The CANT 25 was an Italian shipboard single-seat sesquiplane flying boat fighter that entered service with the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) in 1931.
The CANT 25 was developed from the earlier CANT 18 flying boat to meet a requirement for a flying boat fighter for the Regia Aeronautica. The aircraft was of wooden construction and was armed with two fixed, forward-firing 7.7-millimeter (0.303-inch) Vickers modificate machine guns. It was built in two versions, the CANT 25M with removable wings and the CANT 25AR which was strengthened for catapult launching and had folding wings.
The CANT 25M appeared first, in 1931. It had Warren truss-type interplane bracing and a 306-kilowatt (410-horsepower) Fiat A.20 12-cylinder water-cooled engine mounted to drive a two-bladed pusher propeller, and was used for catapult trials aboard warships of the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy). It was replaced by the CANT 25ARâÂÂAR stood for Ali Ripiegabili, Italian for "Folding Wings"âÂÂwhich instead had vertical interplane bracing struts to allow the outer panels of the wings to fold to the rear. It also had strengthened tailplane bracing and a more powerful engine, a 328-kilowatt (440-horsepower) version of the Fiat A.20.
The CANT 25s were embarked on the heavy cruisers of the Zara and Trento classes, and on the light cruisers of the Giussano and Cadorna classes, on the scout Taranto during the Italo-Ethiopian War and, from 1935 to 1938 on the seaplane carrier Miraglia.
From 1937-1938 they were replaced by the IMAM Ro.43 in the role of embarked reconnaissance aircraft, being transferred to the 88ú Gruppo Autonomo Caccia (88th Independent Fighter Group) at Vigna di Valle Airport and to the seaplane pilot schools as trainers, maintaining this role until 1943.