Breda-Zappata BZ.308

infobox Aircraft
name = B.Z.308
type = Four-engined airliner
manufacturer = Breda


caption =
designer = Filippo Zappata
first flight = 1948
introduced = 1949
retired =
status =
primary user = Italian Air Force
more users =
produced =
number built = 1
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 was an Italian four-engined airliner produced by Breda.

Design and development

The aircraft designer Filippo Zappata developed a four-engined civil transport for operation over both European and transatlantic routes. Construction of the Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 was started during 1946 at Breda's Sesto San Giovanni works. The allied control commission halted the work, which was not resumed until January 1947. Further delays in the delivery of Bristol Centaurus engines delayed the first flight, which was on the 27th August 1948, piloted by [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Stoppani Mario Stoppani] .

The B.Z.308 was a large low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, the fuselage had an oval cross-section. It had a large tailplane with endplate fins and rudders, retractable landing gear. Powered by four Bristol Centaurus radial engines driving five-bladded propellers. It was designed for a flightcrew of five, and 55 passengers in two cabins, a high-density model was planned with seats for 80. Although flight testing went well, financial problems and the realisation that competition from American-built airliners would take a major share of the post-war airliner market, along with the pressures to close down the Aeronautical section of the Breda industries as requested by the Marshall plan, led to the project being abandoned. Breda stopped producing airplanes subsequently.

Operational history

The prototype B.Z.308 was acquired by the Italian Air Force in 1949 as a transport aircraft.
Despite orders in 1950 from orders from India, Argentina and Persia, only the prototype was built, allegedly also due to pressure from the allies for Italy to refrain from competing in civilian aircraft manufacture after the war.
On the 27th August 1948 the Bz 308 made its maiden flight, in front of civil and military authorities, politicians and the Italian President.
The prototype, which passed to the Italian Air Force in 1950 and was used to fly between Rome and Mogadishu until one day, following damage during a poor landing, it was abandoned in a field in Somalia before being broken up in 1954. It was also the first Italian transatlantic aircraft, and the first aircraft to fly into the new Malpensa airport in 1948.
The aircraft is also clearly visible in the airport scene of the film Roman Holiday.

pecifications (B.Z.308)

aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=5 (55 passengers)
length main= 109 ft 10¾ in
length alt= 33.50 m
span main= 138 ft 1½ in
span alt= 42.10 m
height main= 23 ft 7½ in
height alt= 7.20 m
area main= 2,224 ft²
area alt= 206.6 m²
empty weight main= 50,706 lb
empty weight alt= 23000 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main= 88,185 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 40000 kg
engine (prop)=Bristol Centaurus
type of prop= radial piston
number of props=4
power main= 2,500 hp
power alt= 1864 kw
max speed main= 357 mph
max speed alt= 575 km/h
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 32,810 ft
ceiling alt= 10000 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
armament=

References

*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=

External links

[For an artist's impression see http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/t/1079/60/0/1]
[For a photograph see http://www.aerei-italiani.net/Sfondi/Sfondo_13.jpg]
[For an Italian site detailing the history of the BZ.308, see: http://www.url.it/muvi/mostre/08mostra/mostrasx.htm]

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
sequence=B.Z.308 • B.Z.309
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see also=