The Caproni Ca.3 is an Italian
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...
of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and the postwar era. It was the most produced version of the series of aircraft that began with the 1914
Caproni Ca.1 and continued until the more powerful 1917
Caproni Ca.5 variant.
Development
![Caproni Ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Caproni_Ca.33.jpg)
The development of the Ca.1 to the
Ca.2 suggested the benefits of increasing amounts of power to the very sound airframe. The Ca.3 was a development of Ca.2, by replacing the two engines mounted on the booms with the same Isotta-Fraschini engine that had been used as the central,
pusher engine on that design. The prototype flew in late
1916
Events
Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled.
* ...
and was soon put into production. Known by Caproni at the time as the Caproni 450 hp, the Italian Army designated it the Ca.3. In Caproni's postwar renaming, it became the Ca.33. Between 250 and 300 of these aircraft were built, supplying the Italian Army and Navy (the latter using the type as a
torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
), and the French Army. Late in the war,
Robert Esnault-Pelterie Robert Albert Charles Esnault-Pelterie (8 November 1881 – 6 December 1957) was a French aircraft designer and spaceflight theorist. He is referred to as being one of the founders of modern rocketry and astronautics, along with the Russian Kons ...
licence-built an additional 83 (some sources say only 19) aircraft in France.
''Note: there is some variation in published sources over early Caproni names. The confusion stems, in part, from three schemes used to label the aircraft – Caproni's in-house designations of the time, those used by the Italian Army and names created after the war by Caproni for past designs.''
Design
The Ca.3 was a three-engined
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 ...
of wooden construction, with a fabric-covered frame. The crew of four were placed in an open central nacelle (front gunner, two pilots and rear gunner-mechanic). The rear gunner manned upper
machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s, standing upon the central engine in a protective "cage" in front of a propeller. The fixed
conventional undercarriage
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
had double mainwheels under each engine and a tailskid under the extreme tail of each boom. A substantial double nosewheel prevented damaging and dangerous noseovers.
Armament consisted of two to four Revelli 6.5 mm or 7.7 mm machine guns, one in a front ring mount and one, two or sometimes even three in an upper ring mount. Bombs were suspended under the hull.
Operational history
![Caproni Ca-33 VHM Piestany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Caproni_Ca-33_VHM_Piestany.jpg)
The Ca.1 entered service with the Italian Army in the middle of 1915 and first saw action on 20 August, attacking the Austrian air base at
Aisovizza. Fifteen bomber squadrons (1°–15° ''Squadriglia'') were eventually equipped with Ca.1, Ca.2 and Ca.3 bombers, mostly bombing targets in
Austro-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. The 12° ''Squadriglie'' operated in
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
. In 1918, the 3°, 14° and 15° ''Squadriglia'' operated in France.
Apart from the Italian Army, original and licence-built examples were used by France (original Capronis were used in French CAP ''escadres'', licence-built examples in CEP ''escadres''). They were also used by the
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
. There has been some confusion regarding the use of the Ca3 by the British
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
. The RNAS received six of the larger triplane Ca4s and did not operate the Ca3. The British Ca4s were not used operationally and were returned to Italy after the war. Some of the Ca.36Ms supplied after the war were still in service long enough to see action in
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
's first assaults on North Africa.
Variants
''All of the following names were applied after the war. At the time, all were known as the 300 hp by Caproni and the Ca.3 by the Army.''
*Ca.34 and Ca.35 with a modified central nacelle to seat the two pilots in tandem and therefore improve aerodynamics. No production.
* Ca.36 with removable outer wing panels for ease of storage.
** Ca.36M or Ca.36 mod (for ''modificato'' – "modified") – a lightened and simplified variant put into production after the war. 153 were delivered between
1923
Events
January–February
* January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory).
* January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...
and
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General.
* January 7
* ...
, 144 of them to the new Regia Aeronautica.
** Ca.36S – air ambulance version (small number converted from Ca.36Ms)
* Ca.39 –
seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
version. Prototype CA 211.
* Ca.56a –
airliner
An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...
s created by remanufacturing war-surplus Ca.3s.
Operators
*
Argentine Air Force
"Argentine Wings"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 August (anniversary) 1 May (Baptism of fire during the Falklands War)
, equipment = 139 aircraft
, equipment_label =
, battles =
* Operation Independence
* Operation Soberanía
* Falklan ...
*''
Corpo Aeronautico Militare
The Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare (Military Aviation Corps) was formed as part of the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) on 7 January 1915, incorporating the Aviators Flights Battalion (airplanes), the Specialists Battalion (airships) and the Ballon ...
''
*''
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
''
*
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
*
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought alon ...
Surviving aircraft and replicas
Italy
![Caproni CA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Caproni_CA.3_2009-06-06.jpg)
* Unknown ID – Ca.36 on static display at the
Italian Air Force Museum
The Italian Air Force Museum is an aircraft museum at Vigna di Valle, on Lake Bracciano (Lazio), in central Italy. It is operated by the . The museum's collection has an emphasis on Italian machines and seaplanes. While maintaining the technical a ...
in
Bracciano, Lazio.
* Airworthy Replica Ca.3 based near Venice
Slovakia
![Caproni Ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Caproni_Ca.33_in_Bratislava_Airport_Terminal.jpg)
* Reproduction – Ca.33 on static display since June 2012 in the departure hall of
M. R. Štefánik Airport
M. R. Štefánik Airport ( sk, Letisko M. R. Štefánika; german: Flughafen M. R. Štefánik) , also called – especially in English – Bratislava Airport ( sk, Letisko Bratislava; german: Flughafen Pressburg or Flughafen Bratislava) or ''Bra ...
in
Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
, on loan from the
Vojenské historické muzeum in
Piešťany, Trnava.
United States
![17 14 061 caproni CA36](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/17_14_061_caproni_CA36.jpg)
* Unknown ID – Ca.36 on static display at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
in
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
.
Specifications (Ca.36)
See also
References
External links
Aircraft of the AEF – Caproni Ca.3(Italian)
{{Authority control
Ca.003
1910s Italian bomber aircraft
Military aircraft of World War I
Three-engined push-pull aircraft
Twin-boom aircraft
Biplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1916