Ambrosini SAI P.303 Light Airplane Project ?

[hesham]

Hi,

I know the SAI is abbreviation for Società Aeronautica Italiana or Ambrosini,so I found
this Project called SAI P.303,for a low-wing light monoplane,maybe intended for touring
or training role,am I right ?.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Alata/Alata%201951%2004.pdf

 

[iverson]

It looks rather similar to the Piaggio P.148 and P.149 trainers.

 

[hesham]

It looks rather similar to the Piaggio P.148 and P.149 trainers.

That's right Iverson,

and what was this designer,Preti and his airplanes ?.

 

[Apophenia]

and what was this designer,Preti and his airplanes ?.

The caption reads:

... Other Italians complete the panorama (below): the 'Saltafossi' ('Ditch Jumper'?) by Engineer Preti, built during the war; the SAI P.303, a beautiful project that was to be built in large numbers (in metal); and a more recent study of the same Ing. Preti (in wood).

The Ing. Preti in question was Ermenegildo Preti from the Politecnico di Milano. Preti designed Ambrosini's post-war horizontally-opposed engines - the 22 hp P.25 and 75 hp P.70. The former powered the GCA.2 Jumbo V-tailled light plane on the previous page (as well as the Partenavia P.53 Aeroscooter, Mantelli AM-11 Albatros, CVV-6 Canguro M, and ... I assume ... the Movo F.M.1 motor-glider also shown on Page 23).

BTW, the CVV-6 Canguro M conversion was a joint exercise between Preti and Col Adriano Mantelli, commander of the AMI's military flight centre.

AFAIK, the Ambrosini P.70 HO4 engine never flew. It was intended for Preti's 1948 PM-280 'Tartuca' single-seat low-wing racer. However, the sole PM-280, I-RACE, eventually flew with a 60 hp CNA D.IV engine.

This link is to a photo of the Ambrosini P.25 and P.70 displayed together at Fiera di Milano trade fair in 1947:
http://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/img_db/bcf/u3030/3/l/2564_n_1947_1431_pp.jpg

 

[hesham]

Good Info my dear Apohenia,

and maybe this designer Preti had anther Projects ?.

 

[Apophenia]

and maybe this designer Preti had anther Projects ?.

Doubtless. One unbuilt Preti project mentioned under Designations was the 1945 CVV 8 Linate (named after the Milan Linate Airport). The CVV 8 was later re-applied to the Bonaventura sailplane ... perhaps the Linate was to have been a sailplane too?

Lots of built designs too. There was a range of built CCV single-seat gliders - the 1937 CVV 1 Pinguino and CVV 2 Asiago designed with Maurizio Garbell; the CVV 3 Arcore; the 1939 CVV 4 Pellicano designed with the brothers Leonardo Venturini and Pietro Venturini; the 1939 CVV 5 Papero and the CVV 7 Pinocchio (designed by Preti in 1940 but not built until 1952) - and 2-seat gliders - the 1942 CVV 6 Canguro and the above-mentioned 1957 CVV 8 Bonaventura.

After a turn at Milan's Istituto di Ingegneria Aerospaziale, Preti moved on to Isetta in the early '50s, designing the Iso mini-car. Preti continued to design aircraft too.

In 1949, the prototype P.110 4-seat light aircraft flew. At the time, the design was associated with Aeronautica Macchi (I presume that Macchi built the prototype?) but aka Politecnico P.110 (after CCV). In 1951, the P.110 became the Agusta CP.110 with 145 hp Alfa-Romeo 110 inverted-four which led to the Agusta AP.111 with HO4 engine. I assume that the Agusta P.112 4-seater project was an AP.111 derivative with a tricycle undercarriage.

An unbuilt Preti project for Agusta was the twin-engined AP.100 feederliner.
-- http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1428.msg11859.html#msg11859

Another built design was the one-off racer PM.280. I suspect that the 'PM' is for Politecnico di Milano.

 

[hesham]

Great info my dear Apophenia.