| C.29 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Racing seaplane Type of aircraft |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Fiat Aviazione |
| Designer | Celestino Rosatelli |
| First flight | June 1929 |
| Primary user | Regia Aeronautica |
| Number built | 3 |
TheFiat C.29 was an Italianracing seaplane designed byCelestino Rosatelli and built in the late-1920s byFiat Aviazione especially for the 1929Schneider Trophy air race. Unused in the race, of the three aircraft built, two were destroyed in flying accidents while the third is on display in a museum.[1]
First flown byFrancesco Agello atDesenzano del Garda in early June 1929, this twin-floatmonoplane racer was noted to be laterally unstable. Unusually, the wing structure featured a woodenspar but was skinned withaluminium alloy sheeting. The aircraft used theFiat AS.5 V-12 engine, specifically designed for this aircraft to minimise frontal area. On 12 June 1929, Agello hit the wash of a boat on landing which caused the first prototype, works number129, to bounce in the air, stall and dive vertically into the water. Agello was rescued unharmed after being thrown out of thecockpit. The second prototype,130, was quickly completed, this aircraft having largertail surfaces to correct the stability problems.
On 12 August 1929, whilst demonstrating the aircraft to a British aviation magazine representative, the second prototype was written off after sinking back onto the water on its third attempt at a takeoff, again Agello was relatively unscathed but the aircraft was destroyed, the engine sinking 300 ft (90 m) to the bottom ofLake Garda and was never recovered.[2]Italo Balbo ordered a third aircraft to be built,130bis, and sent directly to England without being test-flown for the approaching Schneider Trophy competition. The C.29 did appear atRAF Calshot but did not fly during the competition, the Italian team placing second, fourth and sixth usingMacchi M.52 andM.67 racers.
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The third and sole remaining C.29 is on display at theItalian Air Force Museum.[3]
Data fromEves[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
