The need for speed...

[Hauksbee]

I stumbled across this pic. of a Caproni Ca.20 (which I'd never heard of). It certainly looks like they had speed in mind. Has all the hallmarks of something really fast...except the technology just wasn't quite there. Note the really thin wings. Must have had vicious stall characteristics. The Ca.20 was derived from the Ca.18 an observation monoplane that had been had been developed starting in 1913 from the previous models Ca.8 and Ca.16. It used a more powerful engine, the Rhône. It used an unusual rounded nose cover for the wooden propeller which was cowled smoothly to match the fuselage. The cover was pierced to allow cooling of the engine. The improved aerodynamics helped speed and manoeuvrability. Designed as a fighter, a drum machine gun was installed above the pilot, placed above the propeller disc, with an eye level sight. The first synchronization devices, which allow a weapon to shoot with confidence through the blades of a propeller in motion, would not make their appearance until the Fokker Eindecker during 1915, although many experiments were conducted by the French since 1913.

 

Only a single Caproni Ca.20 was ever built, because the Italian government rejected the design in favor of bomber aircraft. The prototype was stored in a barn on Giovanni Battista "Gianni" Caproni's property for 85 years, before being sold to the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 1999. Luckily, the dry climate had preserved the aircraft. With the exception of the tires, which had been gnawed by rodents, the prototype Caproni Ca.20 on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight includes all its original parts. The Caproni Ca.20 was one of the first real fighter planes. Only one was build and first flown in early 1914. It was designed as an offensive platform: A monoplane that integrated a movable, forward-firing Lewis machine gun two feet above the pilot's head, firing over the propeller arc. The gun had a false sight at eye level so that the Ca 20's pilot could aim through the propeller arc at the enemy aircraft while the gun fired from above. Its 110hp Le Rhone rotary engine gave the plane a top speed of 102mph and with its streamlined, enclosed spinner inlet, it was one of the best performing planes of its time.

 

The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington preserves the original Caproni Ca-20. Found in an Italian monastery where it was stored and hidden by the Caproni family for 85 years, the plane is so rare and in such good condition that it's being exhibited without restoration.

Edited October 4, 2011 by Hauksbee

[Olham]

Only this one craft was ever built. It flew in early 1914. See "Wings Palette" for more:

 

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/1841/174/0

[Olham]

Here's a pic from "Rosebud's Aviation Site":

 

http://www.earlyaeroplanes.com/archive1.htm

 

 

[Hauksbee]

Only this one craft was ever built. It flew in early 1914. See "Wings Palette" for more:

Thanks Olham. I looked up the Caproni. 'Found some info on Wikipedia, and added it to the text from your link.

[Herr Prop-Wasche]

Wow, thanks for the info, gents!

 

Neat little aircraft for early 1914. Love the stubby spinner.

[Bullethead]

Very interesting. I'd never heard of this thing, nor of a monoplane with an "upper wing" gun mount.

 

I have a question, though. I recently watched a vid of a real Pup with a real le Rhone being started up. One of the steps in the process was taking a large syringe thingy and priming each cylinder with a shot of fuel prior to swinging the prop. I wonder how they managed that task on this plane with its fancy grille.

 

 

[UK_Widowmaker]

Yuk