World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Z.506 Airone ("Heron") three-engined float planes were designed as 12- to 14-seat light transport aircraft. Their first duties were civilian in nature, delivering mail and transporting passengers around the Mediterranean Sea for the airline company Ala Littoria. As civilian planes, they set several records for their class between 1936 and 1938, including altitude, speed, and distance. In 1939, the Z.506B variants joined the Italian air force, serving in the roles of reconnaissance and torpedo bombing. Later in the war, because of the growing presence of Allied fighters, Z.506B Airone aircraft served as patrol and rescue aircraft only. However, being sidelined did not mean that they were obsolete; in fact, they performed so well in air-sea rescue missions that a particular variant, Z.506S Soccorso, was especially designed for that role. After the Italian Armistice, Z.506 aircraft served both with Germans as well as the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force. They remained in service until 1959. During the design's production life, 324 Z.506B variants were built for military use.

SPECIFICATIONS

Z.506B Series XII

Machinery	Three Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radial engines rated at 750hp each
Armament	1x12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun, 3x7.7mm machine guns, 1x1,200kg bomb or 1x800kg torpedo
Crew	5
Span	26.50 m
Length	19.24 m
Height	7.45 m
Wing Area	86.26 m²
Weight, Empty	8,750 kg
Weight, Maximum	12,705 kg
Speed, Maximum	350 km/h
Service Ceiling	7,000 m
Range, Normal	2,000 km

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