Caproni Ca.3

The Caproni Ca.3 was a three‑engine biplane bomber developed in Italy during World War I and produced by the aviation firm Caproni. First flown in 1916 as an evolution of the earlier Ca.1 and Ca.2 models, the Ca.3 incorporated a more powerful engine layout: a 260 hp Isotta Fraschini V.6 driving the central nacelle and two 150 hp Austro‑Daimler inline engines mounted on the upper wing’s struts. Its wooden frame, fabric covering, and twin‑boom tail gave the aircraft a distinctive silhouette and provided a useful payload of up to 800 kg of bombs, while the crew of three—pilot, gunner, and observer—could defend themselves with a forward‑firing machine gun and a rear flexible gun. Over 300 units were built, serving the Regia Aeronautica in bombing raids over the Austro‑Hungarian front and later in post‑war civilian transport experiments. The Ca.3 demonstrated the feasibility of multi‑engine strategic bombing, influencing later designs such as the Caproni Ca.5 and contributing to Italy’s early reputation as a pioneer of heavy‑aircraft engineering. Its operational record helped shape doctrines of high‑altitude, long‑range bombing that persisted into the interwar period. Its roughly 30‑meter wingspan and simple upkeep made the Ca.3 a practical bomber for Italy’s early air force.

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