| Piaggio Stella P.VII | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Air cooled radial |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Piaggio |
| Designer | Renzo Spolti |
| First run | 1933 |
| Major applications | Caproni Ca.113 Caproni Ca.133 Caproni Ca.310 |
The Piaggio Stella P.VII was the first P series aircraft engine produced by Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A. Based on its experience license-producing the Gnome-Rhône 7K, Piaggio sold the engine to be used on a wide range of Italian aircraft before and during World War II, including the record-breaking Caproni Ca.133.
Having built engines under licence from Gnome et Rhône, Piaggio designed a seven-cylinder radial using the same principles.[1] The engine, named P.VII for its seven cylinders, was one in a series of radial engines produced by Piaggio initially named Stella, meaning star.[2] The engine was first run in 1933 and was produced in many models.[3] One notable version was the P.VII Z which was fitted with a floatless Piaggio AS80 carburettor for aerobatic flight. It powered the Caproni Ca.133 flown by Renato Donati that, in 1933, broke the record for the longest duration in inverted flight.[2]
Data from S.A. Piaggio e.C. (1939). Instruzione per l’uso del motore P VII C 35 – D P VII C 35 – S. Rome: Ministero dell’Aeronautica. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
