 In 1933, C.R.D.A.was acquired by state conglomerate IRI, and Italo Balbo persuaded Filippo Zappata, then working with Blériot, to become chief designer.In the following nine years, CANT flew 18 new types that garnered 40 world records; it also added a landplane factory, test department, and airfield as the workforce grew from 350 to 5,000.