Caproni Ca.72

The Caproni Ca.72 was an Italian night bomber designed to reequip the post-World War I Italian Air Force.

Caproni Ca.72
Role Night bomber aircraft
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Caproni
First flight 1924
Number built 1
Developed from Caproni Ca.66

Design and development

The Ca.72 was, overall, similar to the Caproni Ca.66 and Caproni Ca.67 in overall design . However, the Ca.72 differed from the Ca.67 in the addition of an SPA 6A engine, mounted as a pusher on the upper mainplane centre-line. Despite these changes, flight tests offered only a 5 km/h (3.1 mph; 2.7 kn) increase in speed over the Ca.66. The Regia Aeronautica did not order the aircraft into production and the Ca.72 was abandoned in favor of the Caproni Ca.73.[1]

Specifications

Data from ,[2] Aeroplani Caproni dal 1908 al 1935[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Four, pilot, co-pilot plus two gunners
  • Length: 12.50 m (41 ft 0 in)
  • Upper wingspan: 17 m (55 ft 9 in)
  • Lower wingspan: 25 m (82 ft 0 in)
  • Height: 5.60 m (18 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 143 m2 (1,540 sq ft) excluding ailerons
  • Empty weight: 3,670 kg (8,091 lb)
  • Gross weight: 5,670 kg (12,500 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Lorraine Dietrich 12Db 6-cylinder water-cooled inline, 300 kW (400 hp) each
  • Powerplant: 1 × SPA 6A 6-cylinder water-cooled inline, 150 kW (200 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) at ground level
  • Cruise speed: 160 km/h (99 mph, 86 kn)
  • Endurance: 4 hr
  • Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)

Armament

  • Guns: 4 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns
  • Bombs: 10×100 kg (220 lb).

References
  1. Caproni, Gianni (1937). Aeroplani Caproni dal 1908 al 1935 (in Italian). Milan: Edizioni d'arte Emilio Bestetti. pp. 168–174, 181.
  2. "Caproni Ca.72". Airwar.ru. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
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