CANT Z . 1007 The CANT Z . 1007 " Alcione " ( " Kingfisher " ) was a three - engined medium bomber , with wooden structure . Designed by " ingegner " Filippo Zappata , who also designed the CANT Z . 506 it had " excellent flying characteristics and good stability " and was regarded by some as " the best Italian bomber of World War II " although its wooden structure was easily damaged by the climate , like those experienced in North Africa and in Russia . It was used by the Italian " Regia Aeronautica " , Italian Co - Belligerent Air Force , " Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana " and " Luftwaffe " during World War II . Design and development . Background . In 1935 , Filippo Zappata , the chief designer of the " Cantieri Aeronautici e Navali Triestini " ( CANT ) , designed two medium bombers , the twin - engined CANT Z . 1011 and the three - engined CANT Z . 1007 . Both were to be powered by 619 kW ( 830 hp ) Isotta - Fraschini Asso XI . RC inline engines and were of wooden construction . The Z . 1007 design was preferred by both Zappata and the Italian Aviation Ministry , with an order for 18 aircraft being placed on 9 January 1936 . A further order for 16 more aircraft followed on 23 February 1937 . 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 incorporated many improvements , especially on the powerplant . The first prototype flew in March 1937 , proving superior to the Z . 1011 , with its handling and manoeuvrability being praised . Its performance , however , was lower than predicted , and Zappata therefore started a major redesign of the Z . 1007 , production of the initial version being limited to the existing orders placed before the prototype flew . The Z . 1007 was a mid - winged monoplane with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage . It had a crew of five , consisting of two pilots , a flight engineer , a radio operatior and a bombardier / navigator . It could carry 800 kg ( 1 , 760 lb ) of bombs , and was fitted with a defensive armament of a 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Breda - SAFAT machine gun in an open dorsal position and a 7 . 7 mm machine gun in a ventral tunnel . After much experimentation with the prototype , the production aircraft were fitted with annular radiators so their profile was similar to radial engines that would be fitted to the improved later versions . Delivery of production Asso powered Z . 1007s started in February 1939 , with production ending in October that year . Z . 1007bis . Zappata had , meanwhile , continued the development of a considerably changed version , the Z . 1007bis , to resolve the problems with the original aircraft . While the new version was of similar layout , it was a new design . Three Piaggio P . XI RC . 40 radial engines ( a derivative of the French Gnome - Rhône 14K ) of 736 kW ( 986 hp ) takeoff power replaced the less powerful and unreliable liquid cooled engines of the original version . The " bis " was longer with wings of greater span and area , while the aircraft was considerably heavier , weighing 580 kg ( 1 , 280 lb ) more unladen , with a maximum takeoff weight 888 kg ( 1 , 960 lb ) greater , while it carried heavier offensive and defensive armament . The prototype " bis " first flew in July 1939 , with testing proving successful . The Z . 1007bis was ordered into large scale production , deliveries of pre - production aircraft starting late that year . Configuration and problems . The Z . 1007 had a standard monoplane configuration , with a mid - set wing , single tail , retractable undercarriage and a crew of five or six . It had a wooden structure and a clean shape that was much more aerodynamic than the competing SM . 79 . The Z . 1007 had three engines , with one engine in the nose and two in the wings . The trimotor design was a common feature of Italian aircraft of World War II . The aircraft had a slim fuselage as the two pilots sat in tandem rather than side - by - side as in most bombers of the period . Visibility was good and the aircraft was almost a three - engine fighter . This slimness reduced drag but also somewhat worsened the task of the two pilots . Both pilots seats were offset to port to allow a passageway for the bombardier to enter his compartment below the pilot ' s feet ( directly behind the central engine ) , by ducking under the instrument panel , similar to the setup on an Avro Lancaster , De Havilland Mosquito or Bristol Blenheim . Both instrument panels contained flight and navigation instruments , while the engine monitoring gauges were located to starboard where the rear pilot could see them past the front pilot ' s shoulder ( Cockpit picture showing instruments and bombardiers access way : ( http : / / www . ww2incolor . com / italian - forces / PILOTI - CZ1007 . html ) . Although the rear pilot ' s view was limited , he was capable of landing or taking off if needed ; however his primary purpose was to allow the pilot to rest , and to add some " muscle " to the controls when needed ( as well as acting as the always helpful extra set of eyes to notice problems or to monitor gauges while the other is occupied ) . There were five crewmembers ; the pilot , the copilot , a bombardier / navigator / ventral gunner , a dorsal gunner / radio operator , and waist gunner / flight engineer . The radio equipment was located in the center section between the dorsal turret and the waist position . Like most trimotor Italian aircraft of the period the Z . 1007 suffered from poor defensive armament , although it was no worse than many other contemporary designs ( it was designed with a dorsel turret , a ventral gun ( which the Avro Lancaster lacked in most variants ) , and beam guns . Many other types lacked one or more of these features . Other issues were poor engine reliability and a weak power - to - weight ratio due to low powered engines ( the three 1 , 000 hp engines of the Z . 1007bis were equivalent to twin engines of 1 , 500 hp each , but this was slightly offset by the added weight of the third engine ) . The Z . 1007 also suffered longitudinal stability problems that were partly rectified later by the adoption of a twin tail arrangement . 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 . A total of 660 " Alciones " were built . Armament . The Z . 1007 had a defensive armament of four machine guns : two 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) and two 7 . 7 mm ( . 303 in ) . The main defensive weapon was a Caproni - Lanciani Delta manually powered Isotta Fraschini dorsal turret armed with a 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Scotti or Breda - SAFAT machine gun . The turret had a good field of fire , although it had blind spot behind the tail ( as did all turreted aircraft without rear gunners or twin vertical stabilizers ) . The 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) Breda was a standard weapon for Italian bombers and the field of fire was improved by the twin - tail configuration on later models . An electrically powered Breda V turret carrying a similar armament was substituted in late production aircraft . Another 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) 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 ( . 303 in ) Breda machine guns , with 500 rpg . Only one of the waist guns could be used at a time since the gunner for this position manned both guns ( a practice employed at times by other bombers like the B - 25 Mitchell and G4M Betty ) . Many others ( for example , the Avro Lancaster and other RAF types ) had no beam guns at all , but since beam attacks were very rare , beam guns were one of the least effective armaments an aircraft carried and a lack of gunners was far less serious than a missing dorsal or tail turret , or to a lesser extent , a ventral or nose gun . Allied reports stated that armour was better than usual for an Italian bomber , with a large ( . 76 m / 2 ft 6 in × 1 . 1 m / 3 ft 6 in , plus a small head protection one of . 36 m / 14 in × . 20 m / 8 in ) 8 mm ( . 31 in ) curved plate for rear protection of dorsal gunner ( rotating with his turret ) , 5 mm ( . 20 in ) for side gunners with other 6 mm ( . 24 in ) all around the machine guns , and 6 mm ( . 24 in ) for ventral machine gun position , this meant that all defensive positions were reasonably protected against enemy fire . The pilots were protected , even if an armoured windscreen was not available , with 5 mm ( . 20 in ) roof and lateral , 6 mm ( . 24 in ) around the seats , 5 mm ( . 20 in ) over their heads , and a 6 mm ( . 24 in ) armoured bulkhead behind them . The Z . 1007 had a horizontal bomb bay which could carry 1 , 200 kg ( 2 , 650 lb ) of ordnance . Many other Italian ( and US ) 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 , 200 lb ) of bombs , giving the Z . 1007 a potential 2 , 200 kg ( 4 , 900 lb ) payload to a maximum range of 640 km ( 400 mi ) , but the norm was 1 , 200 kg and 1 , 000 km range . The Z . 1007 ' s external hardpoints were a rarity in the bombers of the " Regia Aereonautica " . The Z . 1007 could also carry two 454 mm ( 17 . 7 in ) , 800 kg ( 1 , 760 lb ) torpedo es slung externally under the belly in an anti - shipping role , an option never used in service . The bombardier ' s position was just below and ahead of the pilot , behind the central engine ( he could look up at the rudder pedals and see the pilot ' s face ) . This improved the layout compared to the SM . 79 , that had the nacelle almost in the tail section , with the double task of being a defence position with a machine gun mounted there ( although it ' s not clear why a forward position for a bombardier is in any way superior to a rearward position ; in either case the view was limited to downward , which is the important area for a bombardier . The forward position of the bombardier is mostly tradition , and dates from the days when communicating with the pilot was vocal or by means of a crude mechanical indicator showing heading adjustments . ) Operational history . The first Asso - powered Z . 1007s were used to equip the 50° " Gruppo " of the 16° " Stormo " ( i . e . the 50° Gruppo of the 16° " Stormo " ) from May 1939 . The Asso powered bombers were not considered suitable for operational use , however , owing to the unreliability of their engines and high maintenance requirements , while their defensive armament was considered inadequate . They were therefore used as trainers . In 1942 , it was proposed to modify the remaining 16 Z . 1007s for weather reconnaissance , re - engining them with Isotta Fraschini Delta engines , but only one aircraft was converted . 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 47° " Stormo " was equipped with some of the first production aircraft at Ghedi . Only four were in service at 10 June 1940 . The production was slow with 15 machines made every month at best . With time the aircraft was used by different " Stormi " like the 9° and substituted the SM . 79 and BR . 20 . Cant Z . 1007 Asso replaced SM . 81s in 16° " Stormo " , 47° " Stormo " had Z . 1007Bis but operational readiness was only reached in August , when around 30 machines were sent to Sicily to attack Malta . " Stormi " 16° , 12° , 35° , and 47° operated over Greece with some losses . 175a " Squadriglia da ricognizione " ( reconnaissance squadron ) , and later 176a , were used in Africa . The British destroyer was sunk by an explosion caused by a Z . 1007 bombing in 1941 . 35° Stormo was sent to Africa in the bombing role . The first large - scale use of the CANT took place during the Italian invasion of Greece started at the end of October 1940 . These three - engine aeroplanes were used occasionally in Russia too . In 1942 , Z . 1007s were used by four groups and two wings in the Mediterranean theatre , in anti - ship role and against Malta , often escorted by Italian and German fighters . In November 1942 , there were 10 " Gruppi " equipped with 75 Z . 1007s , with just 39 serviceable aircraft . As part of Italian and German efforts to stop the British operation Pedestal convoy to re - supply Malta in August 1942 , a few Z . 1007 " Alcione " s of 51° " Gruppo Autonomo " based in Alghero , Sardinia , flew reconnaissance missions on the convoy between bombing and raids . Only on 14 August , at the end of that " Mid - August Battle " , three Z . 1007bis bombed the convoy from high altitude . Another Z . 1007bis took part in the battle , carrying out a first in the war special mission , later copied by Allied air forces . The plan of Generale Ferdinando Raffaelli to use a CANT Z . 1007 to radio - guide a " SIAI Marchetti SM . 79 ARP ( " Aereo Radio Pilotato " , " Aircraft Radio Guided " ) bomber . The SM . 79 , without crew and armament , but packed with explosives and equipped with a radio control device , was to be used as a " Flying Bomb " against big naval targets . As the Pedestal Convoy was off the Algerian coast on 12 August 1942 , the SM . 79 " Drone " , the Z . 1007bis guide aircraft and escort of five FIAT G . 50 fighters flew out to intercept the ships . Once the SM . 79 ' s pilot had set his aircraft 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 . The radio , however , malfunctioned . With nothing to guide it , the SM . 79 - Drone cruised along until it ran out of fuel and crashed on Mount Klenchela , on the Algerian mainland . World War II . When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940 , " Regia Aeronautica " had two " Stormi " equipped with the " Alcione " . One was the 16° , with 31 aircraft , equipped with the Isotta Fraschini engine and so declared " non bellici " , " not suitable for war . " The 47° " Stormo " had just received four CANT bis . Malta . The " Alcione " had its baptism of fire on 29 August 1940 , when a formation of 10 CANT Z . 1007 " bis " " monoderiva " of 106° " Gruppo " bombed Luqa airfield . The 106° , based on Chinisia , Trapani , in Sicily , was soon joined by the whole 47° " Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre " with 33 aircraft . When the war with Greece broke out , the 47° was moved onto that front . The CANT Z . came back on Malta in 1941 , with 9° " Stormo Bombardamento terrestre " , still based on Chinisia , with 29° and 33° " Gruppo " , equipped with 25 " Alcione " . The 9° was later joined by 50° " Gruppo " , based on Sciacca . The Italian units were joined by " Luftwaffe " " II Fliegerkorp " , but when the German aircraft were moved to North Africa , the CANT bombing mission on Malta were reduced . The Italian bombers had to face the strengthened defences of the island , that used radar combined with Bristol Beaufighter night fighters . The " Alcione " started a third wave of night attacks on Malta between 10 and 20 October 1942 . The 9° " Stormo " and the 8° " Gruppo " of 43° " Stormo " had on line 30 CANT but only 12 were operational . Battle of Britain . The Z . 1007 saw action during the later stages of the Battle of Britain from November 1940 to January 1941 . The " Regia Aereonautica " sent six Z . 1007Bis of the 172a " Squadriglia " to Belgium in the strategic reconnaissance role for the " Corpo Aereo Italiano " . Upon arrival in September 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 11 November 1940 , when five were used as a decoy ( without bombs or guns ) to draw RAF fighters away from the main Italian attack on a convoy and the port facilities around Harwich by 10 Fiat BR 20 bombers . The plan failed . No Z . 1007s were lost over Britain , although one of the six originally sent was lost in September on the ferry flight to its base in Belgium . Greco - Italian War . During the invasion of Greece , the " Regia Aeronautica " deployed the largest number of CANT . Zs . On 28 October 1940 , first day of invasion , 47° " Stormo Bombardamento Terrestre " ( based on Grottaglie airfield ) and 50° " Gruppo " of 50° " Stormo " ( based on Brindisi airfield ) had on line 44 " Alcione " . On 5 November , those units were joined by 41° " Gruppo " of 12° " Stormo " , with 16 aircraft . The " Stormi " suffered few losses , among them two made by a PZL P . 24 , manned by Second Lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis , who managed to bring down one of the two CANT Z . 1007s by ramming its tail . During January 1941 , 41° Gruppo was replaced by 95° " Gruppo " of 35° " Stormo " . It was in that war theatre that the wooden structure of the CANT started to show its weaknesses . The heavy rains damaged it , forcing continuous repairs by the ground crews . Yugoslavia . The CANTs opened hostilities against Yugoslavia , on 6 April 1941 , bombing Mostar airfield . During that short invasion , " Regia Aeronautica " deployed 49 CANT . ZBis , 26 of 47° " Stormo " , 15 of 95° " Gruppo " ( of 35° " Stormo " ) and eight of 50° " Gruppo " ( of 16° " Stormno " ) . Final deployment . In June 1943 , the Z . 1007s at Perugia , originally equipped with 30 machines , dropped to 19 with 13 serviceable in September . At the Armistice there were approximately 72 machines in service , with 40 of them sent to southern Italy . They were used as fast transports , with the ICAF proposing to use them as bombers in the Pacific theatre . Reassesment . The worst day for Z . 1007s was 14 May 1944 , when 88° " Gruppo " sent 12 Z . 1007s carrying supplies to Tito ' s forces . Five were shot down and two damaged by German fighters , 26 Italian aviators were killed . From that day on , it was employed only at night for military purposes . Z . 1007ter was an improved version , that should have used Alfa 135 engines of 1 , 040 kW ( 1 , 400 hp ) . This version was dropped because of the advent of the Z . 1018 and the unreliability of the engines . There was another - ter proposal with P . XIX engines ( 858 kW / 1 , 150 hp ) , and production was started in 1942 , with a total of around 150 made . Test pilots were more impressed by this machine than the Z . 1018 , faster but with less power ( because of the layout with only two P . XII engines ) , while the range was improved from 2 , 000 km ( 1 , 240 mi ) to 2 , 250 km ( 1 , 400 mi ) with 2 , 460 kg ( 5 , 420 lb ) fuel and 900 kg ( 1 , 980 lb ) bombs . So , while the Z . 1018 had 2 , 013 kW ( 2 , 700 hp ) , already Z . 1007Bis had 2 , 237 kW / 3 , 000 hp ( 1 , 946 kW / 2 , 610 hp at take off ) and Z . 1007ter 2 , 572 kW ( 3 , 450 hp ) . Performances were improved with a max speed of 490 km / h ( 300 mph ) at 6 , 150 m ( 20 , 180 ft ) instead of 456 at 4 , 600 m ( 15 , 100 ft ) . Climbing to 3 , 000 m ( 9 , 800 ft ) in 6 min 28 sec , and 5 , 000 m ( 16 , 400 ft ) 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 . The dorsal turret was a Breda model , waist guns were replaced by 12 . 7 mm ( . 5 in ) weapons . The ceiling was raised to 9 , 000 m ( 29 , 500 ft ) from 8 , 400 m ( 27 , 600 ft ) . Z . 1007s were used mainly as night bombers and reconnaissance , they were also used for long range reconnaissance , with excellent results . Some , at least 20 , were equipped with an auxiliary tank that gave 1 , 000 km ( 620 mi ) extra endurance . Some were adapted for flare drops when day missions were too dangerous . One modification 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 Spitfire s appeared on the Mediterranean theatre . They were also the first victims of P - 40 Tomahawks over Alexandria . Another development was the Z . 1015 , proposed as a record - breaking version of the Z . 1007 in 1938 but not considered until 1942 , when the Alfa 135s were substituted by Piaggio P . XII engines . It could reach a speed of 563 km / h ( 350 mph ) , thanks to a total of over 2 , 982 kW ( 4 , 000 hp ) installed . It was tested successfully as a torpedo aircraft , but it was not used operationally and did not enter production . The few Z . 1007ter still flying after the Allied invasion of Sicily went on to fight with the Italian Social Republic , Italian Co - Belligerent Air Force and the ' Luftwaffe " . A total of 560 CANT Z . 1007s were built , 450 of them of version 1007bis that appeared in late 1939 .