P.108
Country | Italy |
Manufacturer | Piaggio Aero Industries |
Primary Role | Heavy Bomber |
Maiden Flight | 1 October 1939 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe P.108 heavy bombers were the only four-engined aircraft to be used by the Italian air force Regia Aeronautica during WW2, though only about 36 or 163 were produced between 1939 and 1943. The P.108 bombers carried some of the most advanced technology in the Italian aircraft technology at the time, including engines more powerful than those on American B-17 bombers, two remotely controlled gun turrets, and an all-metal body. Four variants were designed, but most of the ones built were of the P.108B bomber design. Some P.108C passenger liners with 36- to 56-passenger capacity and P.108T transports were built; they served with both Italian and German forces. Among the first training missions in 1941 involving P.108 bombers was one piloted by Captain Bruno Mussolini, son of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, which resulted in a crash during landing, killing him. The bombers first saw action with the 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group in night bombing raids over Gibraltar in Oct 1942, but poor maneuverability often hindered the potential of these well-powered bombers, resulting in higher-than-expected loss rate. By the time of the Italian surrender in 1943, most of the ones in Italian service had already been destroyed. Fifteen surviving P.108C and P.108T aircraft were captured by Germany; in 1944, when German troops withdrew from Crimea, they were used by German Luftflotte 2 during the evacuation.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Jun 2007
SPECIFICATIONS
P.108B
Machinery | Four Piaggio P.XII RC.35 radial engines rated at 1,500hp each |
Armament | 5x12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, 2x7.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, 3,500kg of bombs internally |
Crew | 6 |
Span | 32.00 m |
Length | 22.30 m |
Height | 6.00 m |
Wing Area | 135.00 m² |
Weight, Empty | 17,325 kg |
Weight, Maximum | 29,885 kg |
Speed, Maximum | 430 km/h |
Service Ceiling | 8,500 m |
Range, Normal | 3,520 km |
Photographs
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Visitor Submitted Comments
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
- » WW2DB's 19th Anniversary (29 Dec 2023)
- » Looted Painting "Madonna with Child" Returned to Poland (2 Jun 2023)
- » Wreck of USS Mannert L. Abele Found (29 May 2023)
- » Wreck of Montevideo Maru Found (25 Apr 2023)
- » Accidental Detonation of a WW2-Era Bomb in Great Yarmouth (10 Feb 2023)
- » See all news
- » 1,145 biographies
- » 336 events
- » 43,415 timeline entries
- » 1,237 ships
- » 349 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 372 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 259 facilities
- » 468 book reviews
- » 28,364 photos
- » 432 maps
George Patton, 31 May 1944
19 Mar 2011 05:37:03 PM
wow. the Italians do love triple nines.