Piaggio P.23M
{{for|the unrelated Piaggio P.23R transport aircraft prototype of 1936|Piaggio P.23R}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
|name=Piaggio P.23M |image=Piaggio P.23.jpg |caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type |type=Commercial transport aircraft prototype |national origin=Italy |manufacturer=Piaggio |designer= |first flight=1935 |introduced= |retired= |status= |primary user= |more users= |produced= |number built=1 |variants with their own articles= }} |
The Piaggio P.23M was an Italian commercial transport aircraft prototype designed and built by Piaggio.
Design and development
Piaggio designed the P.23M specifically for flights across the North Atlantic Ocean, intending it to have potential for development as a commercial transport.{{cite web|last1=Pearce|first1=William|title=Piaggio P.23M Transport Prototype|url=https://oldmachinepress.com/2013/06/24/piaggio-p-23m-transport-prototype/|website=oldmachinepress.com|accessdate=20 June 2016}} It was a four-engine shoulder-wing monoplane with inverted gull wings and twin tail fins and rudders. To allow an easier landing if the aircraft had to ditch at sea, its fuselage was designed like a boat hull, which Piaggio termed an avion marin ("marine aviation") design, although the aircraft was not a flying boat. The main landing gear was retractable. The P.23M{{'}}s four {{convert|671|kW|hp|abbr=on|0}} Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R. V-12 engines were mounted on the wings in two tandem pairs, each engine driving a two-bladed propeller; two of the propellers were mounted as pushers and the other two in a tractor configuration.
Piaggio claimed a top speed of 400 kilometers per hour (249 miles per hour) for the P.23 and projected its maximum range at a cruising speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) as 5,100 kilometers (3,169 statute miles).
Operational history
The P.23 first flew in 1935. No attempt to fly the Atlantic Ocean ever took place, and its predicted maximum range capabilities never were tested. The aircraft soon was disassembled and never flew again.
Variants
No variants of the P.23 were produced. The Piaggio P.23R of 1936, although also a commercial transport prototype and confusingly numbered as if it were a variant of the P.23, was an entirely new design.
Operators
- {{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}
Specifications (P.23M)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Jonathan W.|title=Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945|location=New York|year=1963|pages=220–221|isbn=0-8168-6500-0}}
|prime units?=met
|genhide=
|crew=4
|capacity=
|length m=16.6
|length ft=54
|length in=5.375
|length note=
|span m=27
|span ft=88
|span in=6.75
|span note=
|upper span m=
|upper span ft=
|upper span in=
|upper span note=
|mid span m=
|mid span ft=
|mid span in=
|mid span note=
|lower span m=
|lower span ft=
|lower span in=
|lower span note=
|swept m=
|swept ft=
|swept in=
|swept note=
|dia m=
|dia ft=
|dia in=
|dia note=
|width m=
|width ft=
|width in=
|width note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=1049.1
|wing area note=
|swept area sqm=
|swept area sqft=
|swept area note=
|volume m3=
|volume ft3=
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=16251
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=40566
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift kg=
|lift lb=
|lift note=
|more general=
|eng1 number=4
|eng1 name=Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R.
|eng1 type=V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=900
|eng1 shp=
|eng1 kn=
|eng1 lbf=
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=
|eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number=
|eng2 name=
|eng2 type=
|eng2 kw=
|eng2 hp=
|eng2 shp=
|eng2 kn=
|eng2 lbf=
|eng2 note=
|eng2 kn-ab=
|eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number=
|eng3 name=
|eng3 type=
|eng3 kw=
|eng3 hp=
|eng3 shp=
|eng3 kn=
|eng3 lbf=
|eng3 note=
|eng3 kn-ab=
|eng3 lbf-ab=
|more power=
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop dia note=
|rot number=
|rot dia m=
|rot dia ft=
|rot dia in=
|rot area sqm=
|rot area sqft=
|rot area note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=400
|max speed mph=248
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|max speed mach=
|cruise speed kmh=300
|cruise speed mph=186
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=3167
|range nmi=
|range note=at {{convert|300|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{convert|4,000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in 14 minutes
|sink rate ms=
|sink rate ftmin=
|sink rate note=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|disk loading kg/m2=
|disk loading lb/sqft=
|disk loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|thrust/weight=
|more performance=
|armament=
|guns=
|bombs=
|rockets=
|missiles=
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=
|avionics=
}}
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Piaggio P.23M}}
- [http://www.aircraft-manuals.com/piaggiop23.html AR Aircraft Manuals Blueprints Video Publications: Piaggio P.23]
{{Piaggio aircraft}}
{{Portal bar|Italy|Companies|Aviation}}
Category:1930s Italian airliners
Category:1930s Italian cargo aircraft
Category:Four-engined push-pull aircraft