Post by Diarist on Jul 24, 2014 21:39:13 GMT 1
The Caproni Ca.101 is a three engine Italian airliner which is also sees military use as a transport and bomber. It was designed in 1927 and first flown in 1928.
Design and development
The Ca.101 is a derivative of the Caproni Ca.97, with an enlarged airframe, which increased the payload from 574 kg (1,265 lb) to 800 kg (1,760 lb). Initially planned as a civil airliner, it was soon converted to the bomber/transport role. The aircraft is a typical 1920's design. It has three engines, one in the nose and one under each wing, high wings and a fixed undercarriage. The fuselage, of quadrangular cross-section, is made of steel tubes covered with fabric, as are the wings and tail. The floor is made of wood.
Initially fitted with the 149 kW (200 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx driving a two-bladed metal propeller 2.88 m (9.45 ft) in diameter. The 1,200 l (317 US gal) fuel tank is located in the upper part of the central fuselage. Fuel is fed to the engines by means of copper pipes. All three engines have 44 L (12 US gal) of oil in a tank located behind the engine. The compressed air and fire extinguisher systems are also centrally located.
A variety of engines were used, sometimes with a composite layout: Piaggio P.VII (276 kW/370 hp), Alfa Romeo Jupiter (313 kW/420 hp), and other models of 179 kW (240 hp) and 201 kW (270 hp).
Exports of the Ca.101 were made to Australia, China and Paraguay. Hungary bought 20 aircraft for use as air-mail aircraft.
The Ca.101bis, designed for use in Italy's colonies, was slightly larger (56 m²/603 ft² wing area, 19.7 m/64.6 ft span and 13.54 m/44.42 ft length) and heavier than the original model. It had an empty weight of 3,000 kg (6,610 lb), and a payload of 1,986 kg (4,378 lb).
It is fitted with an Alfa Romeo Jupiter in the nose, and an Armstrong Siddeley Lynx under each wing, giving it over 597 kW (800 hp) in total. The ceiling was improved to 5,500 m (18,045 ft), but the greater drag and weight reduced the maximum speed to 205 km/h (127 mph), and the endurance to only six hours.
The D2 version, was produced replacing the motors with three more powerful Alfa Romeo D.2 motors. In Eritrea, they guarantee good performance in the tropics.
A further development is the Ca.102, with the original airframe, but only two Bristol Jupiter engines, fitted with four-blade propellers, delivering 746 kW (1,000 hp). This greatly enhances the performance of the aircraft, almost to the level of the three-engined Ca.133. It has a maximum speed of 234 km/h (145 mph), ceiling of 6,000 m (19,690 ft), payload of 1,800 kg (3,968 lb) and an empty weight of 2,500 kg (5,510 lb). The Ca.102 carries an additional 600 L (159 US gal) of fuel in a mid-fuselage tank under the passenger seats.
The removal of the engine in the nose made the aircraft more aerodynamic, improved visibility for the pilots, and allowed the fitting of four machine guns. Its long slim nose, housing the bomb-sight, gained it the nickname Pinocchio.
An interesting development was the Ca.102quarter, a four-engine variant, with two engines on each wing, one facing forwards, the other backwards, all with two-blade propellers. Only one model was built, as performance was unimpressive.
Source: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Ca.101
Design and development
The Ca.101 is a derivative of the Caproni Ca.97, with an enlarged airframe, which increased the payload from 574 kg (1,265 lb) to 800 kg (1,760 lb). Initially planned as a civil airliner, it was soon converted to the bomber/transport role. The aircraft is a typical 1920's design. It has three engines, one in the nose and one under each wing, high wings and a fixed undercarriage. The fuselage, of quadrangular cross-section, is made of steel tubes covered with fabric, as are the wings and tail. The floor is made of wood.
Initially fitted with the 149 kW (200 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx driving a two-bladed metal propeller 2.88 m (9.45 ft) in diameter. The 1,200 l (317 US gal) fuel tank is located in the upper part of the central fuselage. Fuel is fed to the engines by means of copper pipes. All three engines have 44 L (12 US gal) of oil in a tank located behind the engine. The compressed air and fire extinguisher systems are also centrally located.
A variety of engines were used, sometimes with a composite layout: Piaggio P.VII (276 kW/370 hp), Alfa Romeo Jupiter (313 kW/420 hp), and other models of 179 kW (240 hp) and 201 kW (270 hp).
Exports of the Ca.101 were made to Australia, China and Paraguay. Hungary bought 20 aircraft for use as air-mail aircraft.
The Ca.101bis, designed for use in Italy's colonies, was slightly larger (56 m²/603 ft² wing area, 19.7 m/64.6 ft span and 13.54 m/44.42 ft length) and heavier than the original model. It had an empty weight of 3,000 kg (6,610 lb), and a payload of 1,986 kg (4,378 lb).
It is fitted with an Alfa Romeo Jupiter in the nose, and an Armstrong Siddeley Lynx under each wing, giving it over 597 kW (800 hp) in total. The ceiling was improved to 5,500 m (18,045 ft), but the greater drag and weight reduced the maximum speed to 205 km/h (127 mph), and the endurance to only six hours.
The D2 version, was produced replacing the motors with three more powerful Alfa Romeo D.2 motors. In Eritrea, they guarantee good performance in the tropics.
A further development is the Ca.102, with the original airframe, but only two Bristol Jupiter engines, fitted with four-blade propellers, delivering 746 kW (1,000 hp). This greatly enhances the performance of the aircraft, almost to the level of the three-engined Ca.133. It has a maximum speed of 234 km/h (145 mph), ceiling of 6,000 m (19,690 ft), payload of 1,800 kg (3,968 lb) and an empty weight of 2,500 kg (5,510 lb). The Ca.102 carries an additional 600 L (159 US gal) of fuel in a mid-fuselage tank under the passenger seats.
The removal of the engine in the nose made the aircraft more aerodynamic, improved visibility for the pilots, and allowed the fitting of four machine guns. Its long slim nose, housing the bomb-sight, gained it the nickname Pinocchio.
An interesting development was the Ca.102quarter, a four-engine variant, with two engines on each wing, one facing forwards, the other backwards, all with two-blade propellers. Only one model was built, as performance was unimpressive.
Source: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Ca.101