| RS.14 | |
|---|---|
| Role | long range maritime reconnaissance floatplane |
| Manufacturer | Fiat |
| Designer | Manlio Stiavelli |
| First flight | May 1939 |
| Introduction | May 1941 |
| Primary users | Regia Aeronautica Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force |
| Produced | May 1941 - September 1943 |
| Number built | 188 (includes 2 prototypes) |
The Fiat RS.14 was an Italian long range maritime strategic reconnaissance floatplane. The RS.14 was a four/five seat all-metal cantilever low/mid-wing monoplane powered by two wing-mounted 626 kW (840 hp) Fiat A.74 RC engines. It had a conventional cantilever tail unit with a single fin and rudder. Its undercarriage consisted of two large floats on struts. It had a glazed nose for an observer or bomb aimer. The pilot and copilot sat side-by-side with a wireless operator's compartment behind them. In the bombing role the RS.14 was fitted with a long ventral gondola to carry various combinations of anti-submarine bombs (up to 400 kg/882 lb).
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The RS.14 was designed by Manlio Stiavelli at the CMASA works at Marina di Pisa. The first of two prototypes flew in May 1939.
A prototype landplane version AS.14 was built and first flown on 11 August 1943. It was designed as a ground-attack aircraft and intended to be armed with a 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon and 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns. It was not ordered and no others were built.
The RS.14 went into service with the Italian Air Force with a number of maritime strategic reconnaissance squadrons at bases around the Italian coast and also in Sicily and Sardinia. They were used for convoy escort duties and anti-submarine patrols. After the 1943 Armistice a few survivors were operated by the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. At the end of the war the aircraft were used for liaison duties around the Mediterranean carrying up to four passengers.
Data from Donald, 1997, pg 413.
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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