Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18

Monoplane Fighter Prototype

Kingdom of Italy | 1940

"The AUT.18 monoplane prototype faced stiff competition from other Italian fighter designs in the pre-World War 2 period."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/16/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Italy's air force during World War 2 (1939-1945) - the Regia Aeronautica -relied on a broad collection of fighter types resulting from a modernization program enacted in the pre-war period. The Aeronautica Umbra Trojani 18, or "AUT.18", was another product of the period designed to the same air service requirement as the FIAT G.50, Macchi C.200, and Reggiane Re.2000. However, it failed to impress and the sole prototype was all that was completed for the series.

Designed by Felice Trojani and ordered for formal evaluation in 1936, the aircraft was of highly conventional design layout with the engine housed at the nose, the cockpit over center, and a single tail fin at the rear. The mainplanes were set forward of midships and low-mounted at the sides of the fuselage. The members tapered towards the rounded tips. The pilot sat under a heavily framed canopy but nonetheless given relatively good vision out-of-the-cockpit. The undercarriage utilized the proven tail-dragger form, being wheeled and retractable into the design. Construction was of all-metal making for an all-modern fighter design.

Power was served through the FIAT A.80 R.C.41 series 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine developing 1,044 horsepower and driving a three-bladed propeller unit centered on an enlarged spinner.

Armament centered on 2 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns - unlike other Italian fighters of the period, these fitted to the wing mainplanes (one gun to a wing).

A first-flight of the prototype (s/n M.M.363) was recorded on April 22nd, 1939 and enough was seen of the type to request additional modifications (to include a revised cowling) during the early part of 1940. Additional flight testing then followed into November 1940 but the AUT.18 did little to stand out amongst the crowded field of Italian monoplane fighters - two in-production fighters already slated for service with the Regia Aeronautica were the aforementioned FIAT G.50 and Macchi C.200 monoplanes. As such, the AUT.18 was not furthered beyond its prototype form.

As built, the AUT.18 has a running length of 28 feet, wingspan of 37.8 feet, and a height of 9.4 feet. Empty weight reached 5,110lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 6,560lb. Maximum speed reached 300 miles-per-hour and range was out to 500 miles. Its service ceiling was 32,800 feet.

The AUT.18 received its designation from the combination of names: the manufacturer Aeronautica Umbra S.A. and its designer, Felice Trojani.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the AUT.18 Monoplane Fighter Prototype.

1 x FIAT A.80 R.C.41 air-cooled radial piston engine developing 1,044 horsepower driving a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

298 mph
480 kph | 259 kts
Max Speed

239 mph
385 kph | 208 kts
Cruise Speed

32,808 ft
10,000 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

497 miles
800 km | 432 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the AUT.18 Monoplane Fighter Prototype.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

28.1 ft
8.55 m
O/A Length

37.7 ft
(11.50 m)
O/A Width

9.4 ft
(2.88 m)
O/A Height

5,115 lb
(2,320 kg)
Empty Weight

6,559 lb
(2,975 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 Monoplane Fighter Prototype .

2 x 12.7mm Breda-SAFAT Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) fitted to the wings (one gun per wing).

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 family line.

AUT.18 - Base Series Designation; single prototype completed.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Aeronautica Umbra Trojani - Kingdom of Italy

[ Kingdom of Italy (trialed) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 300mph

Lo: 150mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (298mph).

Graph Average of 225 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

1

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Image of the Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18

Image from the Public Domain.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

X-PLANE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Aeronautica Umbra Trojani AUT.18 Monoplane Fighter Prototype appears in the following collections:

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