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Caproni Ca.4

1918 WORLD WAR 1

Caproni ca. 4 courses

Giovanni Caproni was a prolific 20th century Italian aircraft designer whose contributions can be seen in both world wars. His first adventure was the Ca.1 experimental biplane in 1910, which led to the large series of aircraft seen in World War I (1914-1918) - the Ca.2, Ca.3 and Ca.4 Heavy bombers all appeared at that time. The Ca. 4 was a further development of the earlier successful Ca. 3 and led to the production of around 50 aircraft.

The product made its first flight in 1917 and was officially launched in 1918, the last year of the war. It ended up in service with the armed forces of Italy and the United Kingdom, while the United States evaluated three examples.

For its Ca 4 offering, Caproni took the Ca 3 as a starting point, retaining the twin boom/center nacelle arrangement. The double-arm configuration resulted in triple rudders in the stern.

Propulsion power comes from an engine in a "propeller" arrangement mounted to the rear of the central nacelle, while a "pull" arrangement is mounted on the front of each boom structure. All three engines are Liberty L-12 series liquid-cooled V12s producing 400 horsepower each. The landing gear is held in flight by a network of struts and cables and is multi-wheeled to support the aircraft on the ground.

The crew consisted of four, including two pilots, a former gunner and a rear gunner who also doubled as a flight mechanic. The standard armament is centered on four 6.5mm FIAT Revelli machine guns, while up to 3,200 lbs conventional intermediate stock can be carried.

Unlike previous Caproni bombers, the Ca. 4 featured a three-blade layout for increased lift and better control.

The first prototype is known under the company name Ca. 40 times, followed by production quality around 41 for a total of 41 aircraft - these aircraft are powered by FIAT A. 12 inline engines with 280 hp each. The platform was tested by Alitalia in 1917 and then officially put into service in 1918.

These heavy bombers were deployed on the Italian-Austro-Hungarian front, where they proved to be a relatively fast, robust and reliable product capable of carrying large numbers of bombs.

With its rugged design and three-engine layout, the aircraft is capable of reaching a top speed of 87 mph and a range of up to 435 miles at altitudes of up to 9,845 feet. The reported rate of climb was 410 feet per minute.

Then came the 12 Circa 42 models, which introduced the aforementioned 400-horsepower Liberty engine. The Ca. 43 was a "one-off" flying boat derivative, while the Ca. 48 was a post-war airliner converted from a post-war bomber. Circa 51 becomes another one-off format powered by FIAT A. Series 14 engines, 700 hp each and a new rear powerplant.

The Ca. 52 marks the British Ca. 42s and numbered six aircraft. The Ca. 58 was equipped with a Fiat A. 14 or Isotta Fraschini V. 6 engine, and the Ca. 59 became its export designation.