The Caproni Ca.161 was an aircraft built in Italy in 1936, in an attempt to set a new world altitude record. It was a conventional

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

with two-bay, staggered wings of equal span, based on Caproni's Ca.113 design. The pressure-suited pilot was accommodated in an open cockpit.

Operational history

On 8 May 1937, Lieutenant Colonel

Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi may refer to: * Mario Pezzi (aviator) (1898 – 1968), Italian pilot * Mario Pezzi (priest) Mario Pezzi (born Gottolengo, 19 September 1941) is an Italian priest, theologian and catechist. He is one of leading names of the Neocatechume ...

broke the world altitude record with a flight to 15,655 m (51,362 ft). The following year, Pezzi broke the record again in the more powerful Ca.161bis, making a flight to 17,083 m (56,047 ft) on 22 October 1938. The

Grob Strato 2C The Grob Strato 2C was a German experimental high altitude research aircraft. Powered by two turbocharged piston engines and featuring an extremely long span wing of composite construction, one aircraft was built in the 1990s, but was abandoned ...

broke this record for piston-powered crewed airplanes generally in 1995, but as of 2023 it still stands for piston-powered biplanes, and for crewed single engine piston aircraft. A final altitude record for

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

s was set on 25 September 1939 in the float-equipped Ca.161''Idro'', piloted by Nicola di Mauro to 13,542 m (44,429 ft). As of 2012, this record also still stands.

Variants

* Ca.161 – original version with Piaggio P.XI R.C.72 engine * Ca.161bis – improved version with Piaggio P.XI R.C.100/2v * Ca.161''Idro'' – floatplane version

Specifications (Ca.161''bis'')

''Data from Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930–1945 apart from weights''

References

* * {{Portal bar, Italy, Companies, Aviation Ca.161 1930s Italian experimental aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1936 Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft

Operational history

Variants

Specifications (Ca.161''bis'')

See also

References