio de Janeiro, Natal, and Dakar, and finally arriving at Lido di Roma on 13 April, having flown a total of 24,000 km at an average speed over 300 km/h. From 1 February 1939 the Cant Z.506s replaced previous types on the Rome-Marsala-Tripoli route and were used on a new three-weekly direct flight from Rome to Barcelona from 8 October 1939. On June 1940 17 aircraft were on charge with Ala Littoria with three more expected for delivery during 1941; four more aircraft were used by the Air Ministry. When Italy entered the war some air-sea rescue squadrons, namely the 612a, 613a and 614a Squadriglias, were issued with some Cant Z.506 / 506Cs, while later in the war more aircraft of the civil version were converted for use as rescue planes, adding rescue and transport equipment for transport of wounded. On 13 October 1940 the Genio Aeronautico (Air Force Engineers Corps) placed an order with C.R.D.A. for 12 more Cant Z.506Cs (Regia Aeronautica's Serie XI), intended to be used with Nuclei Comunicazioni (Ferry and Liason Units), destined for liason service all over the Mediterranean theatre during the war. These aircraft wore both the M.M. (military serials) and the civil registration, reflecting a common ownership shared by the Air Ministry and Ala Littoria, maintaining as well the documents of the civil register released by R.A.I. The last civil aircraft was delivered on 10 December 1942 bringing the total manufactured by C.R.D.A. to 38 Cant Z.506 /506Cs, including the prototypes ordered by the Air Ministry, 23 aircraft for Ala Littoria and 12 for military use by the Nucleo Comunicazioni. As late as August 1943, 12 aircraft still remained in service with Ala Italiana (as Ala Littoria was renamed after the fall of the fascist government on 25.7.1943). After the Italian Armistice on 8 September 1943, all aircraft of the type left north of the front were flown to Trieste to be used for air services in the Adriatic Sea, and were allocated to the K.M.I. Stab Marine Adria-Abteilung 6 - Trieste. While ten Cant Z.506/ 506Cs resulted operational on the Venice-Trieste-Fiume-Zara route only one Cant Z.506C, I-DANO M.M.60637 eventually survived the war remaining in force with the Aeronautica Militare. Source: S. Zorini, Ali D'Italia C.R.D.A. CANT Z.506 #5, La Bancarella Aeronautica, 1997 |
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This is the 1/72 BROPLAN CANT Z.506C conversion for the Supermodel/Italeri 1/72 Z-506B. The model is CANT Z.506C I-DITO in its civil registration number nc.362 used by Ala Littoria on its trans-Atlantic routes. First let me say I had no drawings for these builds. I started the kits about a year ago. Because of the Covid the first two orders of decals were lost in route from Finland to Morocco. But before I received the Bro plan kit the shipment was rejected by Dutch post and was sent back to the sender, the vendor then sent it to me and all this took about two months. The third order was re-routed to the states and it took two months to get to me. The only information I had as to how they should be painted came from Vince and Stafano. Vince sent me a picture and Stafano informed me that there are no top pictures of I-CANT. But most Italian aircraft of that type were painted silver on upper surfaces. The paints used are MRP Laquer. These paints are so good I did not have to put a clear coat on to affix the decals. The red on I-CANT was a little dull so I did apply by brush a coat of Pledge. The body is a vac form by bro plan. Even with very careful sanding the clear part for the cockpit is a little too wide. I had to build up the side a little to blend things in so that there would be no step. I had a lot of trouble trying to get the cabin windows to sit flush with the outer fuselage. Other than that everything went fine. There are some slight differences between the two aircraft such as the bracing of the tail but of course the planes were designed slightly differently in the details. |
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Aircraft: CANT Z.506C Manufacturer: Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico Type: Civil Transport Year: 1938 Engine: Three Alfa Romeo, A.R. 126 RC 10 9-cylinder radial, air-cooled, 800 hp each Wingspan: 86 ft 11 in (26.50 m) Length: 62 ft 7 3/16 in (19.08 m) Height: 23 ft 3 17/32 in (7.10 m) Weight: 26,455 lb (12,000 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 230 mph at 9,186 ft (370 km/h at 2,800 m) Range: 1,243 miles (2,000 km) Passengers: 14 Crew: 4
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