Caproni Ca.1
| Caproni Ca.1/Ca.31 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Caproni |
| First flight | late 1914 [1] |
| Primary users |  Italy France
|
| Number built | [note 1] |
| Engine | 2×80hp Gnome+90hp Curtiss or 3×100hp Fiat A-10[note 2] |
| Armament | nose flexible MG and rear flexible MG 270 kg (605 lb)[3] of bombs |
| Climb | [note 3] |
The Caproni Ca.1 or Ca.31 was a twin-boomed pusher was originally powered by the same engines as its predecessor the Ca.30: a 90hp Curtiss pusher at the rear of the nacelle and twin 80hp Gnome rotary tractors at the front of the booms. Some were upgraded to 3×100hp Fiat engines instead. [1]
French Production
When in 1915 the French still had no good native design for a heavy bomber, they turned to license-built Capronis as a solution. They were constructed by R.E.P. and these were labeled "C.E.P." aeroplanes, which stood for "Caproni Esnault Pelterie". Later, some Italian-built Capronis were purchased, and their designation was "C.A.P.", resulting in the Caproni Ca.1 being named the CAP.1 B2.
The French-built Caproni 1s were powered by a variety of engine combinations, but eventually it was settled on a 130hp Canton-Unné pusher and two 80hp Le Rhônes, which was inadequate for a bomber of this size. Only fourteen were built and they probably were used only for evaluation and experimentation rather than front-line service use, since the improved C.E.P.2 was preferred. [2]
For more information, see Wikipedia:Caproni Ca.2. For information on Caproni plane names, see the main Caproni page.
References
- Notes
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Dr. James J. Davilla and Arthur M. Soltan. French Aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0.
- Vital Ferry. French Aviation During the First World War. Paris: Histoire and Collections, 2014. ISBN 978-2-35250-370-5
- Kenneth Munson, Bombers: Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, 1914-1919. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1968, Blandford Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0753721711