The Piaggio P.16 was an experimental heavy bomber developed by Società Rinaldo Piaggio in the early 1930s. Conceived as a strategic aircraft for the Regia Aeronautica, the P.16 represented a significant technological leap for the manufacturer, as it was the first Piaggio aircraft to feature entirely metallic construction. The design is characterized by a three-engine shoulder-wing monoplane configuration utilizing inverted gull wings. There is some disagreement regarding the lead designer; while some sources attribute the project to Corradino D’Ascanio, others identify Giovanni Pegna as the designer, with the aircraft occasionally referred to as the Pegna P.16.
The aircraft's development progressed rapidly following an official order for 12 units placed by the Regia Aeronautica on July 4, 1933. The resulting prototype, bearing military serial MM.226, first flew in November 1934 at Villanova d’Albenga Airport, piloted by Mario Gamma (also cited as Mario Gamna). The P.16 was equipped with three Piaggio Stella P.IX (Stella II) nine-cylinder, single-row air-cooled radial engines. Depending on the rating and source, these engines produced between 560 and 700 hp each. Notably, the aircraft utilized two-blade variable-pitch metal propellers, a first for Italian aviation.
Designed for a crew of five, the P.16 included a bomb-aimer positioned in a compartment beneath the nose engine. Defensive armament consisted of a retractable dorsal turret and a rear underside fuselage position, typically armed with 7.62 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns, though some sources mention 7.7 mm Lewis guns. The aircraft could carry an internal bomb load of 1,000 kg. Performance figures indicate a maximum speed of 400 km/h at 5,000 meters and a cruise speed of 324 km/h. It possessed a service ceiling of 5,800 meters and a combat radius of 560 km, with a maximum range of approximately 2,000 km when carrying a reduced bomb load of 500 kg.
Despite its advanced features, including retractable main landing gear, the P.16 never entered series production. Following evaluations by the Regia Aeronautica starting in February 1935 and a public appearance at the 1st Salone Internazionale Aeronautica in Milan in October 1935, the order for 12 aircraft was cancelled. The Italian air force opted instead for the more conventional Piaggio P.32. Although it remained a single prototype, the P.16 provided essential experience in all-metal stressed-skin construction and large trimotor layouts, paving the way for later designs such as the Piaggio P.108.