The CANT 25 was an Italian shipboard single-seat biplane flying boat fighter that entered service with the Regia Aeronautica in 1931.
The CANT 25 was developed from the earlier CANT 18 flying boat to meet a requirement for a flying boat fighter for the Regia Aeronautica.
The aircraft was of wooden construction and was armed with two fixed, forward-firing 7.7-millimeter (0.303-inch) Vickers machine guns.
It was built in two versions, the CANT 25M with removable wings and the CANT 25AR which was strengthened for catapult launching and had folding wings.
The CANT 25M appeared first, in 1931.
It had Warren truss-type interplane bracing and a 306-kilowatt (410-horsepower) Fiat A.20 12-cylinder water-cooled engine mounted to drive a two-bladed pusher propeller, and was used for catapult trials aboard warships of the Regia Marina.
It was replaced by the CANT 25AR, AR stood for Ali Ripiegabili, Italian for “Folding Wings” which instead had vertical interplane bracing struts to allow the outer panels of the wings to fold to the rear.
It also had strengthened tailplane bracing and a more powerful engine, a 328-kilowatt (440-horsepower) version of the Fiat A.20.
Variants
CANT 25M
Initial version with detachable wings
CANT 25AR
Later version strengthened for catapult launching and with folding wings
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
8.75 m (28 ft 8.5 in)
Wingspan
10.40 m (34 ft 1.5 in)
Height
3.12 m (10 ft 2.8 in)
Wing area
30.90 m2 (332.6 sq ft)
Empty weight
1,276 kg (2,813 lb)
Gross weight
1,706 kg (3,761 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Fiat A.20 12-cylinder water-cooled, 328 kW (440 hp)
Propellers
2-bladed
Performance
Maximum speed
245 km/h (152 mph; 132 kn) at sea level
Climb rate
26 min 30 sec to 5,000 m (16,405 ft)
Range
900 km (560 mi) at 120 km/h (74 mph; 65 kn)
Armament
Guns
2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm (.303 in) Vickers machine guns in the bow.
