Stipa-Caproni
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| Stipa-Caproni | |
|---|---|
| Type | Experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Caproni |
| Designed by | Luigi Stipa |
| Maiden flight | October 7 1932 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Stipa-Caproni was an experimental Italian aircraft designed in 1932 by Luigi Stipa and built by Caproni. It featured a hollow, barrel-shaped fuselage with the engine and propeller completely enclosed by the fuselage - in essence, the whole fuselage was a single ducted fan. Although the Regia Aeronautica was not interested in pursuing development of the Stipa-Caproni, its design was an important step in the development of the jet engine.
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[edit] Stipa's design
Stipa's basic idea was to compress the propeller's airflow and the engine exhaust in a tapered duct, essentially applying Bernoulli's principle of fluid movements. Additionally, the duct itself had a profile similar to that of the airfoils, allowing the fuselage to provide the airplane with additional lift. The design was very similar to the way modern jet engines work; in fact, after having patented his design in Italy, Germany and the United States in 1938, Stipa became convinced that German rocket and jet technology (especially the V-1 flying bomb) was using his patented invention without giving proper credit.
[edit] Test flights and influence
On October 7, 1932, Caproni test pilot Domenico Antonini performed a test flight with the Stipa prototype. The prototype was then transferred to Montecelio where further test flights were conducted by the Italian Air Force. All test pilots reported that the plane was extremely stable in flight, to the point where it was difficult to change course; test pilots were also astounded by the very low landing speed of only 68 km/h and the consequently very short landing run.
As the plane did not perform exceedingly better than conventional aircraft designs, the Regia Aeronautica decided to cancel further development after a brief series of test flights. The experiences collected with the Stipa-Caproni became, however, an important influence in the development of the motorjet-powered Caproni Campini N.1.
[edit] Specifications
- Length: 5.55 m
- Wingspan: 14.28 m
- Height: 3 m
- Weight: 800 kg
- Engine: De Havilland Gipsy III
- Power: 120 hp
- Maximum speed: 131 km/h
[edit] References
- Thompson, Jonathan W. Italian Civil and Military Aircraft, 1930-1945, Aero Publishers, 1963
[edit] External links
- Luigi Stipa - a pioneer of jet flying
- Modern Mechanix article (Jan 1933)
- Flight footage
- A replica of the Stipa-Caproni built in 1998
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