J.Davilla Italian Aviation in the First World War. Vol.2: Aircraft A-H (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 74)

Direzione Costruzioni Seaplane

  This seaplane was built in 1914 by the Direzione delle Costruzioni Navali (Directorate of Naval Construction) of Venice by engineer Alessandro Guidoni, which aimed to obtain a rather fast, easy-to-handle aircraft suitable for completing the training of new pilots. The aircraft was single-seater, with a full fuselage and a tractor propeller. It had two Guidoni-type hydroplane floats. The engine was a 100-hp Gnome.
  The aircraft’s upper wing was significantly longer than the lower one. The wing profile was described by Magnini as “very flattened and refined”.
  The engine was housed in a fuselage that carried the pilot’s seat as well as petrol and oil tanks. The floats were suspended beneath the fuselage by “V”-shaped struts. The two struts were independent of each other but both contributed to supporting the central load.
  The lower wing was directly attached to the fuselage. The cantilevered ends of the wings were foldable.
  The horizontal tailplane had a direction rudder that was not balanced.
  The floats were 5.00 m in length and 0.40 m in diameter, with volume of 0.560 cubic meters each.
  The aircraft handled well on both the air and water and was easy of maneuver. Due to the use of the rotary engine, the nose was wide and had a flattened shape that increased drag.
  Only the single example was built.


Direzione delle Costruzioni Navali two-seat floatplane with one 100-hp Gnome rotary engine
  Wingspan 12.00 m; length 8.00 m; height 8.60 m; wing area 29 sq m
  Empty weight 520 kg; loaded weight 780 kg; payload 260 kg
  Maximum speed .110 km/h; range 550 km
  One built