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Rare Bird Models 1/72 CANT Z.511 I-LITT Commercial Airliner by Vince Fiore |
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The CANT Z.511 was the largest seaplane on floats ever built. In 1939 Ing. Filippo Zappata designed the four-engine Z.511 transatlantic passenger airliner. Originally intended
for Alitalia's South Atlantic route, the Z.511 featured a two-level fuselage with crew and passenger compartments above, and mail and freight holds below. Sleeping accommodations for
sixteen persons were to be provided. However, the prototype was not completed until after the outbreak of the war, flying for the first time in October, 1940. Another example was built
concurrently. An excellent and rugged design the Z.511 could moor on waves nearly seven feet high with little adverse effect and had a maximum range of 2796 miles. An ambitious plan for raiding New York harbor was under study in 1943 by the Regia Marina using S.L.C. Maiale or Siluro a Lenta Corsa, manned-guided torpedoes, already successfully employed against the British, sinking the battleships Valiant and Queen Elizabeth at Alexandria. The two Z.511 seaplanes were to fly the Atlantic taxying in under radar screen to a point from which the manned torpedoes could be launched. No provisions were made for retrieving the naval personnel after their attack. The military Z.511A was powered by four 1500 hp Piaggio P.XII RC.35 radial engines giving a maximum speed of 264 mph, a cruising speed of 205 mph and an alighting speed of 84 mph. It could climb to 13,120 ft in 16 minutes. Reference: [1] Thompson W. Jonathan, "Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945", Aero Publishers Inc., Los Angeles, California, 1963
Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945
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This is the Rare Bird Models 1/72 CANT Z.511 in civil colors with civil registration I-LITT. This is my first 3D printer kit. I had no idea what would be in the box. The kit is produced by a kit manufacturer from Estonia. You can get kits from this manufacturer in 1/144 or 1/72 scales. Other options to choose from are military or civilian. For an added fee, you can get a full interior as well as a beaching trolley. The directions are sent to you in your email inbox. The fit is the best I have ever encountered in my entire modeling life. I have been modeling since I was nine years old, and in two days I will be ninety. The detail is incredible. One example is the paper-thin propeller blades. The only thing I would change is, I would have liked the cockpit to have been clear plastic instead; it is vac-formed, and you only get one. I am assuming that if requested for a slight extra fee, you could get two. The fit of the parts is so good it is almost impossible to make a mistake. The most difficult thing was the masking the motif I chose. Getting one wing to be a mirror image of the other was a challenge. First, I had a drawing illustrating the model I wanted. But it was small. I took it to a shop that will scan the drawing and enlarge it. Next, I cut the pattern out. Next, it was traced on one wing. It was flipped over and traced on the opposite side. Masking took several hours over two days. For the flags, this is a two-step process. First, you affix a white center piece of the Italian tri-color, and next the flag the flag has a clear center where the red-green layer over the top of the white. When this was completed, you could see the wing. This was not exceptional. I let it dry, thinking I could live with this, but I could not. Placing tape over the decals, the flags were removed. I then painted on the flags. The rest of the decals are fine. Pictures will be sent tomorrow after the windows are removed, and I will use Glue N Glaze to create new windows. The kit with the extras plus shipping and money conversion plus PayPal cost me about one hundred eighty USD dollars. I am thinking about getting another kit because I have another striking paint job I would like to have.
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Aircraft: CANT Z.511 Manufacturer: Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico Type: Civil transport Year: 1940 Engine: Four Piaggio P.XIl RC 35, radial with 18 cylinders, air-cooled, 1,350 hp each Wingspan: 131 ft 3 in (40.00 m) Length: 98 ft 1 in (29.90 m) Height: 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m) Weight: 75,400 lb (34,200 kg) (Loaded) Maximum Speed: 263 mph (424 km/h) Ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,550 m) Range: 3,170 miles (5,100 km) Crew: 6 Passengers: 16 (48) |
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