Caproni A.P.1

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=A.P.1


caption=
type=Attack aircraft
manufacturer=Caproni
designer=Cesare Pallavicino
first flight=April 1934
introduced=1936
retired=
status=
primary user=Regia Aeronautica
more users=
produced=
number built=
variants with their own articles=

Caproni A.P.1 [Where A.P. stood for "Assalto Pallavicino", meaning "Pallavicino's Assault [Aircraft] "] was an Italian attack aircraft monoplane designed by Cesare Pallavicino, coming from the Breda firm.

Design and development

Developed from the Ca.301, a single-seat fighter version of a similar design that was not put into production, the A.P.1 was a two seater version, fitted with a more powerful Alfa Romeo radial. Designed to serve both as a fighter and an attack aircraft, it was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed, trousered (spatted) undercarriage, of mixed construction. Although it was a monoplane at a time when many of the air forces of the world were flying biplanes, the Caproni was still an anachronism with fixed landing gear.

The A.P.1 prototype first flew on 27 April 1934. An initial series of 12 aircraft was delivered within 1936. In the same year, the Regia Aeronautica ordered a second series with improvements including a more powerful Alfa Romeo engine and more aerodynamic landing gear. In service, the large landing gear spats were often removed for ease of maintenance.

Operational history

The Caproni A.P.1 equipped a total of eight "squadriglie" (Italian air unit equivalent to half an RAF squadron) of the assault wings of the Regia Aeronautica. It took part in the Spanish Civil War, but its unsatisfactory performance led to its quick replacement with the also disappointing Breda Ba.64, Ba.65 and Ba.88 types.

Four examples were acquired by El Salvador for use in the Escuadrilla de Caza (a fifth aircraft was shipped to replace an aircraft which crashed during a ferrying flight), and another seven floatplane variants were sold to Paraguay and used at the end of the Gran Chaco War in Bolivia. Another ten aircraft ordered by Paraguay were diverted to the Regia Aeronautica.

Variants

* Ca.301 - Two prototypes.
* Ca.305 - AP.1bis - Initial production version.
* Ca.307 - Second production version.
* AP.1 Idro - Seven floatplane aircraft sold to Paraguay.

Operators

* : Regia Aeronautica
**7° Gruppo (5° Stormo Assalto)
***86° Squadriglia
***98° Squadriglia
**19° Gruppo (5° Stormo Assalto)
***100° Squadriglia
***102° Squadriglia
**12° Gruppo (50° Stormo Assalto)
***160° Squadriglia
***165° Squadriglia
**16° Gruppo (50° Stormo Assalto)
***168° Squadriglia
***169° Squadriglia

* : Paraguay Air Force
**2 Escuadrilla de Caza

* : El Salvador Air Force

pecifications

aerospecs
met or eng?=met
crew=2
capacity=
length m=9.34
length ft=30
length in=8
span m=13.01
span ft=42
span in=8
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
height m=3.00
height ft=9
height in=10
wing area sqm=
wing area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=1,940
empty weight lb=4,277
gross weight kg=
gross weight lb=
eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34
eng1 kw= 582
eng1 hp=780
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=
max speed kmh=347
max speed mph=216
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=1,500
range miles=935
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=6,500
ceiling ft=21,320
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=2 × 7.7 mm Breda SAFAT machine guns
armament2=1 × 12.7 mm machine gun
armament3=500 kg (1,100 lb) of bombs
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

References

* Taylor, Michael J.H. "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation". London: Studio Editions, 1989.

External links

* [http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/gustin_military/db/ital/CA301CAP.html Caproni-Bergamasca Ca.301]
* [http://www.superaereo.com/caproni.html Caproni]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
*Breda Ba.64
*Henschel Hs 123
*Junkers Ju 87
sequence= Ca.301 -
Ca.304 -Ca.305 -
Ca.306 - Ca.307 -
Ca.308 -
Ca.309 -
Ca.310

lists=

see also=