The success reported by Louis Blériot with his monoplane at the end of July 1909 in crossing the English Channel impressed a vigorous change in the tendencies of the builders of the time towards the monoplane, justified by the greater structural simplicity and better aerodynamics compared to contemporary biplanes.
Gianni Caproni joined this new trend starting from 1911 and up to the end of 1913, dealing exclusively with the construction of monoplane for school and training, in both single and two-seater versions, making more than seventy.
The first of these, the Ca. 8 single-seater, also known as the “Caproni monoplano 25hp”, flew to Vizzola on June 13, 1911 powered by a 25 hp three-cylinder fan-shaped Anzani engine.
The Ca.6 was a single-engine propeller-driven biplane with a traditional configuration with wings in the bow and tail fletching, but it had no fuselage: it was replaced by a light structure formed by two beams of unshelled wood and some vertical reinforcing uprights that supported the planes of tail. They were composed only of a stabilizer – horizontal balancer; the lack of a vertical drift was compensated by four large interwoven surfaces that, placed between the wings, contributed to the stability of the aircraft around the vertical axis. The wings resumed the double curvature profile that had also characterized Caproni aircraft immediately preceding, but with not very lucky results: the aerodynamic characteristics of this type of profile, which had been suggested to Caproni by his friend and colleague Henri Coandă, proved to be once again unsatisfactory.
The one built first flew in 1911, The Ca.6, the sixth Caproni biplane, sported the characteristic double curvature airfoil and lightened tailboom, constructed from hollowed-out wooden tubes. Still powered by the 50 hp Rebus, it was modified following some flights in spring 1911.
The Caproni Ca.6 was preserved inside the Caproni workshops until 1934, when it was brought to Milan to be shown to the public on the occasion of the Italian Air Force Exhibition; in the meantime, in 1927, the spouses Gianni and Timina Caproni founded the Caproni Museum, in whose headquarters in Taliedo the Ca.6 found a place starting from the forties. After the vicissitudes linked to the Second World War and the reopening of the museum in Vizzola Ticino, the Ca.6 was again displayed to the public. The definitive position in the Museo dell’Aeronautica Gianni Caproni, reopened in Trento, in the nineties.
The aircraft underwent a first renovation-conservation operation before being displayed in Milan, in the early thirties: it was probably on this occasion that the leading edge of the wings was reinforced with a metal strip and the fuselage and the wings themselves they were shortened. At the time of its transfer to Trento, the Ca.6 has undergone a new intervention; however, due to the lack of availability of reliable technical drawings and other necessary historical documentation, a real restoration did not take place, but only a conservation procedure.
Powerplant: 1 × Rebus 50hp 4-cyl, 37 kW (50 hp) Propeller: 2-bladed fixed pitch propeller Wingspan: 12 m (39 ft 4 in) Wing area: 45 m2 (480 sq ft) Length: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) Height: 3.27 m (10 ft 9 in) Gross weight: 318 kg (700 lb)
The Ca 5 series of First World War bombers were a progressive development of the earlier Ca 3 series and, like them, were biplanes. They were slightly larger overall, heavier, and somewhat faster, though their bomb load of 540 kg (1190 lb) remained modest. The initial version (Ca 44) was powered by three 200 hp Fiat engines, driving (as in the Ca 3) one pusher and two tractor propellers. Defensive armament was a single machine gun in the nose and a second to the rear. Entering service with the Corpo Aeronautica Militare in early 1918, the initial model was followed by generally similar versions (Ca 45 and Ca 46) having Fiat, Isotta Fraschini or Liberty engines. The Ca 5 continued to serve until the end of the First World War, though in dimin¬ishing numbers and for the most part on night operations, with many of the Gruppi that had operated the earlier Ca 3. A specialized night bomber variant was later given the post-war designation Ca 50.
Italian production of the Ca 5 series reached 255, to which can be added a small number built in France by Esnault Pelterie.
Two (Ca 46) bombers were delivered to the United States, where it was planned to build the type in quantity for the US Army Air Service, but only three had been completed (two by Standard Aircraft Corporation, AS40070 and 40071, and one by Fisher Body Works, AS42119) before the Armistice.
Ca.46
The American Liberty engine, however, found its way into one other variant: a torpedo and bomber seaplane (Ca 47), with twin Zari floats, of which Piaggio in Italy delivered 10 after the Armistice.
Ca 5 Engines: 300 hp Fiat A.12. Span: 23.40 m (76 ft 9.25 in) Length: 12.62 m (41 ft 4.75 in) Gross weight: 5300 kg (11685 lb) Maximum speed: 152 km/h (94.5 mph)
Ca.5 Engines: 3 x 250hp Fiat A.12 Wingspan: 22.76 m / 75 ft 8 in Length: 10.80 m / 35 ft 5 in Height: 3.80 m / 12 ft 6 in Max Take-off weight: 3870 kg / 8532 lb Empty weight: 2450 kg / 5401 lb Max. speed: 146 km/h / 91 mph Cruise speed: 121 km/h / 75 mph Ceiling: 4000 m / 13100 ft Rate of climb: 114 m/min / 350 ft/min Range: 650 km / 404 miles Armament: 4 x 6.5mm mg Bomb load: 800kg Crew: 4
Ca 46 Engines: 300 hp Fiat A.12. Span: 23.40 m (76 ft 9.25 in) Length: 12.62 m (41 ft 4.75 in) Gross weight: 5300 kg (11685 lb) Maximum speed: 152 km/h (94.5 mph)
Standard-Caproni Ca.46 Engines: three 350hp Liberty 12 Wingspan: 76’9″ Length: 41’2″ Useful load: 4650 lb Max speed: 103 mph Cruise: 94 mph Range: c.400 mi Ceiling: 14,760′ Seats: 3
In parallel with the Ca 3 biplane bomber, Caproni also evolved a comparatively small series of bomber triplanes, collectively designated Ca 4. Larger than the Ca 3, the first three Ca 4s (Ca 40) appeared in late 1917 and were powered by three 200 hp Isotta Fraschinis engines. One engine was mounted to drive a pusher propeller at the rear of the central crew nacelle, and the other two were tractor-mounted in front of the middle wing leading edge in the noses of the twin booms. The crew was increased to five, by virtue of having two separate rear gunner positions (one in each fuselage boom) instead of the single, central cage position on the Ca 3. The prototype and the first three production Ca.4s had angular crew nacelles, but all later examples of the Ca.1000HP (its initial designation arising from the total horsepower provided by the prototype’s engines) had carefully contoured rounded nacelles. A third gunner’s cockpit was located at the front of the nacelle forward of the side-by-side cockpits for the pilot and co-pilot. The first Ca 4s were underpowered, and the 12 which followed (Ca 41) were uprated to three 270 hp IF engines, having also an oval section central nacelle with tandem seating for the two pilots.
Ca.41
The principal (Ca 42) versions reverted to side by side pilot seating and were also fitted with uprated 223.6kW Fiat A.12s, 223.6kW Isotta Fraschini V.5s or 298kW Liberty engines. Even with the extra power, they were regarded as too slow for daylight operations, and were employed chiefly as night bombers, carrying up to 1450 kg (3197 lb) in a coffin shaped container between the main units of the landing gear. The Ca. 42 could carry a 1450-kg (3200-lb) bomb load over a long range, but the type was difficult to fly, and being slow, was vulnerable to fighter attack despite an arsenal of defensive weapons, including machine-guns and a cannon on some examples. Twenty-three were built, mostly for the Italian Navy, who used them on night bombing raids and in daylight against the Austrians during the final assault at Vittorio Veneto. Six Liberty-powered Ca.42s were supplied to the British Royal Naval Air Service, though they apparently never left Italy.
Variants of the triplane Ca 4 series included a twin engined, twin float torpedo bomber prototype (Ca 43), and two (Ca 51 and Ca 52) which featured a biplane tail unit, incorporating a rearward firing gun position.
The British Government requested the Italian authorities a few copies of the Ca 42 in order to evaluate it. Caproni built 6 airplane designated Ca.52, differing from the Italian model by Lewis guns paired in the front seat of the fuselage and space for British bomb sizes. They received the RNAS serials N526 to N531 and were used briefly by No. 6 Squadron in Otranto (Italy) and then returned to Italy.
Total production of all versions of the Ca.4 was 42. One Ca.4 was converted to a seaplane by the substitution of huge twin floats for the land undercarriage. Post-war, the Ca.48 23-passenger conversion made a notable flight from Milan to London in 1919. Another civil conversion for 30 passengers was tested the following year under the designation Ca.58.
Ca.4 Engines: 3 x Isotta-Fraschini, 190kW Max. speed: 126 km/h / 78 mph Ceiling: 3000 m / 9850 ft Crew: 4 Armament: 4 x 6.5mm machine-guns, 1450kg of bombs
Ca.40 Engines: 3 x Fiat or Isotta-Fraschini, 200 hp. Gross weight: 6440-kg (14,200-lb). Maximum speed: 125 kph (78 mph).
Ca.41 Wing span: 130 ft.
Ca.42 Engines: 3 x Liberty, Fiat, or Isotta-Fraschini, 270-hp Span: 29.90 m (98 ft 1.25 in) Length: 15.10 m (49 ft 6.5 in) Gross weight: 7500 kg (16535 1b) Maxi¬mum speed: 140 km/h (87 mph) Ceiling: 9840 ft Range: 7 he Crew: 5 Armament: 4 x mg Bombload: 3910 lb
Ca.3 (or Ca.33) of 1917 was the alternative designation of the Ca.450HP, 299 of which were built between 1917 and 1919. Powered by three 112kW Isotta Fraschini V.4B engines, the normal bomb load was 200kg and defensive 7.7mm machine-guns were mounted over the nose cockpit and in a tubular metal structure just behind and slightly higher than the trailing edge of the upper wing centre section.
Three main versions were built, consisting 166 Ca.31’s with 80-100 hp Gnome engines, eight Ca.32’s with 100 hp Fiat engines, and the Ca.33.
A three-bay biplane of conventional wooden construction, wooden fuselage, the entire airframe was fabric covered. The tail has a fixed central tail-fin and twin outboard rudders. Ailerons are on all four wings. Each main undercarriage unit has two pairs of wheels. In addition, a pair of nose-wheels are fitted.
The Ca 3 (Ca 33) became the major production version, 270 being built. It was characterized by three bay equal span wings, and three rudders mounted above the tailplane.
In Italian service the Ca 3 was operated by the IV, IX, Xl, XIV and XVIII Gruppi Bombardamenti, and one Italian navy squadron in Albania.
The wounded gunner is lifted from the nacelle of his aircraft.
Licence production of a further 86 was undertaken in France by the Esnault Pelterie and SAIB factories, these serving with the escadrilles of the French Aviation Militaire. In addition, wartime and postwar Italian production figures reached 153 examples of the Ca 3 Mod (Ca 36), of which the CAM received 144. These had detachable outer wing panels, and some were converted as ambulance transports (Ca 36 S), carrying four stretchers and up four sitting casualties.
In 1925 eight machines were sent to Libya in support of the reconquest of that territory. By the end of 1926, however, the last examples had been withdrawn from first-line service.
Ca.33
The mainstream Ca 3 bombers carried a crew of four (two pilots, an observer/front gunner and a rear gunner), with a ring-mounted Revelli machine gun in the front and rear positions. The rear gunner was installed in an exposed, cage like structure below and aft of the upper wing trailing edge, directly ahead of the rear propeller. Most Ca 3s were used for conventional bombing attacks, but some were also employed briefly as torpedo bombers. Experimental variants included models with modified landing gear (Ca 34), tandem pilot seats (Ca 35), shorter span wings (Ca 37) and a proposed single float seaplane version (Ca 39). A number of Ca 3 Mods were adapted as mail or six passenger civil transports (Ca 56a) after the war.
Ca.3 Engines: 3 x Isotta-Fraschini V.4B, 112kW Max Take-off weight: 3312 kg / 7302 lb Empty weight: 2300 kg / 5071 lb Wingspan: 22.2 m / 72 ft 10 in Length: 10.9 m / 35 ft 9 in Height: 3.7 m / 12 ft 2 in Max. speed: 140 km/h / 87 mph Ceiling: 4100 m / 13450 ft Range: 450 km / 280 miles Crew: 4 Armament: 2-4 x 7.7mm machine-guns, 450kg of bombs
Ca,33 Engine: 3 x Isotta-Fraschini V4B, 150 hp Propellor: 2 x 2-blade tractor, 1 x 2-blade pusher Wingspan: 72 ft 10 in Length: 35 ft 9 in Height: 12 ft 2 in Empty weight: 5080 lb MTOW: 8400 lb Max speed: 85 mph at SL Service ceiling: 13,400 ft Endurance: 3 gr 30 min Armament: 2-4 machine gun Bombload: 1000 lb
The “Societa de Aviazone Ing Caproni” bureau (better known simply as “Caproni”) proved something of a pioneer in the field, resulting in their first impressive attempt sometime in 1913 as the “Caproni 260hp”. This version sported a “pusher” engine and a pair of “pusher” engines – these 80 hp Gnome rotary engines all being mounted in-line along a central fuselage nacelle. The three man crew sat in the forward part of the nacelle, and two slender fuselage booms carried the triple rudder tail unit. The two pusher systems drove propellers mounted at the tail booms via a tractor arrangement. Prior to the first flight, in October 1914, the two forward engines were re installed with direct propeller drive.
In the post-war years, these respective systems came to be designated as the Ca.30 and Ca.31. After a period of evaluation, it was determined that the new larger bomber platforms were wholly underpowered. Caproni set to achieve better performance from his “giant” and moved the puller engines to the tips of each tail boom, keeping the pusher system in its centralized nacelle approach from earlier. This allowed each wing-mounted engine to directly drive its propeller more efficiently. The French-based Gnome rotary engines were then replaced with Italian FIAT A.10 inline types and produced the new company designation of “Caproni 300hp”.
Ca.1
A contract was signed for 12 Caproni 300HP bombers powered by three 74.5kW Fiat A.10 engines. First flight occurred in late 1914. A further 150 were delivered during the next two years. These aircraft were also known as Ca.1s and were followed by nine Ca.350HP machines (with the third engine replaced by a 112kW Isotta Fraschini) designated Ca.2. The Ca.1 featured a wide-span, four-bay, biplane wing assembly. At the center of the wings was fitted the crew nacelle containing the four crew and the third engine. The primary engines were fitted ahead of the twin booms extending aft in a “puller” function arrangement. The third engine on the central nacelle operated in a “pusher” format. The crew consisted of two pilots, a forward gunner and a rear gunner – all fielded in tandem positions. The forward gunner sat in the forward-most compartment. Distinctly, the rear gunner stood in an open air, cage-like pulpit behind the upper wing assembly and ahead of the pusher engine at rear. The twin booms extended aft into a tailplane. The tailplane held three vertical tail fins. The undercarriage was a fixed tricycle featuring two single-wheeled main landing gear legs and a single-wheeled nose landing gear, all supported by struts. The rear of the empennage was supported by a tailskid fitted to the extreme end. Construction was mainly wood covered in fabric. Bombs were suspended under the central nacelle and there were 2 x 6.5mm FIAT-Revelli machine guns used for defense. These machine guns were fitted to the front gunner tub and the rear gunners pedestal cage. The 3 x Fiat A.10 6-cylinder, liquid-cooled in-line engines delivered up to 100 horsepower output each. This supplied the massive aircraft with speeds of up to 75 miles per hour as well as a range equal to 344 miles. Her service ceiling was listed at approximately 13,000 feet. Her empty weight ranged in at about 7,200lbs with a gross weight tipping the scales at 8,800lbs. Wingspan was nearly 23 feet with an overall running length of 36 feet plus. She stood 12 feet high. This revised development led to the Italian Army and the first Italian bomber force. The aircraft was designated officially as the Ca.1 by the Italian Army and production increased by the middle of August 1915. A total of 162 were delivered up to December 1916. Their first true sortie in Italian Army service occurred on August 20th, 1915, in an attack on Austrian targets at an airfield in Aisovizza. Most Ca.1s were committed to such attacks, primarily against the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the new bomber eventually served in some fifteen total Italian air squadrons during the war effort. Three of these Italian squadrons were known to have operated out of France with another stationed for action out of Libya.
A modified version (for which no post war designation seems to have been allotted) was the Ca 2, in which the ‘pusher’ A.10 engine was replaced by a 150 hp Isotta Fraschini V-4B. Only nine of these were completed.
1910 Caproni Ca.2
In the post-war years, the Ca.1 was redesignated Ca.32. The Ca.1/Ca.32s that survived were refurbished to be used as passenger airliners. These could transport up to six passengers in relative comfort and fell under the Caproni designation of Ca.56. The Caproni Ca.2 (“Caproni 350hp”) was a minor variation (improved engines) on the strengths of the Ca.1 platform. Development ultimately led to the definitive Ca.3 bomber platform.
Caproni Ca.1 / Ca.32 Engines: 3 x FIAT A.10 6-cylinder, 100 hp Length: 36.25ft (11.05m) Wing span: 74.61ft (22.74m) Height: 12.14ft (3.70m) Maximum Speed: 75mph (120kmh; 65kts) Maximum Range: 342miles (550km) Service Ceiling: 13,123ft (4,000m; 2.5miles) Armament: 2 or 4 x 6.5mm FIAT-Revelli machine guns Up to 1,874lbs of external ordnance Accommodation: 4 Hardpoints: 4 Empty Weight: 7,280lbs (3,302kg) Maximum Take-Off Weight: 8,818lbs (4,000kg)
Federico Capone’s machine was called l’Aérogyroplane because of the way it was powered. A small motorcycle engine of 4.5 hp drove double pairs of swinging blades symmetrically disposed at the end of wings. The blades worked like rotors in the initial stage of flight and then their position could be changed from horizontal to vertical. The latter was to give horizontal action to the machine. Built by Ceccarelli in Naples, testing was not very successful, as the machine was partially wrecked by a gale on April 30, 1905. The repaired machine was later sent off from a high launching position and managed to fly a certain distance.
