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WW1 - 1914-1918
" Looks of War photographers "
" Regards de photographes de Guerre"
9000 photos
438 pages
Many thanks to Kees Kort for
his clarifications and comments.
AIRCRAFTS
CAPRONI
Page 1
Giovanni Battista
Comment of Kees Kort
In the new numbering
of Caproni dating from 1937 this is the Caproni Ca.53,
a small triplane light bomber dating from slightly after the 1914-18 war.
The span of the wings was 14,30 meter, actually quite small for Caproni standards.
Original construction with
a fighter like fuselage, triplane wings with single struts and a four-bladed propeller driven by
an engine rated
at 350 - 500 hp.
As there was no need for this machine after the war
it was only built as a single prototype.
the gentleman with the big mustache is Mr. Caproni, himself.
Giovanni Battista Caproni
Caproni triplane for day bombardment [Fiat 700 hp motor] undated
NARA111-SC-13030-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Giovanni Battista Caproni
Italian Floatplane Caproni I ca ca1911
NARA111-SC-13041-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Comment of Kees Kort
IIn the background of
the group with
Gianni Caproni and high brass from Italy and USA
is a big Caproni Triplane
at that time identified as
the Ca.4
(original identification).
The code N-531 gives away that this is one of six machines delivered to
the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) of England.
It is known that acceptance testing for this machine
(N-531) started on
13 March 1918.
So the date of the event -
a visit of a USA delegation - was later than
13 March 1918.
Giovanni Battista Caproni
Military officials at the Caproni factory, Italy ca1916
NARA111-SC-13025-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Caproni aircraft arriving at the Aviation Experimental Station, Hampton, VA Sept. 8 1917
NARA111-SC-003718-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni Ca-3 ready for take-off at Aviation Experiment Station, Hampton VA - Sept. 11, 1917 NARA111-SC-003724-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni CA-3 takingoff at AES, Hampton VA 9-11-1917
NARA111-SC-003738-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni Ca-3 in flight over Hampton, VA Sept. 11, 1917
NARA111-SC-003719-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni CA-3 landing at Aviation Exp. Sta, Hampton, VA Sept. 11, 1917
NARA111-SC-003741-ac
Source of Photograph
This is a great shot of the Caproni Bomber sent from Italy to Hamption, VA for testing at the Army Air Corps Aviation Experiment Station in 1917.
This was model 4051
for which little is known
in the history of this aircraft. From Hampton it was flown by its Italian crew to Washington DC in Oct. 1917.
Caproni bomber with gun mounted at Hampton VA Oct. 7, 1917
NARA111-SC-003793-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni Ca-3 showing gunner and gun mounts, Langley VA Oct. 7, 1917
NARA111-SC-003792-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG:111; American Military Activities
Caproni Ca.4 bombers at Talieod, Italy 1916
NARA111-SC-13039-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Four Caproni Ca.4 triplane bombers of the Bristish Navy at Taliedo, Italy 1916
NARA111-SC-13037-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Caproni I Ca, floatplane, Italy undated
NARA111-SC-13043-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Comment of Kees Kort
The picture shows
the Caproni I
(where I stands for Idrovolante - Hydroplane / Seaplane).
The I is the identification of the period (1918)
but unfortunately
the Caproni factory decided in the 1930's to identify all (or most) of their built types with numbers, Ca.1 Ca.2 etc.
So this plane became
the Ca.47.
In the end exact identification of Caproni machines during WW1
is somewhat messed up.
The picture is one of a series of at least five which show the machine during initial tests in 1918 (not 1911).
Although test were successful production was never achieved due
to the ending of the war.
Italian Float Plane I ca. undated
NARA111-SC-13042-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Italian Floatplane Caproni I ca ca1911
NARA111-SC-13041-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Royal Navy Air Service {RNAS} ordered six Caproni Ca.4 triplane bombers with serials N526 - N531 Taliedo, Italy 1916
NARA 111-SC-13034-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Caproni 3 motor bombing plane [photo received from DMA] undated
NARA111-SC-15178-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
The photocard with this photograph said it was obtained from the DMA.
No other information just the photo.
Close front view of Liberty Caproni, Mineola, NY undated
NARA111-SC-15360-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Front view of Liberty Caproni, Mineola, NY undated
NARA111-SC-15361-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Side view of Liberty Caproni at Mineola, NY undated
NARA111-SC-15359-ac
Source of Photograph: National Archives RG 111
Kees Kort comments
The actual building of the Caproni Liberty-engine bomber trimotor was actually very trying.
In a nutshell these were the bottle necks
- the Italian drawings in metrics (meters) had all to be redrawn in inch measures.
A gigantic task which involved thousands of detail drawings
- the fitting of the Liberty engine necessitated alterations in the design which had to be worked in the drawings
- as the large experienced factories like Curtiss were full with production, the building was given to the relatively inexperienced Standard factory,
which actually has never build airplanes of this size
- many alterations in the Caproni design were made by Standard which had to be approved by the Italians, again slowing down the actual building
- as Standard had difficulties building the machine, work was shifted to the Fischer Body works who could not fit the drawings in their building process
so .... again the drawings had to be redrawn
Actually it is a small wonder that the Caproni Liberty bomber trimotor was built at all.
Cost was probably excessive and the machine came much too late (actually after the armistice) and was never used at war.
Think about all those man making the drawings by hand, no computer assisted drawing (CAD) in those times !