Breda-Zappata BZ.308

The Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 was an Italian four-engined airliner produced by Breda.

Design and development
The aircraft designer Filippo Zappata developed a four-engined civil transport for operation over both European and transatlantic routes. Construction of the Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 was started during 1946 at Breda's Sesto San Giovanni works. The allied control commission halted the work, which was not resumed until January 1947. Further delays in the delivery of Bristol Centaurus engines delayed the first flight, which was on 27 August 1948, piloted by Mario Stoppani.

The B.Z.308 was a large low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, the fuselage had an oval cross-section. It had a large tailplane with endplate fins and rudders, retractable landing gear. Powered by four Bristol Centaurus radial engines driving five-bladed propellers. It was designed for a flightcrew of five, and 55 passengers in two cabins, a high-density model was planned with seats for 80. Although flight testing went well, financial problems and the realisation that competition from American-built airliners would take a major share of the post-war airliner market, along with the pressures to close down the Aeronautical section of the Breda industries as requested by the Marshall plan, led to the project being abandoned. Breda stopped producing airplanes subsequently.

Operational history
The prototype B.Z.308 was acquired by the Italian Air Force in 1949 as a transport aircraft.

Despite orders in 1950 from India, Argentina and Persia, only the prototype was built, allegedly also due to pressure from the allies for Italy to refrain from competing in civilian aircraft manufacture after the war.

On 27 August 1948 the Bz 308 made its maiden flight, in front of civil and military authorities, politicians and the Italian President.

The prototype, which passed to the Italian Air Force in 1950 and was used to fly between Rome and Mogadishu until one day, following damage during a poor landing, it was abandoned in a field in Somalia before being broken up in 1954. It was also the first Italian transatlantic aircraft, and the first aircraft to fly into the new Malpensa airport in 1948.

The aircraft is also clearly visible in the airport scene of the film Roman Holiday.