BILL EWING COLLECTION
No. 12668. CANT 25 Italian Air Force
Photograph from B. Thouanel

CANT 25

12/29/2014. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In 1923, the shipbuilding firm of Cantieri Navali di Monfalcone in Trieste, Italy, established Cantieri Navale Triestino (CNT, commonly called CANT) as an aircraft manufacturing branch to concentrate on flying boats and seaplanes. On September 18, 1930 it was reorganized as Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CRDA), while CANT was still used as a trade name.

Shortly before its reorganization as the CRDA, the company designed the CANT 25 as an elegant single-seat flying boat fighter with an armament of two 0.303-in (7.7 mm) machine guns in the forward part of the upper hull. This unequal-span biplane was of wooden construction, though the flying surfaces were fabric covered, and was intended for use on the Italian navy's more important warships. The initial version, which appeared in 1931, was the CANT 25M used mainly for shipboard catapult trials. This had Warren-type interplane bracing and the 410 hp Fiat A.20 in-line piston engine located in a nacelle just below the upper wing center section and driving a pusher propeller.

Early service revealed the desirability of a number of improved features, and resulted in the CANT 25AR (Ali Ripiegabili, or folding wings) as the main production model. As suggested by its designation, this had aft-folding outer wing panels for simpler shipboard stowage, and other features were a more powerful version of the basic engine, vertical interplane struts of conventional type, and stronger bracing for the tail plane. Although the type was obsolescent even as it entered service, a few aircraft remained in service up to 1940."


Created December 29, 2014