A.U.T. 18

The A.U.T.18 - the designation signifying Aeronautica Umbra S.A., the manufacturer, Ing Felice Trojani, the designer, and the originally-planned wing area of 18m² - was an all-metal stressed-skin single-seat fighter, one example of which was ordered in 1936 for evaluation by the Regia Aeronautica. Unusual among contemporary Italian single-seat fighters in having its armament of twin 12.7mm guns mounted in the wings, the A.U.T.18 was powered by a Fiat A.80 R.C.41 18-cylinder radial engine rated at 1030hp for take-off, and flew for the first time on 22 April 1939. Initial trials were performed with an NACA-type engine cowling, but this was supplanted from April 1940 by a close-fitting cowling with the rocker arms partly enclosed by fairings. Evaluation of the sole prototype was completed on 5 November 1940, when the aircraft was delivered to the Regia Aeronautica, but the Ministero dell'Aeronautica did not consider that the Trojani fighter offered any advantages over the Macchi C.200 and Fiat G.50, both of which were in production, and further development of the A.U.T.18 was discontinued.