Shipbucket

Nice additions, except, indeed, these Turkish AF mixes - such "surveys" are not particularly welcome (certainly won't be uploaded to archive), among others for crediting reasons (at the very least, each plane should be separately credited).

@Cplnew83
Seems that Raafif used the old version, which was made by Nighthunter.

http://shipbucket.com/vehicles/search?c ... nd+87+P-40

Piaggio P.50

The forerunner of the Axis's only four-engined bomber.



The Piaggio P.50 was developed as a larger version of the moderately successful P.32 bomber, capitalising on the P.23R racer and record breaker. Three prototypes were ordered, fitted with V12 engines in the same low drag push-pull arrangement of the P.23M. The aircraft were found to be underpowered and supply of the engines was problematic, and the third prototype was modified to accept larger Piaggio radial engines, now fitted in an all tractor configuration. The decision to re-engine the design was validated after the second prototype suffered a landing gear malfunction and was damaged. That aircraft never flew again as replacement V12 engines were not available.
The third prototype, as the P.50-II, was still underpowered for the planned maximum operational weights, but served as the protoype for the developed version of the design, the P.108B.

Piaggio P.111

Italy's testbed for airliner pressurisation trials.



Initially work on the P.111 started as a 3-seat light bomber, but that project was soon cancelled.
With the potential development of a civil version of the P.108B bomber for trans-Atlantic service, Piaggio resurrected the design as a testbed for stratospheric flight and aircraft pressurisation. To allow for pressurising the cabin an addition small piston engine was fitted in the nose to function as a compressor. The date of the first flight of the P.111 is stated as being either the April 1940 or April 1941, but as all photos of the event have the aircraft painted with the pre-war flag tail stripes rather than the wartime Savoy cross, the earlier date is most likely correct.
The aircraft performed well, but the expected early end to the War with the surrender of Britain did not happen, and the need for a trans-Atlantic airliner disappeared and the eventual P.108C was a simpler unpressurised aircraft.

Loving all these lesser-known Italian designs.

Caproni Campini N.1

Recognised as the world's first jet aircraft, until the secret flight Germany's Heinkel 178 was made public.



Although often mocked as a failed attempt to create a jet engine, the motorjet with a piston engine driving the compressor section, was a very promising line of research also followed by the USA and USSR and had the advantage of not requiring the high-temperature metalurgy we take for granted now - but that crippled the Nazi jet-engine programmes. The N.1's performance was poor, but this is down to the use of a piston engine too small to provide enough power for the aircraft.
Campini had been working on the design of his engine since 1931, and had been progressively designing aircraft around the engine. With Italian govenment support Campini worked with Caproni to build 2 prototypes of the N.1, given serial numbers CC1 and CC2 (the 2nd aircraft is now a museum piece and its serial number is often incorrectly used to describe the model name).
Performance was very poor, but in Mussolini-style the aircraft were lauded, and the concept of the engines was carried forward into providing afterburner boost to the Ca.183bis and Re.2005R, neither of which flew before the Italian armistice.

Macchi C.94

The C.94 was Macchi's expansion from the Schneider Trophy racers into commercial flying boats.



The C.94 prototype was the only aircraft constructed as an amphibian, all production aircraft dropped the undercarriage option and were built as pure seaplanes.
The prototype and the first five production aircraft were fitted with American Wright R1820 engines, and were sold to Ala Littoria. A second series of another 6 aircraft were built with Alfa Romeo engines, hoping for a sale to the Italian Air Force. The aircraft were rejected, and instead were also taken up by Ala Littoria.
In 1939 3 aircraft were sold to Ala Littoria's Argentine partner airline, and with the entry of Italy into WWII the Ala Littoria fleet was impressed into military service for transport duties.

Chile - de Havilland Vampire


Italy - de Havilland Vampire


New Zealand - de Havilland Vampire


South Africa - de Havilland Vampire

Various Users - de Havilland Vampire

Great work, especially the Vampires.

Excellent additions from everyone.