Caproni Ca.111
Encyclopedia
The Caproni Ca.111 was a long-range reconnaissance aircraft
and light bomber
produced in Italy
during the 1930s. It was a derivative of the Ca.101
.
This aircraft was a high-wing monoplane
, built with a robust but simple structure consisting of a tubular steel skeleton with a fabric and wood skin. Derived from the earlier Ca.101
, it used a different engine. The fuselage
was of square section, and the wing was practically rectangular, with the extremities sloped and the aileron
s running the whole length of the trailing edge
. Steel tubing was also used for the undercarriage
. This was fixed and had a complex structure that had two legs supported by several steel tubes between the fuselage and the wings.
The crew consisted of three men. The pilot, a co-pilot/observer and a flight engineer
/gunner
.
The main innovation was the engine. While the previous Ca.101 had three units, the newer type had only one. This was a risk because the engines of the time were not very reliable. It seems that the gamble paid off as the Ca.111 was faster than the three-engine Ca.101 and even the Ca.133
. The engine was a water-cooled Isotta Fraschini Asso 750RC 18-cylinder in a 'W' layout. The first examples were equipped with a four-blade wooden propeller. Later models were fitted with a three-blade metal propeller with variable pitch. The required pitch had to be set on the ground and was not variable in flight. It was heavier and more expensive but provided a worthwhile improvement.
Fuel capacity was 1,690 L (446 US gal) in two tanks, one of 1,060 L (280 US gal) and one of 440 L (116 US gal). Range was 2,000 km (1,240 mi). The oil tank was below the engine and contained 150 L (40 US gal).
Maximum payload was 2,000 kg (4,410 lb), but if necessary could be raised to 2,500-2,800 kg (5,510-6,170 lb).
The cockpit
instrument
s were repeated for each pilot. The instrument fit included a 'Pezzoni' compass, a 'Sonia
' aerometer, a variometer
, 'OMI' altimeters and fire detectors with extinguisher controls. The canopy was detachable to allow for exit in an emergency. There was also a rice-transmitter radio, for the marconist-gunner. This consisted of a RE 350 and AR 5 transmitter-receiver. This allowed both telegraphic and voice transmissions. To make this possible, there were two radio antennas: one fixed, one flexible. There were two accumulators and two air-generators. Finally, there was a photographic, photoplanimetric O.M.I. 13x18 camera, or a OMI APR 3 panoramic. Sometimes, a cine-machine-gun was also fitted.
Defensive armament varied between three and six 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun
s. Initially, the armament was quite weak, one 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis Gun
in the dorsal position, and one in each beam position. This was a serious failing as the gunner could only man one weapon at a time. One improvement was the replacement of the single dorsal gun by a turret fitted with two 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda
s. Another machine gun was sometimes fitted in the ventral position, both for offensive and defensive tasks. Some examples also had a machine gun fixed in the nose, firing with a synchronizer through the propeller disk.
Bombload, theoretically was up to 600 kg (1,320 lb), in practice, it was more. This load was held vertically inside the fuselage, and consisted of two launchers for:
Up to 15 × 12 kg (26 lb), 15 kg (33 lb) or 24 kg (50 lb) bombs could be carried in a third launcher. It was also possible to carry two bombs of 250 kg (550 lb) or 500 kg (1,100 lb) or incendiaries (144 × 1 kg/2 lb and 144 × 2 kg/4 lb). Finally, chemical bombs could also be dropped.
The door for entry into the aircraft was on the left-hand side.
A civil version was built with seven seats. The Caproni Ca.140 was, instead, a retractable version of the basic project, but remained prototype. Another prototype was a version with a 3,000 km (1,860 mi) range, but the redesigned Ca.112 was not put into production. Its most notable difference was a new elliptic and enlarged wing.
One example had a 746 kW (1,000 hp) A.80 engine.
Possibly the most important version was the seaplane
, fitted with two 'shoes' under the belly. It had been tested in 1932 and was called the Ca.111 Idro. The Idro version was the first to enter service. It was almost identical to the land version, but weighted 3,500 kg (7,720 lb) and had a 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) payload. The two shoes were made of cedarwood. The engine remained the same but with 1,940 L (510 US gal) of fuel. Range was greater, but speed was reduced. Defensive weapons were four 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis guns with 2,000 cartridges each. Bombload was similar to that shown above. An 800 kg (1,760 lb) torpedo
could also be carried.
, followed by the 142. They had six machines each. After just a year, these machines were replaced by CANT Z.501s. The aircraft were not scrapped but converted for land use, complete with undercarriage. Over 100 machines were rebuilt between 1934 and 1936. 25 were Idro versions.
The Ca.111 was used as a long-range work-horse by the Regia Aeronautica. Its main employment was in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
. This aircraft was, like all other machines, sent to the Ethiopian theatre by sea. The aircraft performed a variety of tasks, such as long-range reconnaissance, ground attack, bombing, and as a refuelling machine. It was even used to drop live animals to the troops. The aircraft was well suited to this kind of environment. It was relatively simple to maintain and could often be repaired with local materials. In this theatre, it was second only to the SM.81, which was much more sophisticated.
On the whole, this machine was cheap, robust and reliable. It had good performance and could be armed with a variety of ordnance. It was also highly vulnerable and so was not deployed to places like Spain
.
Nevertheless, the machine served until the early 1940s, when it was replaced as a reconnaissance aircraft by the Cant Z.501
and the Ro.37. It was then used in the photoplannimetric role and as a supplier of isolated troops, this time in the Balkans, after the 'conquest' of Yugoslavia
.
took delivery of a number of Ca.111s in the 1930s which they nicknamed Panchos for use as "heavy" bombers, but found them unsatisfactory in service and by 1935 had begun to consider replacing them. In 1936, Peru ordered Caproni Ca.135
bombers—which entered Peruvian Air Force
service in 1937—as replacements for its Ca.111s. However, Peru never procured enough Ca.135s to replace its Ca.111s; Ca.111s served in Peruvian Air Force heavy bomber squadrons alongside the new Ca.135s until 1940, when all Peruvian Ca.111s were reassigned for use as transport aircraft
. Peru which had a small unit of paratroopers trained by Italy, during the Zarumilla War of 1941 dropped a small number of paratroopers from Ca. 111 R.C. aircraft on 27 July to seize the river port of Port Bolivar in disputed territory. This was the first combat use of paratroopers in South American or North America's military history. See external links for further information on the historical use of Ca. 111 by Peru in that 1941 war.
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
and light bomber
Light bomber
A light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
produced in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during the 1930s. It was a derivative of the Ca.101
Caproni Ca.101
|-See also:-References:* Lembo, Daniele, Ca.101/102, Aerei Nella Storia magazine, Westward editions, n.42 pagg.23-29.-External links:* * Illustration...
.
Design and development
A robust and simple aircraft, it was meant to be used in harsh conditions with minimal support. It was designed by the engineer Rodolfo Verduzio of Gianni Caproni in 1931, and first flew in February 1932 as MM 205.This aircraft was a high-wing monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
, built with a robust but simple structure consisting of a tubular steel skeleton with a fabric and wood skin. Derived from the earlier Ca.101
Caproni Ca.101
|-See also:-References:* Lembo, Daniele, Ca.101/102, Aerei Nella Storia magazine, Westward editions, n.42 pagg.23-29.-External links:* * Illustration...
, it used a different engine. The fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
was of square section, and the wing was practically rectangular, with the extremities sloped and the aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
s running the whole length of the trailing edge
Trailing edge
The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge rejoins. Essential control surfaces are attached here to redirect the air flow and exert a controlling force by changing its momentum...
. Steel tubing was also used for the undercarriage
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
. This was fixed and had a complex structure that had two legs supported by several steel tubes between the fuselage and the wings.
The crew consisted of three men. The pilot, a co-pilot/observer and a flight engineer
Flight engineer
Flight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
/gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
.
The main innovation was the engine. While the previous Ca.101 had three units, the newer type had only one. This was a risk because the engines of the time were not very reliable. It seems that the gamble paid off as the Ca.111 was faster than the three-engine Ca.101 and even the Ca.133
Caproni Ca.133
|-See also:-References:*Ca.133 reconnaissance table, Storia militare magazine n.83. *Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 0-753714-60-4....
. The engine was a water-cooled Isotta Fraschini Asso 750RC 18-cylinder in a 'W' layout. The first examples were equipped with a four-blade wooden propeller. Later models were fitted with a three-blade metal propeller with variable pitch. The required pitch had to be set on the ground and was not variable in flight. It was heavier and more expensive but provided a worthwhile improvement.
Fuel capacity was 1,690 L (446 US gal) in two tanks, one of 1,060 L (280 US gal) and one of 440 L (116 US gal). Range was 2,000 km (1,240 mi). The oil tank was below the engine and contained 150 L (40 US gal).
Maximum payload was 2,000 kg (4,410 lb), but if necessary could be raised to 2,500-2,800 kg (5,510-6,170 lb).
The cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
instrument
Flight instruments
Flight instruments are the instruments in the cockpit of an aircraft that provide the pilot with information about the flight situation of that aircraft, such as height, speed and altitude...
s were repeated for each pilot. The instrument fit included a 'Pezzoni' compass, a 'Sonia
Sonia
Sonia may refer to:* Sonia, the allied code name for the Mitsubishi Ki-51, Japanese WW2 era bomber* SONIA, Sterling OverNight Index Average, a financial market rate* Sonia , a 1991 album by Sonia Evans...
' aerometer, a variometer
Variometer
The term variometer also refers to a type of variable transformer or an instrument for measuring the magnitude and direction of a Magnetic field....
, 'OMI' altimeters and fire detectors with extinguisher controls. The canopy was detachable to allow for exit in an emergency. There was also a rice-transmitter radio, for the marconist-gunner. This consisted of a RE 350 and AR 5 transmitter-receiver. This allowed both telegraphic and voice transmissions. To make this possible, there were two radio antennas: one fixed, one flexible. There were two accumulators and two air-generators. Finally, there was a photographic, photoplanimetric O.M.I. 13x18 camera, or a OMI APR 3 panoramic. Sometimes, a cine-machine-gun was also fitted.
Defensive armament varied between three and six 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. Initially, the armament was quite weak, one 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis Gun
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
in the dorsal position, and one in each beam position. This was a serious failing as the gunner could only man one weapon at a time. One improvement was the replacement of the single dorsal gun by a turret fitted with two 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
s. Another machine gun was sometimes fitted in the ventral position, both for offensive and defensive tasks. Some examples also had a machine gun fixed in the nose, firing with a synchronizer through the propeller disk.
Bombload, theoretically was up to 600 kg (1,320 lb), in practice, it was more. This load was held vertically inside the fuselage, and consisted of two launchers for:
- 6 × 100 kg/220 lb (total practical, 780 kg/1,720 lb)
- 6 × 50 kg/110 lb (total practical, 420 kg/930 lb)
- 6 × 24, 20, 15, 12, 10 kg (50, 40, 33, 26, 20 lb).
Up to 15 × 12 kg (26 lb), 15 kg (33 lb) or 24 kg (50 lb) bombs could be carried in a third launcher. It was also possible to carry two bombs of 250 kg (550 lb) or 500 kg (1,100 lb) or incendiaries (144 × 1 kg/2 lb and 144 × 2 kg/4 lb). Finally, chemical bombs could also be dropped.
The door for entry into the aircraft was on the left-hand side.
A civil version was built with seven seats. The Caproni Ca.140 was, instead, a retractable version of the basic project, but remained prototype. Another prototype was a version with a 3,000 km (1,860 mi) range, but the redesigned Ca.112 was not put into production. Its most notable difference was a new elliptic and enlarged wing.
One example had a 746 kW (1,000 hp) A.80 engine.
Possibly the most important version was the seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
, fitted with two 'shoes' under the belly. It had been tested in 1932 and was called the Ca.111 Idro. The Idro version was the first to enter service. It was almost identical to the land version, but weighted 3,500 kg (7,720 lb) and had a 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) payload. The two shoes were made of cedarwood. The engine remained the same but with 1,940 L (510 US gal) of fuel. Range was greater, but speed was reduced. Defensive weapons were four 7.7 mm (.303 in) Lewis guns with 2,000 cartridges each. Bombload was similar to that shown above. An 800 kg (1,760 lb) torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
could also be carried.
Italy
The first examples were used by 146 and 183 Squadriglia, 85° Gruppo, to perform maritime reconnaissanceMaritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
, followed by the 142. They had six machines each. After just a year, these machines were replaced by CANT Z.501s. The aircraft were not scrapped but converted for land use, complete with undercarriage. Over 100 machines were rebuilt between 1934 and 1936. 25 were Idro versions.
The Ca.111 was used as a long-range work-horse by the Regia Aeronautica. Its main employment was in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
. This aircraft was, like all other machines, sent to the Ethiopian theatre by sea. The aircraft performed a variety of tasks, such as long-range reconnaissance, ground attack, bombing, and as a refuelling machine. It was even used to drop live animals to the troops. The aircraft was well suited to this kind of environment. It was relatively simple to maintain and could often be repaired with local materials. In this theatre, it was second only to the SM.81, which was much more sophisticated.
On the whole, this machine was cheap, robust and reliable. It had good performance and could be armed with a variety of ordnance. It was also highly vulnerable and so was not deployed to places like Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Nevertheless, the machine served until the early 1940s, when it was replaced as a reconnaissance aircraft by the Cant Z.501
CANT Z.501
The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano was a single engine flying boat that served with the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II. It had a crew of four or five and was used mainly for reconnaissance. Initially a successful aircraft, it was obsolete by 1940, but was still used throughout World War II,...
and the Ro.37. It was then used in the photoplannimetric role and as a supplier of isolated troops, this time in the Balkans, after the 'conquest' of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Peru
PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
took delivery of a number of Ca.111s in the 1930s which they nicknamed Panchos for use as "heavy" bombers, but found them unsatisfactory in service and by 1935 had begun to consider replacing them. In 1936, Peru ordered Caproni Ca.135
Caproni Ca.135
The Caproni Ca.135 was an Italian medium bomber designed in Bergamo in Italy by Cesare Pallavicino. It flew for the first time in 1935, and entered service with the Peruvian Air Force in 1937, and with the Regia Aeronautica in January 1938.-Origins:General Valle initiated the "R-plan" - a program...
bombers—which entered Peruvian Air Force
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
service in 1937—as replacements for its Ca.111s. However, Peru never procured enough Ca.135s to replace its Ca.111s; Ca.111s served in Peruvian Air Force heavy bomber squadrons alongside the new Ca.135s until 1940, when all Peruvian Ca.111s were reassigned for use as transport aircraft
Transport aircraft
Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes:* Airliners* Cargo aircraft* Mail planes* Military transport aircraft...
. Peru which had a small unit of paratroopers trained by Italy, during the Zarumilla War of 1941 dropped a small number of paratroopers from Ca. 111 R.C. aircraft on 27 July to seize the river port of Port Bolivar in disputed territory. This was the first combat use of paratroopers in South American or North America's military history. See external links for further information on the historical use of Ca. 111 by Peru in that 1941 war.
Operators
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force 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...
- Peruvian Aviation CorpsPeruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...