Caproni Ca.133
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| Caproni Ca.133 | |
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| Type | Transport/Light bomber |
| Manufacturer | Caproni |
| Maiden flight | 1934 |
| Introduced | 1935 |
| Primary users | Regia Aeronautica Ala Littoria |
The Caproni Ca.133 was a three-engine transport/bomber aircraft used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica from the Second Italo-Abyssinian War until World War II.
Originally developed as a civilian airliner and successor to the Caproni Ca.101, the Ca.133 prototype first flew in December 1934, and production began in 1935. The military versions of the aircraft were used as transports and light bombers and saw action on all fronts.
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[edit] Design
The Ca.133, like its predecessor the Ca.101, was a robust and inexpensive aircraft, designed to be easily maintained in difficult conditions and economical to operate. Its performance suffered accordingly, even by 1930's standards.
The aircraft was powered by three engines, one in the nose, and one under each wing mounted in nacelles supported by steel tubes. It was of mixed construction, with a fuselage of steel tubes covered in plywood and fabric. The wing was mounted high, roughly elliptical, and made of wood and steel. The undercarriage was spatted and fixed.
Armament consisted of four Vickers machine guns; one dorsal, one ventral, and two lateral. Two small internal bomb bays were able to hold up to 500 kg, and larger ordnance could be mounted externally.
[edit] Operational service
[edit] Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1935–1936)
The Ca.133 was well-suited for colonial use, and it became the most successful of all Italian colonial aircraft.
The more advanced Savoia-Marchetti SM.81s were too valuable to be used in 'low level wars' and were also more costly. The war was thus fought mainly with the Ca.101, Ca.111 and Ca.133.
Around 100 Ca.133s took part in the conflict, and as well as 'normal' bombing and strafing, they were often equipped with mustard gas and Phosgene chemical bombs. These weapons were forbidden by the Geneva Protocol of 1925, but in this war (and in Libya) the Italians ignored the convention.
The Ca.133s were also used as transports to support the army, as well as reconnaissance aircraft.
Without any air opposition, and flak almost exclusively based on small calibre arms, air power was a decisive factor in Italy's final victory, culminating in the capture of Addis Ababa in early 1936. Even so, COIN (COunter INsurrection) operations continued until the start of World War II.
[edit] Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)
While in Ethiopia they were widely used, in Spain the Ca.133 was found to be too slow, and highly vulnerable to enemy I-15 and I-16 aircraft, and to heavy anti-aircraft fire.
[edit] World War II (1939-1945)
The Ca.133 was used mostly as a light transport aircraft in mainland Italy, supporting fighter and bomber squadrons by carrying supplies, personnel and spare parts. It was also used as an air ambulance in the Ca.133S (Sanitary) variant. Over 250 Ca.133s were in service in September 1939, when the war broke out. Some survived until the Armistice in 1943.
[edit] Post-war
A handful were retained for civilian service with the airline Ala Littoria. Some were exported to Austria.
The last Ca.133 was phased out by the Aeronautica Militare in 1947, and the last Ca.148 flew until 1956 with the Italian Aeroclub.
[edit] Variants
- Ca.133
- Bomber and transport
- Ca.133S
- Medical transport
- Ca.133T
- Troop transport
- Ca.148
- Stretched 8-seat civil/military transport
[edit] Operators
[edit] Military Operators
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United Kingdom (Wartime)
- Royal Air Force
- No. 117 Squadron RAF
Italy (Postwar)
[edit] Civil Operators
[edit] Specifications (Ca.133)
Data from World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5 for bomber, 2 for transport
- Length: 15.36 m (59 ft 4.75 in)
- Wingspan: 21.34 (69 ft 8 in)
- Height: 4.0 m (13 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 65 m² (700 ft²)
- Empty weight: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb)
- Loaded weight: 6,525 kg (14,390 lb)
- Powerplant: 3× Piaggio Stella VII.C 16 air-cooled radial engines, 460 hp (340 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 230 km/h (120 knots, 140 mph)
- Cruise speed: 200 km/h (110 knots, 120 mph)
- Range: 1,350 km (729 nm, 840 mi)
- Service ceiling 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
- Wing loading: 100 kg/m² (21 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 210 W/kg (130 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns
- Bombs: 500 kg (1,100 lb)
[edit] References
- ^ Angelucci, Enzo (1982). World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-54724-4.
- Ca.133 reconnaissance table, Storia militare magazine n.83. (Italian)
[edit] External links
- Century-of-flight.net
- Caproni Ca.133 (Italian)
- aerei-italiani.net (Italian)
- airwar.ru (Russian)
- Examples exported
[edit] See also
Related development
Related lists
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