CANT Z.1007

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Cant Z.1007 Alcione
Type Medium bomber
Manufacturer Cantiere Navali Triestino
Designed by Filippo Zappata
Maiden flight March 1937
Status Retired
Primary user Regia Aeronautica
Produced 1938-????
Number built 660

The Cant Z.1007 Alcione or "Kingfisher" was a three-engine medium bomber used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica, Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana and Luftwaffe during World War II.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

[edit] Background

The Cant Z.1007 was developed from the Cant Z.506 seaplane, an aircraft that had established many world records in the late 1930s. It was a land-based version and had many improvements, especially the engines. Filippo Zapata, the father of many aerodynamically streamlined aircraft created a very potent aircraft with the Z.506. As a land-based bomber, it could have been better than the machines already in service, and therefore, a first series of 32 were ordered, and designated Z.1007 Asso, after its 830 hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso inline engines.

[edit] Engine

The Asso engines had annular radiators so their profile was similar to radial engines that would be fitted later. The first prototype flew in March 1937. The model was quite interesting, but lacked superior performances compared to the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, even with 430km/h. It had few bombs in a bomb bay and wing racks, with a weak defensive armament of one 12.7 mm and one 7.7 mm machine gun. Improvement was made with Piaggio P.IX engines, capable of 1,000 hp and the Cant Z.1007bis went into production in 1939 displaying more capability than all previous Italian bombers.

[edit] Configuration and problems

The Z.1007 had a standard configuration: monoplane, with a low-set wing, single tail (later a double tail), retractable undercarriage, and a crew of five or six. It had a totally wooden structure, and a very clean shape that was much more aerodynamic than the competing SM.79. The Z.1007 had three Piaggio P.XI engines (a derivative of the French Gnome-Rhône 14K) of 1,000hp each, with one engine in the nose and two in the wings. The three-engined design was a common feature of Italian aircraft of World War II. The aircraft had a slim fuselage mainly because the two pilots sat in tandem rather than side by side as in most bombers of the period. Like most three-engined Italian aircraft of the period the Z.1007 suffered from poor defensive armament, poor engine reliability, and a poor power to weight ratio due to weak engines. The Z.1007 also suffered from directional stability problems that were only partly rectified later by the twin tail arrangement. The problems with directional stability made it only a marginal bombing platform.[citation needed] The Z.1007's wooden structure suffered cracks, separations, and surface delamination due to the difficult climatic conditions in North Africa and Russia. The surface delamination and deformation greatly added to the aircraft drag.[citation needed] A total of 660 Alcione were built.

Pilots sat in tandem position. Visibility was good and the aircraft was, thanks to this solution, almost a 'three-engine fighter' with a very narrow fuselage. This reduced the drag, but also worsened the task of the two pilots. The aft pilot had reduced instruments and visibility, and so had difficulty flying and landing the machine if needed; he was almost just an 'emergency' pilot.

[edit] Armament

The Z.1007 had a defensive armament of four machine-guns: two 12.7mm and two 7.7 mm. The main defensive weapon was an Isotta-Fraschini Scotti or 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun in a Caproni-Lanciani Delta manually powered, or a Breda electrically powered dorsal turret. The turret had a 360° field of fire and 0-70° of elevation, with 350 rounds. The 12.7 mm Breda was a standard weapon for Italian bombers which was helped by the double-tail configuration on later models, which allowed a better field of fire. Another 12.7mm was in the ventral position behind the bomb bay, with a field of fire restricted to the lower rear quadrant of the aircraft. There were also two waist position 7.7 mm Breda machine guns, with 500 rounds of ammunition each. Only one of the waist guns could be used at a time since the gunner for this position manned both guns. Armour, looking at the Allied reports (arguably referring to the latest versions, more armoured) was better than the usual for an Italian bomber, with a large (2 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. 6 in. plus a small head protection one of 14 in. by 8 in ) 8 mm curved plate for rear protection of dorsal gunner (rotating with his turret), 5 mm plates for side gunners with other 6 mm all around the machine-guns, and 6 mm for ventral machine-gun position, and all around this means that all the defensive positions were reasonably protected against enemy fire. Pilot was protected, even if an armoured windscreen was not available, with 5 mm roof and lateral, 6 mm around seat, 5 mm over his head, and 6 mm armoured bulkhead behind him.

The Z.1007 had a horizontal bomb bay which could carry 1,200 kg (2,645 lb) of bombs. Many other Italian aircraft had vertical bomb bays which not only limited accuracy, but also limited the size of bombs carried internally. There were also a pair of under-wing hard points which could carry up to 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of bombs externally, giving the Z.1007 a potential 2,200 kg (4,850 lb) bombload (to a maximum range of 640 km), but the normal was 1200 kg and 1000 km range). The Z.1007's external hard points were a rarity in the bombers of the Regia Aereonautica. The Z.1007 could also carry two 450 mm (17.7 in) 800 kg (1,763 lb) torpedoes slung externally under the belly in an anti-shipping role, never used in service. The bomb-aimer's nacelle was near the wings, just below the pilot. This improved the layout respect to SM.79, that had the nacelle almost in the tail section, with the double task of machine-gun defence position. Noticeable that also the SM.81 and SM.82 had the nacelle near the nose, so the SM.79's was definitively the worst as internal layout.

[edit] Operational Use

[edit] Battle of Britain

The Z.1007 saw action during the later stages of the Battle of Britain in November 1940. The Regia Aereonautica sent six Z.1007Bis of the 172nd Squadron to Belgium in the strategic reconaissance role for the Corpo Aereo Italiano and its 200 bombers and fighters. Upon arrival the Italian command realized the Luftwaffe had already photographed nearly every inch of S.E. England and there was really nothing for them to do. They were used in force only once, on November 11, when five were used as a decoy (without bommbs) to draw RAF fighters away from the main Italian attack on a convoy and the port facilities around Harwich by ten Fiat BR 20 bombers. It didn't work. Otherwise it was used only sporadically in the strategic reconaissance role. No Z.1007's were lost over Britain, although one of the six originally sent was lost in September on the flight to its base in Belgium.

[edit] Greco-Italian War

The Z.1007 first saw action in the Italian invasion of Greece in October of 1940. The Z.1007 participated in the bombing campaign over Malta and in the campaigns in North Africa and on the Eastern Front. Although fast, these bombers were vulnerable when hit and prone to catch fire.

The service saw 47 Wing equipped with some of the first bombers at Ghedi. Only four were in service at 10 June 1940. The production was slow with 15 machines made every month at best. The first 34 machines, Cant Z.1007Asso were used just as trainers and later as weather recognisers. In 1943 there were still 16 available. A transformation with Delta engines was made to improve economical congestion but applied to only one machine. With the time the aircraft was used with many Wings like 9th and substituted the SM.79 and BR.20 as possible with so few available.

Cant Z.1007 Asso substituted SM.81s in 16 Wing, 47 Wing had Z.1007Bis but the transformation gave the possibility to reach only in August the first operational readiness, when around 30 machines were sent in Sicily to attack Malta. Over Greece operated 16°, 12°, 35°, and 47° Wings, with some losses, among them one made by a PZL.24 manned by Ltn. Mitraxialexis. 172° squadriglia was sent on Belgium to fight UK. It had only five machines, while BR.20s were around 80 on two wings. Used as high altitude recognition machines, they had no losses, except one lost just at the end of the campaign. 175 recognition squadron, and later 176th were used in Africa. The destroyer HMS Juno was destroyed by an explosion caused by a Z.1007 bombing, in 1941. 35 Wing was sent over Africa with the bombing role. The bad weather conditions made difficult to hold in service this wooden aircraft, but still the machine was used until 1943.

In 1942 Cant Z.1007s were used by four groups and two wings during Mediterranean battles, both in anti-ship role and above all, against Malta, often escorted by Italian and German fighters.

In November 1942 there were eight groups equipped with Z.1007s but only 75 machines, with just 39 efficient out of 150 bomber of all types.

As interesting note,during Italian and German effort to stop "Pedestal" Convoy,in route to Malta during August 1942,Sardinia-based CANT Z.1007 "Alciones",shadowed such convoy in between bombing raids and one Z.1007bis carried out a special mission,as first in the war.

General Ferdinando Raffaelli had to come up the of packing a "SIAI Marchetti SM.79" bomber with explosives and a radio control device.As the Pedestal Convoy was steaming off the Algerian coasts on August 12,the SM.79 "Drone" a Z.1007bis guide plane and and scort of five FIAT G.50 figthers to flew out to intercept the ships.Once the SM.79s pilot had set his plane on a course toward the Allied ships,he bailed out leaving the Z.1007bis crew to guide the flying bomb the rest of the way by radio-or so it was hoped.

The radio,however,malfunctioned.With nothing to guide it,the SM.79-Drone cruised along until it ran out of fuel for crashed on Mount Klenchela,on Algerian mainland.

[edit] Again the Allies

Fighting against Allied invasion had losses, even flying only at night, especially by Bristol Beaufighters, and the same could be said over Malta.

In June 1943 was made a Raggruppamento with almost all the Z.1007s at Perugia, with only 30 machines, dropped to 19 with 13 serviceable in September. At the Armistice there were around 72 machines, around 40 of them escaped to South Italy. They were used as fast transports, and even was proposed by ICAF to use them as bombers in the Pacific theatre.

[edit] Post WWII problems and performances

The worst day for Z.1007s was 14 May 1944, when 88° Gruppo sent 12 Z.1007s with supplies to Tito's forces. Five were shot down and two damaged by German fighters in a dramatic air battle, 26 Italian aviators were killed. From that day the employ was authorized only at night until the end of the German fighter force.

Z.1007ter was the best version, It should have been proposed already with Alfa 135 engines, 1,400 hp. Dropped this machines because the Cant Z.1018 and the unreliability of that engine, there was another -ter proposal with P.XI engines, 1,150 hp, and the production was started in 1942, with a total of around 150 machines. The test pilots were better impressed by this machine rather than Z.1018, faster but with less power (because the layout with only two P.XII engines), while the range was improved from 2,000 to 2,250 km with 2,460 kg fuel and 900 kg bombs. So, While Z.1018 had 2,700 hp, already Z.1007Bis had 3,000 (2,610 at take off) and Z.1007ter 3,450. Despite this, the Z.1018 was so clean with only two engines, that was capable with the same weight to obtain 70 and 34 km/h more.

Performances were improved with a max speed of 490 km/h at 6,150 m instead of 456 at 4,600 m. Climbing to 3,000 m in 6 min 28 sec, and 5,000 m in 10 min 44 sec (Z.1007 bis in 12 min 42 sec, Z.1007 Asso in 14 min 34 sec). Armament and armour were also improved. Dorsal turret was a Breda model, flank weapons were replaced with 12,7 mm.

Ceiling finally raised to 9,000 m instead of 8,400 m.

Z.1007s were used mainly as night bombers and reconnaissance, and they were in service only during the war, so they had much less press than SM.79s and BR.20s. They were used also as long range reconnaissance, with excellent results. Some, at least 20 were equipped with an auxiliary tank that gave 1,000 km extra endurance. Some were adapted for Bengala launches when day missions were too dangerous. One of the best set for photo missions had six robot machines in a ventral gondola plus another in the fuselage. The long range and the ceiling helped these aircraft to obtain good results until the Spitfires appeared. In every case, they were also the first victims of P-40 Tomahawks (over Alexandria).

Another development was the Z.1015, it was proposed as record version of the Z.1007 already in 1938 but it was not considered until 1942, when substituted Alfa 135 with Piaggio P.XII engines. It had 563 km/h of speed, thanks to a total of over 4,000 hp installed. It was tested successfully as torpedo aircraft, but it was not used operationally and not passed in production.

The Z.1007ter, which had more powerful engines, entered service in 1942. By the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily, few were still flying. The remainder went on to fight with the Italian Social Republic, Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force and the Luftwaffe.

[edit] Operators

Flag of Italy Italy
Flag of Germany Germany
Flag of Free French Forces France

[edit] Specifications (Z.1007bis)

Data from The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 5
  • Length: 18.35 m (60 ft 2.5 in)
  • Wingspan: 24.80 m (81 ft 4.5 in)
  • Height: 5.22 m (17 ft 1.5 in)
  • Wing area: 70 m² (750 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 9,396 kg (20,715 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 13,621 kg (30,029 lb)
  • Powerplant: 3× Piaggio P.XI RC.40 radial engines, 745 kW (1,000 hp) each

Performance

Armament

  • Guns:
  • Bombs:
    • 1,200 kg (2,645 lb) of bombs internally. 1,000kg (2,204 lb) externally on underwing hardpoints. Or a combined load of 2,200kg (4,850 lb) of bombs internally and on external hardpoints.
    • 2× 450 mm (17.7 in) 800kg (1,763 lb), torpedoes

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Bishop, Chris (ed.) 1998, The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Barnes & Noble, New York. ISBN 0-7607-1022-8.

[edit] See also

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