The Piaggio Stella P.VII was the first P series aircraft engine produced by
Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A. Based on its experience license-producing the
Gnome-Rhône 7K
The Gnome-Rhône 7K Titan Major was a seven-cylinder 370 hp (270 kW) air-cooled radial engine, that started life as an enlarged Gnome-Rhône 5K with two extra cylinders.
Development
The Gnome-Rhône 5K was itself a licensed version o ...
, Piaggio sold the engine to be used on a wide range of Italian aircraft before and during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, including the record-breaking
Caproni Ca.133
The Caproni Ca.133 was a three-engined transport/bomber aircraft used by the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica'' from the Second Italo-Abyssinian War until World War II.
Originally developed as a civilian airliner and successor to the Ca.101, the ...
.
Development
Having built engines under licence from
Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp (81 kW) rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licen ...
, Piaggio designed a seven-cylinder radial using the same principles. The engine, named P.VII for its seven cylinders, was one in a series of radial engines produced by Piaggio initially named ''Stella'', meaning star.
The engine was first run in 1933 and was produced in many models.
One notable version was the P.VII Z which was fitted with a floatless Piaggio AS80 carburettor for aerobatic flight. It powered the Caproni Ca.133 flown by
Renato Donati
Renatus is a first name of Latin origin which means " born again" (natus = born). In Italian, Portuguese and Spanish it exists in masculine and feminine forms: Renato and Renata. In French they have been translated to René and Renée. Renata is ...
that, in 1933, broke the record for the longest duration in inverted flight.
[
]
Variants
;P.VII C.15: Supercharged, rated at at ; first flew 1933
;P.VII C.16: Supercharged, rated at at ; first flew 1934
;P.VII C.16/35:
;P.VII C.35: Supercharged, rated at at ; first flew 1935
;P.VII C.40: Supercharged, rated at at ; first flew 1935
;P.VII C.45 / 2v: Two speed supercharged, rated at at ; first flew 1935
;P.VII R.C.10: Supercharged and geared, rated at .
;P.VII R.C.35: Supercharged and geared, rated at at ; first flew 1938
;P.VII R.C.45: Supercharged and geared, rated at at first flew 1935
;P.VII Z: Normally aspirated, designed for acrobatic aircraft, rated at , first flew 1933
Applications
* Breda Ba.28
* Caproni Ca.101
* Caproni Ca.113
* Caproni Ca.133
The Caproni Ca.133 was a three-engined transport/bomber aircraft used by the Italian ''Regia Aeronautica'' from the Second Italo-Abyssinian War until World War II.
Originally developed as a civilian airliner and successor to the Ca.101, the ...
* Caproni Ca.148
* Caproni Ca.310
* Caproni Ca.311
* Caproni Ca.316
* Hispano HS-42
* IMAM Ro.41
* North American Sk.14A
* Savoia-Marchetti S.71
* Savoia-Marchetti SM.85
Specifications (C.35)
See also
References
{{Piaggio aeroengines
P.VII
1930s aircraft piston engines
Aircraft air-cooled radial piston engines