Caproni Ca.135
Encyclopedia
The Caproni Ca.135 was an Italian
medium bomber
designed in Bergamo in Italy by Cesare Pallavicino. It flew for the first time in 1935, and entered service with the Peruvian Air Force in 1937, and with the Regia Aeronautica
(Italian Royal Air Force) in January 1938.
Valle (Chief of Staff of the Regia Aeronautica) initiated the "R-plan" - a program designed to modernize Italy's air force, and to give it a strength of 3,000 aircraft by 1940. In late 1934 a competition was held for a bomber
with the following specifications:
The ceiling and range specifications were not met, but the speed was exceeded by almost all the machines entered. At the end of the competition, the "winners" were the Ca.135 (with 204 aircraft ordered), the Fiat BR.20
(204), the Piaggio P.32
(144), the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
(96), the CANT Z.1007
(49), and the Piaggio P.32
(12).
This array of aircraft was proof of the anarchy, clientelarism, and inefficiency that afflicted the Italian aviation industry. Worse was the continuous waste of resources by the Regia Aeronautica
(Italian Royal Air Force). Orders were given for aircraft that were already obsolete. The winners of the competition were not always the best - the BR.20 was overlooked in favour of the SM.79, an aircraft which was not even entered in the competition.
, which is why the type had a designation in the main Caproni sequence, rather than in the Caproni-Bergamaschi Ca.300 series. However, the project was retained at Ponte San Pietro
and the prototype
, completed during 1934-35, (a long construction time for the period), was first flown on 1 April. The project chief was Cesare Pallavicino of CAB (Caproni Aereonautica Bergamasca).
Although the new bomber was in the "century series" of Caproni aircraft, it resembled the Caproni Ca.310
, with its rounded nose, two engines, low-slung fuselage
and wings with a very long chord
. Several versions were fitted with different engines and some had noticeable performance differences.
The prototype was powered by two 623 kW (at 4,000 m/13,123 ft) Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC
radial engines initially fitted with two bladed wooden propellers. It had a length of 14.5 m (47.6 ft), a wingspan of 18.96 m (62.2 ft), and a wing surface of 61.5 square metre. It weighed 5606 kg (12,359.1 lb) empty and had a 2875 kg (6,338.3 lb) useful load. Structurally, it was built of mixed materials, with a stressed-skin forward fuselage and a wood and fabric-covered steel-tube rear section; the wings being of metal and wood, using fabric and wood as a covering. The wings were more than ⅓ of the total length, and had two spar
s of wooden construction, covered with plywood
and metal. The strength coefficient was 7.5. The tail surfaces were built of wood covered with metal and plywood. The fuel system, with two tanks in the inner wings, held a total of 2,200 L (581 US gal).
The Ca.135's fuselage
shape was quite different from, for example, that of the Fiat BR.20. If the latter resembled the American B-25 Mitchell
, the Ca.135, with its low fuselage more resembled the American B-26 Marauder
. Its long nose accommodated the bomb-aimer (bombardier) and a front turret (similar to the Piaggio P.108
and later British bombers). The front part of the nose was detachable to allow a quick exit from the aircraft. It also had two doors in the cockpit
roof, giving the pilots the chance to escape in an emergency. The right-hand seat could fold up to assist entry to the nose.
A single 12.7 mm (0.5 in) in a turret
in mid-fuselage, was manned by the co-pilot. A seat for the flight engineer was later fitted. The wireless operator's station, in the aft fuselage, was fitted with the AR350/AR5 (the standard for Italian bombers), a radiogoniometer (P63N), an OMI AGR.90 photographic-planimetric machine or the similar AGR 61. The aircraft was also equipped with an APR 3 camera which although not fixed, was normally operated through a small window. The wireless operator also had a 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine gun
in the ventral position. All this equipment made him very busy; as a result, an extra man was often carried. The aircraft had very wide glazed surfaces in the nose, cockpit, and the central and aft fuselage; much more than in other Italian aircraft.
The aircraft was fitted with three machine guns, of 12.7 mm (0.5 in) calibre in the turrets, and a 7.7 mm (0.303 in) calibre gun in the nose. All had 500 rounds, except the 7.7 mm (0.303 in) which had 350.
Bombload, like most Italian bombers, was less than impressive in terms of total weight, but was relatively flexible, depending on the role - from anti-ship to close air support:
The aircraft had a better bomb capacity than most of its contemparies (the SM.79 could carry: 2 × 500 kg/1,100 , 5 × 250 kg/550 lb, 12 × 100 kg/220 lb or 50 kg/110 lb bombs, or 700 × 1–2 kg/2-4 lb bomblets).
s, and maybe not even flaps). Ceiling was only 6000 m (19,685 ft) and the endurance, at 70% of throttle, was 1600 km (994.2 mi). All-up weight was too high, with total of 8725 kg (19,235.3 lb), not 7375 kg (16,259.1 lb) as expected.
The total payload of 2800 kg (6,172.9 lb) was shared between the crew (320+ kg/705+ lb), weapons (200 kg/441 lb), radios and other equipment (100 kg/220 lb), fuel (2,200 L/581 US gal), oil (1,500 kg/3,307 lb), oxygen and bombs. There was almost no chance of carrying a full load of fuel with the maximum bombload, (other Italian bombers were generally capable of a 3,300-3,600 kg/7,275-7,937 lb payload). The lack of power made take-offs when over-loaded, impossible. Indeed, even with a normal load, take-offs were problematic .
Take-off
and landing distances were 418 m (1,371.4 ft) and 430 m (1,410.8 ft). The range was good enough to assure 2200 km (1,367 mi) with 550 kg (1,210 lb) and 1200 km (745.6 mi) with 1,200 kg (2,650 lb).
The production version was fitted with two inline liquid-cooled Asso XI RC.40
engines, each giving 671 kW at 4,000 m (13,120 ft). Aerodynamic drag was reduced, with three-bladed metal propellers that were theoretically more efficient. These new engines gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 400 km/h (248.5 mph) at 4,000 m (13,120 ft). It could climb to 2,000 m (6,560 ft) in 5.5 minutes, 4,000 m (13,120 ft) in 12.1 minutes and 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 16.9 minutes.
Despite this, the aircraft was still underpowered, so the 1939 Ca.135Mod, fitted with 746 kW Piaggio P.XI engines, was developed.
to serve in the Spanish Civil War. These Tipo Spagna ("Spanish Type") aircraft were refitted with Fiat A.80
RC.41 engines, rated at 746 kW (1,000 hp).
Crews from 11 Wing were sent to Taliedo
(just outside Milan
), to take the first seven aircraft - designated Ca.135S - to Spain. One was damaged on take-off, the other six flew to Ciampino
near Rome
, where two suffered damage on landing. After repairs and some modifications, the seven aircraft were not ready to leave for Spain until late 1938. During the flight two were forced by icing to return to Italy and three crashed into the sea. Only two arrived at Palma de Mallorca
, where they remained unused for six months.
They were not successful aircraft, being heavily criticized by the Italian pilots. Unable to be used operationally, they were sent to flying schools, and then exported to Hungary. The first batch of Ca.135s flown by 11 Wing were phased out by late 1938. 25 were still available at Jesi
airfield, but only four were airworthy. The others were probably in maintenance for engine replacement. There were at least 15 Ca.135Ss and Ca.135Mods at the Malpensa flying school
in 1940, the poor condition of these aircraft meant that they were scrapped in November 1941. With the scrapping of the first batch and the selling of the second, all 64 Ca.135s left the service of the Regia Aeronautica without performing a single operational mission.
In the 1938 Imperial Japanese Army Air Force evaluation, the Ca.135 P.XI had lost to the Fiat BR.20
, but the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő (MKHL; the Royal Hungarian Air Force), Hungarian Air Force
, nonetheless ordered it. It is likely that these Hungarian Ca.135s had Manfred Weiss WM K-14 engines in place of the Piaggio P.XIs, since Hungary used these engines in its versions of the Reggiane Re.2000
and the Heinkel He 70
. Both the Piaggio P.XI and the Manfred Weiss WM K-14 were licensed versions of the French Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major.
The Hungarians operated up to 100 Ca.135s with some success against the Soviet Union
on the Eastern Front
in 1941 and 1942, once Hungary
had committed its forces in that sector during World War II
.
These aircraft constituted almost the entire Hungarian heavy bomber force. They were ordered after Hungarians returned 33 out of 36 Caproni Ca.310s acquired between May and September 1939. Because of an Italian credit for 300 million lire and the impossibility of acquiring modern German aircraft, Honvéd air force acquired the new, more powerful, Ca.135.
The second Ca.135 series was delivered between 1940 and 1941, after an order originally submitted in 1937. It was only confirmed in 1939, after a trial was carried out by Hungarian pilots at Guidonia
.
Regia Aeronautica had rejected the Ca.135s on account of its technical shortcomings and the aircraft had been taken off production. But in Hungarian service this bomber proved quite satisfactory.
When Hungary declared war to the Soviet Union, in June 1941, Honvéd air force was almost entirely equipped with Italian aircraft. The bombers had their baptisme of fire on 27 June 1941, the day of Hungarian declaration of war. That day, Sen Lt Istvan Azakonyi, on his Ca.135 from the 4/III Bomber Group, managed to destroy an important bridge with a 'trial drop' of two bombs.
The Ca.135s equipped the 3./III Group of 3rd Bomber Wing, based in Debrecen
, a bomber unit of the Hungarian air formation commanded by Lt Col Béla Orosz, that had been tasked to provide air support to the Hungarian Rapid Corps, subordinated to German 17th Army.
These bombers entered in action on 11 August, when six Capronis, commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, took off to bomb a 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the Bug
river of the city of Nikolayev, on the Black sea
. One Ca.135 had to turn back due to engine problems, but the other five, escorted by Hungarian Fiat CR.42
s and Reggiane Re.2000
s, continued eastwards. Szakonyi's Caproni was hit by AA fire
and lost his port engine but the squadron commander remained in action. One of his pilots, Capt. Eszenyi, destroyed the bridge, and Szakonyi bombed the Nikolayev train station. On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by Soviet Polikarpov I-16
fighters. The escorting Hungarian fighters shot down five I-16, while the crippled Szakonyi's Ca.135 managed to destroy another three Polikarpovs. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev, on 16 August, the commander of Luftflotte 4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated the successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska.
The Ca.135 on the Eastern front had frequent malfuncions and its insufficient combat load-carrying capability set high demands on the mechanics maintaining it. A 50 per cent operational readiness of the Capronis was to be seen as a great achievvement.
The first Hungarian Flying formation on the Eastern Front was withdrawn in September 1941, for recuperation, re-equipment and rest. In 1942 the Hungarians sent the 2nd Air Brigade to provide tactical support and reconnaissance sorties to Hungarian 2nd Army, deployed on the Don. The only bombardment unit, the 4/1 Bomber squadron, was equipped with 17 Ca.135s.
The 4° squadron operated these aircraft until late 1942, when the survivors, worn out, were used as training aircraft
. The Hungarians did not love the Ca.135Bis, but it was all they had, and so they had to make best out of it. One of the squadrons, the I/4, (originally equipped with eight aircraft), soon lost one on landing. It was replaced by another four aircraft. This squadron, up to October 1941, carried out 265 attacks, flew 1,040 sorties, and dropped around 1,450 tonnes (1,600 tons) of bombs, evidently helped by the short range (200–300 km/120-190 mi) that allowed them to use the aircraft's maximum bomb load. Two aircraft were shot down, another two were lost in accidents and 11 crewmen were killed. The daily average, over these four months, was over 8 missions flown and 13 tonnes (14 tons) of bombs dropped.
, approached the Peruvian Navy and Aviation Ministry regarding the possible Peruvian purchase of Ca.135 aircraft. Peru had been considering the replacement of its unsatisfactory Caproni Ca.111
bombers since 1935, and the Italian Air Ministry approved of the foreign sale of the Ca.135. Consequently, Peru ordered six Ca.135s from Caproni in May 1936. Peruvian Aviation Corps
Commander Ergasto Silva Guillen led a Peruvian delegation to Italy to evaluate the Ca.135 and to ensure that there was no repeat of the what the Peruvians considered to be the "Ca.111 fiasco". Caproni test pilot Ettore Wengi made a demonstration flight for the Peruvians which left Silva unimpressed; he viewed the Ca.135 as underpowered and lacking in defensive armament and wrote a letter to the Caproni company insisting on modifications to the aircraft and threatening to cancel the Peruvian order if they were not made. Caproni company founder Gianni Caproni (1886–1957) personally promised that the changes would be made.
The resulting version of the aircraft, the Ca.135 Tipo Peru ("Peruvian Type"), had more powerful engines—Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R.C.40 Spinto ("Driven") engines, uprated versions of the Isotta-Fraschini R.C.40 Asso delivering 559 kilowatts (750 horsepower) at sea level and 671 kilowatts (900 horsepower) at 4,000 meters (13,123 ft) -- and modified engine cowlings with additional openings to accommodate the additional air intakes of the new engines. The new engines gave the Ca.135 better performance that met the Peruvian requirements, and also allowed an increase in the aircrafts bomb load to 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds). Defensive armament was improved by the installation of a 12.7-millimeter (0.5-inch) machine gun in a semi-open dorsal turret equipped with a wind deflector shield to protect the gunner and another 12.7-millimeter machine gun in a retractable ventral turret. Both turrets had a 360-degree field of fire, although the ventral turret produced excessive aerodynamic drag when extended and was recommended for use only in emergencies.
All six Ca.135 Tipo Peru aircraft were completed in early July 1937. After test flights by Wengi and acceptance by the Peruvian delegation, they were disassembled and shipped to Callao
, Peru. Personnel of the Caproni companys Peruvian subsidiary, Caproni Peruana S.A., promptly began their reassembly at Las Palmas. The first Ca.135 was reassembled within two weeks, and the first flights in Peru took place when the six bombers were turned over to the Peruvian Aviation Corps new 2nd Heavy Bomber Squadron on 10 September 1937.
Ruiz base, at Chiclayo
, Peru, on 5 November 1937, while the sixth bomber remained at Las Palmas to train additional personnel. Once at Chiclayo, the five Ca.135s became the 2nd Bombardment Group, joining the Ca.111 bombers of the 1st Bombardment Group as part of the 1st Aviation Squadron. In 1940 a reorganization resulted in the Ca.135s being assigned to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Escuadrillas alongside Ca.111 bombers, although later in the year the Ca.111s were reclassified as transport aircraft
and reassigned to transport squadrons, at which point the 14th and 15th Ecuadrillas were disbanded and all Ca.135s were assigned to the 13th Escuadrilla.
In service, the Ca.135 Tipo Peru soon came under criticism, with Peruvian pilots complaining that the bombers yawed to the right on take-off and had poor lateral stability; in addition, their engines proved unreliable in service, and the bombers suffered a excessive number of oil and hydraulic leaks. Caproni Peruana S.A. noted these problems and made plans to correct them in a version of the Ca.135 to be manufactured in Peru, although in the end no Ca.135s were built in Peru.
As the result of a growing border crisis with Ecuador
in 1941, the bomber squadrons of th Peruvian Aviation Corps were ordered into operational readiness, although engine problems kept them from having more than two aircraft out of each squadron's assigned five bombers airworthy at any given time. However, the Peruvian bombers were able to train at a bombing range north of Chiclayo. When the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War
broke out on 5 July 1941, the Ca.135s remained behind at the Lieutenant Commander Ruiz base while other bombers moved to forward airfields, the greater range of the Ca.135s allowing them to avoid the need to move to forward air bases. However, Peruvian bombing missions were limited to tactical attacks on Ecuadorian troops in the front lines and facilities and forces supporting them directly, a type of attack to which Ca.135s were unsuited. Instead, the Ca.135s conducted unescorted reconnaissance flights over Ecuadorian territory and transport flights to the airfields at Piura
and Talara
, Peru. On 10 July 1941, during a transport flight, one of the Ca.135s was forced down by engine problems in an area inaccessible to ground vehicles about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) from Piura; although suffering only minor damage, its disassembly for transportation to a repair facility was infeasible, so it was stripped and abandoned.
After the war ended on 31 July 1942, the five surviving Ca.135s remained at Chiclayo. They soon were removed from service, disassembled, and carted away on flatbed truck
s driven by American military personnel from El Pato airbase. By October 1942, the last of the Peruvian Ca.135s had disappeared. Although they are rumored to have been burned in the desert or buried somewhere around the El Pato air base, their final fate is unrecorded.
RC.32 Tornado radial engines, and given the designation Ca.135 bis/Alfa. The newer and more powerful engines pushed the maximum speed of the aircraft to more than 480 km/h (300 mph).
The final variant was also a one-off, known as the Ca.135 Raid, it was used to set records and win air races. It was built in 1937 to the order of the Brazilian pilot de Barros. It was powered by two 736 kW (986 hp) Asso XIs and provided with additional fuel capacity for a greatly extended range. While attempting a flight from Italy
to Brazil
in 1937, de Barros and the Ca.135 Raid disappeared over North Africa
, in another disaster for the image of the aircraft.
Ca.135 P.XI
Ca.135 Tipo Peru
Ca.135 bis/Alfa
Ca.135 Raid
Ca 325
radial engines, built in mock-up form only.
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
designed in Bergamo in Italy by Cesare Pallavicino. It flew for the first time in 1935, and entered service with the Peruvian Air Force in 1937, and with the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Italian Royal Air Force) in January 1938.
Origins
GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Valle (Chief of Staff of the Regia Aeronautica) initiated the "R-plan" - a program designed to modernize Italy's air force, and to give it a strength of 3,000 aircraft by 1940. In late 1934 a competition was held for a bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
with the following specifications:
- Speed: 330 km/h (205.1 mph) at 4500 m (14,763.8 ft) and 385 km/h (239.2 mph) at 5000 m (16,404.2 ft).
- Rate of climb: 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) in 12½ minutes.
- Range: 1000 km (621.4 mi) with a 1200 kg (2,645.5 lb) bombload.
- Ceiling: 8000 m (26,246.7 ft).
The ceiling and range specifications were not met, but the speed was exceeded by almost all the machines entered. At the end of the competition, the "winners" were the Ca.135 (with 204 aircraft ordered), the Fiat BR.20
Fiat BR.20
The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber produced from mid-1930s until the end of World War II by the Turin firm. When it entered service in 1936 it was the first all-metal Italian bomber and it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bomber of the world...
(204), the Piaggio P.32
Piaggio P.32
|-See also:-References:* Vigna, Achille, il Piaggio P.32, Storia Militare magazine n.100 Nov. 1997...
(144), the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
(96), the CANT Z.1007
CANT Z.1007
The Cant Z.1007 Alcione was a three-engined medium bomber, with wooden structure. Designed by ingegner Filippo Zappata, the "father" of the CANT...
(49), and the Piaggio P.32
Piaggio P.32
|-See also:-References:* Vigna, Achille, il Piaggio P.32, Storia Militare magazine n.100 Nov. 1997...
(12).
This array of aircraft was proof of the anarchy, clientelarism, and inefficiency that afflicted the Italian aviation industry. Worse was the continuous waste of resources by the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Italian Royal Air Force). Orders were given for aircraft that were already obsolete. The winners of the competition were not always the best - the BR.20 was overlooked in favour of the SM.79, an aircraft which was not even entered in the competition.
Design
The Ca.135 was to be built at Caproni's main Taliedo factory in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, which is why the type had a designation in the main Caproni sequence, rather than in the Caproni-Bergamaschi Ca.300 series. However, the project was retained at Ponte San Pietro
Ponte San Pietro
Ponte San Pietro is a comune in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, northern Italy. It is about 40 km northeast of Milan and about 8 km west of Bergamo....
and the prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, completed during 1934-35, (a long construction time for the period), was first flown on 1 April. The project chief was Cesare Pallavicino of CAB (Caproni Aereonautica Bergamasca).
Although the new bomber was in the "century series" of Caproni aircraft, it resembled the Caproni Ca.310
Caproni Ca.310
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bishop, Chris. The Complete Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. London: Brown Books, 1998. ISBN 1-897884-36-2....
, with its rounded nose, two engines, low-slung fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
and wings with a very long chord
Chord (aircraft)
In aeronautics, chord refers to the imaginary straight line joining the trailing edge and the center of curvature of the leading edge of the cross-section of an airfoil...
. Several versions were fitted with different engines and some had noticeable performance differences.
The prototype was powered by two 623 kW (at 4,000 m/13,123 ft) Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC
Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC
|-See also:...
radial engines initially fitted with two bladed wooden propellers. It had a length of 14.5 m (47.6 ft), a wingspan of 18.96 m (62.2 ft), and a wing surface of 61.5 square metre. It weighed 5606 kg (12,359.1 lb) empty and had a 2875 kg (6,338.3 lb) useful load. Structurally, it was built of mixed materials, with a stressed-skin forward fuselage and a wood and fabric-covered steel-tube rear section; the wings being of metal and wood, using fabric and wood as a covering. The wings were more than ⅓ of the total length, and had two spar
Spar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground...
s of wooden construction, covered with plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
and metal. The strength coefficient was 7.5. The tail surfaces were built of wood covered with metal and plywood. The fuel system, with two tanks in the inner wings, held a total of 2,200 L (581 US gal).
The Ca.135's fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
shape was quite different from, for example, that of the Fiat BR.20. If the latter resembled the American B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, the Ca.135, with its low fuselage more resembled the American B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
. Its long nose accommodated the bomb-aimer (bombardier) and a front turret (similar to the Piaggio P.108
Piaggio P.108
The Piaggio P.108 Bombardiere was the only Italian four-engine heavy bomber used by the Axis powers during World War II. The prototype first flew in 1939 and it entered service in 1941....
and later British bombers). The front part of the nose was detachable to allow a quick exit from the aircraft. It also had two doors in the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
roof, giving the pilots the chance to escape in an emergency. The right-hand seat could fold up to assist entry to the nose.
A single 12.7 mm (0.5 in) in a turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
in mid-fuselage, was manned by the co-pilot. A seat for the flight engineer was later fitted. The wireless operator's station, in the aft fuselage, was fitted with the AR350/AR5 (the standard for Italian bombers), a radiogoniometer (P63N), an OMI AGR.90 photographic-planimetric machine or the similar AGR 61. The aircraft was also equipped with an APR 3 camera which although not fixed, was normally operated through a small window. The wireless operator also had a 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
in the ventral position. All this equipment made him very busy; as a result, an extra man was often carried. The aircraft had very wide glazed surfaces in the nose, cockpit, and the central and aft fuselage; much more than in other Italian aircraft.
The aircraft was fitted with three machine guns, of 12.7 mm (0.5 in) calibre in the turrets, and a 7.7 mm (0.303 in) calibre gun in the nose. All had 500 rounds, except the 7.7 mm (0.303 in) which had 350.
Bombload, like most Italian bombers, was less than impressive in terms of total weight, but was relatively flexible, depending on the role - from anti-ship to close air support:
- 2 × 800 kg (1,760 lb) bombs (the heaviest in the Regia Aeronautica), plus 2 × 50 kg (110 lb), and 2 × 31 kg (68 lb), for a total of 1,862 kg (4,105 lb)
- 2 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) + 4 × 100 kg (220 lb) + 2 × 31 kg (68 lb), total nominal 1,462 kg (3,223 lb)
- 4 × 250 kg (550 lb)
- 8 × 100 kg (220 lb) + 8 × 50 kg (110 lb) + 4 × 31 kg (68 lb), total 1,324 kg (2,919 lb)
- 16 × 50 kg (110 lb) + 8 × 31 kg (68 lb), total 1,048 kg (2,310 lb)
- 24 × 31 kg (68 lb), 20 kg (40 lb), 15 kg (33 lb), or 12 kg (26 lb).
- 120 × 1 kg (2 lb) or 2 kg (4 lb) bomblets
- 2 × torpedoes (never used, but hardpoints were fitted)
The aircraft had a better bomb capacity than most of its contemparies (the SM.79 could carry: 2 × 500 kg/1,100 , 5 × 250 kg/550 lb, 12 × 100 kg/220 lb or 50 kg/110 lb bombs, or 700 × 1–2 kg/2-4 lb bomblets).
Performance
The aircraft was underpowered, with a maximum speed of 363 km/h (225.6 mph) at 4500 m (14,763.8 ft) and a high minimum speed of 130 km/h (80.8 mph), (there were no slatLeading
In typography, leading refers to the distance between the baselines of successive lines of type. The term originated in the days of hand-typesetting, when thin strips of lead were inserted into the formes to increase the vertical distance between lines of type...
s, and maybe not even flaps). Ceiling was only 6000 m (19,685 ft) and the endurance, at 70% of throttle, was 1600 km (994.2 mi). All-up weight was too high, with total of 8725 kg (19,235.3 lb), not 7375 kg (16,259.1 lb) as expected.
The total payload of 2800 kg (6,172.9 lb) was shared between the crew (320+ kg/705+ lb), weapons (200 kg/441 lb), radios and other equipment (100 kg/220 lb), fuel (2,200 L/581 US gal), oil (1,500 kg/3,307 lb), oxygen and bombs. There was almost no chance of carrying a full load of fuel with the maximum bombload, (other Italian bombers were generally capable of a 3,300-3,600 kg/7,275-7,937 lb payload). The lack of power made take-offs when over-loaded, impossible. Indeed, even with a normal load, take-offs were problematic .
Take-off
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
and landing distances were 418 m (1,371.4 ft) and 430 m (1,410.8 ft). The range was good enough to assure 2200 km (1,367 mi) with 550 kg (1,210 lb) and 1200 km (745.6 mi) with 1,200 kg (2,650 lb).
The production version was fitted with two inline liquid-cooled Asso XI RC.40
Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC
|-See also:...
engines, each giving 671 kW at 4,000 m (13,120 ft). Aerodynamic drag was reduced, with three-bladed metal propellers that were theoretically more efficient. These new engines gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 400 km/h (248.5 mph) at 4,000 m (13,120 ft). It could climb to 2,000 m (6,560 ft) in 5.5 minutes, 4,000 m (13,120 ft) in 12.1 minutes and 5,000 m (16,400 ft) in 16.9 minutes.
Despite this, the aircraft was still underpowered, so the 1939 Ca.135Mod, fitted with 746 kW Piaggio P.XI engines, was developed.
Operational service
The aircraft arrived late in respect to the others (like the BR.20), and with totally unsatisfactory technology. Despite this there was an order for 32 aircraft from the Regia Aeronautica on 19 June 1937. They started to enter service in January 1938, over a year after the BR and SM bombers.Spanish Civil War
In 1938 seven aircraft were earmarked for the Aviazione LegionariaAviazione Legionaria
The Legionary Air Force was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force. It was set up in 1936 and sent to provide logistical and tactical support to Francisco Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, alongside its German equivalent, the Condor Legion, and the Italian ground...
to serve in the Spanish Civil War. These Tipo Spagna ("Spanish Type") aircraft were refitted with Fiat A.80
Fiat A.80
-References:* Gunston, Bill. . World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Patrick Stephens: Wellingborough. p.56* Ragazzi, Paolo . The Power of Aircraft Engines at Altitude. p.3...
RC.41 engines, rated at 746 kW (1,000 hp).
Crews from 11 Wing were sent to Taliedo
Taliedo
Taliedo is a peripheral district of the city Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 4 administrative division, located south-east of the city centre...
(just outside Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
), to take the first seven aircraft - designated Ca.135S - to Spain. One was damaged on take-off, the other six flew to Ciampino
Ciampino
Ciampino is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It was a frazione of Marino until 1974, when it became a comune; it obtained the city status in 2004 by presidential decree.-Overview:It is best known for the local "Giovan Battista Pastine" International Airport, best known as...
near Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where two suffered damage on landing. After repairs and some modifications, the seven aircraft were not ready to leave for Spain until late 1938. During the flight two were forced by icing to return to Italy and three crashed into the sea. Only two arrived at Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
, where they remained unused for six months.
Italy
Production of the aircraft was initially 32 aircraft, of which eight were Ca.135Ss, some were converted into the Ca.135Mod. The first Ca.135Bis were built in 1938. They were fitted with 746 kW (1,000 hp) Piaggio P.XI RC.40 engines, with Piaggio P.1001 three-blade metal propellers. Length was 17.7 m (58.1 ft), wingspan 18.8 m (61.7 ft), and wing surface 60 m² (646 ft²). Armament was still only two 12.7 mm (0.5 in) guns and one 7.7 mm (0.303 in), but the nose was redesigned to be more aerodynamic. Another 32 aircraft were ordered and built between 1939 and June 1940.They were not successful aircraft, being heavily criticized by the Italian pilots. Unable to be used operationally, they were sent to flying schools, and then exported to Hungary. The first batch of Ca.135s flown by 11 Wing were phased out by late 1938. 25 were still available at Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
airfield, but only four were airworthy. The others were probably in maintenance for engine replacement. There were at least 15 Ca.135Ss and Ca.135Mods at the Malpensa flying school
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
in 1940, the poor condition of these aircraft meant that they were scrapped in November 1941. With the scrapping of the first batch and the selling of the second, all 64 Ca.135s left the service of the Regia Aeronautica without performing a single operational mission.
Hungary
Fiat BR.20
The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber produced from mid-1930s until the end of World War II by the Turin firm. When it entered service in 1936 it was the first all-metal Italian bomber and it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bomber of the world...
, but the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő (MKHL; the Royal Hungarian Air Force), Hungarian Air Force
Hungarian Air Force
The Hungarian Air Force is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army.- 1918 to Pre–World War II :Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, a small air arm was established operating surviving aircraft from Hungarian factories and training schools...
, nonetheless ordered it. It is likely that these Hungarian Ca.135s had Manfred Weiss WM K-14 engines in place of the Piaggio P.XIs, since Hungary used these engines in its versions of the Reggiane Re.2000
Reggiane Re.2000
The Caproni-Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I was an Italian all metal, low-wing, monoplane with a Curtiss-style retractable undercarriage, used in the first part of World War II. This lightly built and highly manoeuvrable interceptor/fighter, similar to the Seversky P-35, flew for the first time in 1939...
and the Heinkel He 70
Heinkel He 70
The Heinkel He 70 was a German mail plane and fast passenger aircraft of the 1930s, that also saw use in auxiliary bomber and reconnaissance roles. It had a relatively brief commercial career before it was replaced by types which could carry more passengers...
. Both the Piaggio P.XI and the Manfred Weiss WM K-14 were licensed versions of the French Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major.
The Hungarians operated up to 100 Ca.135s with some success against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
in 1941 and 1942, once Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
had committed its forces in that sector during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
These aircraft constituted almost the entire Hungarian heavy bomber force. They were ordered after Hungarians returned 33 out of 36 Caproni Ca.310s acquired between May and September 1939. Because of an Italian credit for 300 million lire and the impossibility of acquiring modern German aircraft, Honvéd air force acquired the new, more powerful, Ca.135.
The second Ca.135 series was delivered between 1940 and 1941, after an order originally submitted in 1937. It was only confirmed in 1939, after a trial was carried out by Hungarian pilots at Guidonia
Guidonia Montecelio
Guidonia Montecelio is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy.- Geography :The community of Guidonia Montecelio lies to the north-east of Rome, some kilometres from the Grande Raccordo Anulare - a ring-shaped motorway which forms a circle around the capital...
.
Regia Aeronautica had rejected the Ca.135s on account of its technical shortcomings and the aircraft had been taken off production. But in Hungarian service this bomber proved quite satisfactory.
When Hungary declared war to the Soviet Union, in June 1941, Honvéd air force was almost entirely equipped with Italian aircraft. The bombers had their baptisme of fire on 27 June 1941, the day of Hungarian declaration of war. That day, Sen Lt Istvan Azakonyi, on his Ca.135 from the 4/III Bomber Group, managed to destroy an important bridge with a 'trial drop' of two bombs.
The Ca.135s equipped the 3./III Group of 3rd Bomber Wing, based in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, a bomber unit of the Hungarian air formation commanded by Lt Col Béla Orosz, that had been tasked to provide air support to the Hungarian Rapid Corps, subordinated to German 17th Army.
These bombers entered in action on 11 August, when six Capronis, commanded by Sen Lt Szakonyi, took off to bomb a 2 km (6,560 ft) bridge across the Bug
Bug
A bug is an insect of the order Hemiptera, known as the "true bugs".Bug or BUG may also refer to:-Biology:* Informally, most arthropods, except marine crustaceans, including individuals or species of** centipede** insect** millipede** mite...
river of the city of Nikolayev, on the Black sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. One Ca.135 had to turn back due to engine problems, but the other five, escorted by Hungarian Fiat CR.42
Fiat CR.42
The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter which served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica before and during World War II. The aircraft was produced by the Turin firm, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary...
s and Reggiane Re.2000
Reggiane Re.2000
The Caproni-Reggiane Re.2000 Falco I was an Italian all metal, low-wing, monoplane with a Curtiss-style retractable undercarriage, used in the first part of World War II. This lightly built and highly manoeuvrable interceptor/fighter, similar to the Seversky P-35, flew for the first time in 1939...
s, continued eastwards. Szakonyi's Caproni was hit by AA fire
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
and lost his port engine but the squadron commander remained in action. One of his pilots, Capt. Eszenyi, destroyed the bridge, and Szakonyi bombed the Nikolayev train station. On the way back the Capronis were intercepted by Soviet Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
fighters. The escorting Hungarian fighters shot down five I-16, while the crippled Szakonyi's Ca.135 managed to destroy another three Polikarpovs. After the German 11th Army captured Nikolayev, on 16 August, the commander of Luftflotte 4, Col Gen Lohr, decorated the successful Hungarian crews at Sutyska.
The Ca.135 on the Eastern front had frequent malfuncions and its insufficient combat load-carrying capability set high demands on the mechanics maintaining it. A 50 per cent operational readiness of the Capronis was to be seen as a great achievvement.
The first Hungarian Flying formation on the Eastern Front was withdrawn in September 1941, for recuperation, re-equipment and rest. In 1942 the Hungarians sent the 2nd Air Brigade to provide tactical support and reconnaissance sorties to Hungarian 2nd Army, deployed on the Don. The only bombardment unit, the 4/1 Bomber squadron, was equipped with 17 Ca.135s.
The 4° squadron operated these aircraft until late 1942, when the survivors, worn out, were used as training aircraft
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
. The Hungarians did not love the Ca.135Bis, but it was all they had, and so they had to make best out of it. One of the squadrons, the I/4, (originally equipped with eight aircraft), soon lost one on landing. It was replaced by another four aircraft. This squadron, up to October 1941, carried out 265 attacks, flew 1,040 sorties, and dropped around 1,450 tonnes (1,600 tons) of bombs, evidently helped by the short range (200–300 km/120-190 mi) that allowed them to use the aircraft's maximum bomb load. Two aircraft were shot down, another two were lost in accidents and 11 crewmen were killed. The daily average, over these four months, was over 8 missions flown and 13 tonnes (14 tons) of bombs dropped.
Design and production
Early in 1936, Capronis representative in Lima, PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, approached the Peruvian Navy and Aviation Ministry regarding the possible Peruvian purchase of Ca.135 aircraft. Peru had been considering the replacement of its unsatisfactory Caproni Ca.111
Caproni Ca.111
The Caproni Ca.111 was a long-range reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber produced in Italy during the 1930s. It was a derivative of the Ca.101.-Design and development:...
bombers since 1935, and the Italian Air Ministry approved of the foreign sale of the Ca.135. Consequently, Peru ordered six Ca.135s from Caproni in May 1936. Peruvian Aviation Corps
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
Commander Ergasto Silva Guillen led a Peruvian delegation to Italy to evaluate the Ca.135 and to ensure that there was no repeat of the what the Peruvians considered to be the "Ca.111 fiasco". Caproni test pilot Ettore Wengi made a demonstration flight for the Peruvians which left Silva unimpressed; he viewed the Ca.135 as underpowered and lacking in defensive armament and wrote a letter to the Caproni company insisting on modifications to the aircraft and threatening to cancel the Peruvian order if they were not made. Caproni company founder Gianni Caproni (1886–1957) personally promised that the changes would be made.
The resulting version of the aircraft, the Ca.135 Tipo Peru ("Peruvian Type"), had more powerful engines—Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R.C.40 Spinto ("Driven") engines, uprated versions of the Isotta-Fraschini R.C.40 Asso delivering 559 kilowatts (750 horsepower) at sea level and 671 kilowatts (900 horsepower) at 4,000 meters (13,123 ft) -- and modified engine cowlings with additional openings to accommodate the additional air intakes of the new engines. The new engines gave the Ca.135 better performance that met the Peruvian requirements, and also allowed an increase in the aircrafts bomb load to 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds). Defensive armament was improved by the installation of a 12.7-millimeter (0.5-inch) machine gun in a semi-open dorsal turret equipped with a wind deflector shield to protect the gunner and another 12.7-millimeter machine gun in a retractable ventral turret. Both turrets had a 360-degree field of fire, although the ventral turret produced excessive aerodynamic drag when extended and was recommended for use only in emergencies.
All six Ca.135 Tipo Peru aircraft were completed in early July 1937. After test flights by Wengi and acceptance by the Peruvian delegation, they were disassembled and shipped to Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, Peru. Personnel of the Caproni companys Peruvian subsidiary, Caproni Peruana S.A., promptly began their reassembly at Las Palmas. The first Ca.135 was reassembled within two weeks, and the first flights in Peru took place when the six bombers were turned over to the Peruvian Aviation Corps new 2nd Heavy Bomber Squadron on 10 September 1937.
Operational service
After their pilots had undergone two months of intensive training by Italian officers, five 2nd Heavy Bomber Squadron Ca.135s flew to their permanent base, the Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Ruiz base, at Chiclayo
Chiclayo
Chiclayo is the capital city of the Lambayeque region in northern Peru. It is located 13 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast and 770 kilometers from the nation's capital, Lima...
, Peru, on 5 November 1937, while the sixth bomber remained at Las Palmas to train additional personnel. Once at Chiclayo, the five Ca.135s became the 2nd Bombardment Group, joining the Ca.111 bombers of the 1st Bombardment Group as part of the 1st Aviation Squadron. In 1940 a reorganization resulted in the Ca.135s being assigned to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Escuadrillas alongside Ca.111 bombers, although later in the year the Ca.111s were reclassified as transport aircraft
Transport aircraft
Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes:* Airliners* Cargo aircraft* Mail planes* Military transport aircraft...
and reassigned to transport squadrons, at which point the 14th and 15th Ecuadrillas were disbanded and all Ca.135s were assigned to the 13th Escuadrilla.
In service, the Ca.135 Tipo Peru soon came under criticism, with Peruvian pilots complaining that the bombers yawed to the right on take-off and had poor lateral stability; in addition, their engines proved unreliable in service, and the bombers suffered a excessive number of oil and hydraulic leaks. Caproni Peruana S.A. noted these problems and made plans to correct them in a version of the Ca.135 to be manufactured in Peru, although in the end no Ca.135s were built in Peru.
As the result of a growing border crisis with Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
in 1941, the bomber squadrons of th Peruvian Aviation Corps were ordered into operational readiness, although engine problems kept them from having more than two aircraft out of each squadron's assigned five bombers airworthy at any given time. However, the Peruvian bombers were able to train at a bombing range north of Chiclayo. When the Ecuadorian-Peruvian War
Ecuadorian-Peruvian war
The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War was a border war fought between July 5, 1941 and July 31, 1941, the first of three military conflicts that occurred between these two South American nations during the 20th century....
broke out on 5 July 1941, the Ca.135s remained behind at the Lieutenant Commander Ruiz base while other bombers moved to forward airfields, the greater range of the Ca.135s allowing them to avoid the need to move to forward air bases. However, Peruvian bombing missions were limited to tactical attacks on Ecuadorian troops in the front lines and facilities and forces supporting them directly, a type of attack to which Ca.135s were unsuited. Instead, the Ca.135s conducted unescorted reconnaissance flights over Ecuadorian territory and transport flights to the airfields at Piura
Piura
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496.It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in July 1532...
and Talara
Talara
Talara is a city in the Talara Province of the Piura Region, in northwestern Peru. It is a port city on the Pacific Ocean with a population of 103,200 as of 2005. Its climate is hot and dry. Due to its oil reserves, and ability to produce aviation fuel, Talara hosted a United States air base during...
, Peru. On 10 July 1941, during a transport flight, one of the Ca.135s was forced down by engine problems in an area inaccessible to ground vehicles about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) from Piura; although suffering only minor damage, its disassembly for transportation to a repair facility was infeasible, so it was stripped and abandoned.
After the war ended on 31 July 1942, the five surviving Ca.135s remained at Chiclayo. They soon were removed from service, disassembled, and carted away on flatbed truck
Flatbed truck
A flatbed truck is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, it has an entirely flat, level 'bed' body with no sides or roof...
s driven by American military personnel from El Pato airbase. By October 1942, the last of the Peruvian Ca.135s had disappeared. Although they are rumored to have been burned in the desert or buried somewhere around the El Pato air base, their final fate is unrecorded.
Modified aircraft
A single Ca.135 P.XI was modified by Caproni. It incorporated a dihedral tailplane and 1,044 kW (1,400 hp) Alfa Romeo 135Alfa Romeo 135
The Alfa Romeo 135 Tornado was an Italian 18-cylinder radial engine designed by Giustino Cattaneo in 1934-35. It basically consisted of two nine-cylinder radials, using similar engines to the Alfa Romeo 126. Cattaneo leaved A.R. in 1936, leaving the development to eng. Bossi and his staff, but...
RC.32 Tornado radial engines, and given the designation Ca.135 bis/Alfa. The newer and more powerful engines pushed the maximum speed of the aircraft to more than 480 km/h (300 mph).
The final variant was also a one-off, known as the Ca.135 Raid, it was used to set records and win air races. It was built in 1937 to the order of the Brazilian pilot de Barros. It was powered by two 736 kW (986 hp) Asso XIs and provided with additional fuel capacity for a greatly extended range. While attempting a flight from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1937, de Barros and the Ca.135 Raid disappeared over North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, in another disaster for the image of the aircraft.
Variants
Ca.135 Tipo Spagna- Seven aircraft fitted with Fiat A.80Fiat A.80-References:* Gunston, Bill. . World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Patrick Stephens: Wellingborough. p.56* Ragazzi, Paolo . The Power of Aircraft Engines at Altitude. p.3...
RC.41 engines for service in Spain.
Ca.135 P.XI
- Medium bomber version, powered by two 746 kW (1,000 hp) Piaggio P.XI RC 40 radial piston enginesReciprocating engineA reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
.
Ca.135 Tipo Peru
- Export version for Peru, six aircraft fitted with two 671 kW (900 hp) Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R.C.40 Spinto engines.
Ca.135 bis/Alfa
- Single aircraft fitted with two 1,044 kW (1,400 hp) Alfa Romeo 135 RC 32 Tornado radial piston engines.
Ca.135 Raid
- Special long range version, fitted with extra fuel tankFuel tankA fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
s. One built.
Ca 325
- A development of the Ca 135, powered by 1450 h.p. 18-cylinder Isotta-Fraschlni Asso L.180 I.R.C.CA5
radial engines, built in mock-up form only.
Operators
- Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő (Hungarian Air ForceHungarian Air ForceThe Hungarian Air Force is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army.- 1918 to Pre–World War II :Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, a small air arm was established operating surviving aircraft from Hungarian factories and training schools...
)
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
- Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
- Peruvian Aviation CorpsPeruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...