An interesting Franco-Italian-American Hybrid.
L'Alcyon Française
This aircraft was not unbuilt, was not secret but it had never been designed!
On September 29, 1940, a group of ten CANT Z. 1007 Italian bombers took off from Rhodes on a bombing mission against Haifa.
One of them had to make an emergency landing in Lebanon, which was French territory. Its landing gear failed on landing and the aircraft was damaged.
When the Allies took over Lebanon and Syria, in June of 1941, the Free French got hold of a lot of material left behind by the Vichy French, including the Italian CANT. Z. 1007bis Alcione that had landed in Lebanon.
The French restored the Italian aircraft and reengined it with American Pratt & Whitney engines and American propellers and turned into a fast transport plane to link the expansive French territories in Africa.
The French Alcyone
L'Alcyon Française
This aircraft was not unbuilt, was not secret but it had never been designed!
On September 29, 1940, a group of ten CANT Z. 1007 Italian bombers took off from Rhodes on a bombing mission against Haifa.
One of them had to make an emergency landing in Lebanon, which was French territory. Its landing gear failed on landing and the aircraft was damaged.
When the Allies took over Lebanon and Syria, in June of 1941, the Free French got hold of a lot of material left behind by the Vichy French, including the Italian CANT. Z. 1007bis Alcione that had landed in Lebanon.
The French restored the Italian aircraft and reengined it with American Pratt & Whitney engines and American propellers and turned into a fast transport plane to link the expansive French territories in Africa.
The French Alcyone
