Caproni
Ca.60 Transaereo
The Caproni Ca.60 Transaereo was an ambitious Italian flying‑boat prototype built by Gianni Caproni’s firm in the early 1920s. Designed as an eight‑engine, nine‑winged aircraft capable of carrying over a hundred passengers across the Atlantic, the Ca.60 reflected post‑World War I optimism that the sky could replace the ocean for long‑distance travel. Its structure featured a central hull supported by three concentric wing sets, each with three staggered wings, giving the machine its distinctive triple‑wing silhouette. Power came from eight Liberty V‑12 engines mounted in pairs on the inner wings, driving four tractor and four pusher propellers. The pilot’s cockpit sat ahead of the hull, while the passenger deck occupied the hull’s spacious interior with cabin windows and a galley.
Only a single airframe was completed. The prototype made its first hop on 12 February 1921, but a violent dive during a test flight at Lago di Garda caused it to break apart and sink, ending the program. Although never entering service, the Ca.60 demonstrated the limits of scale in early aeronautics and influenced later concepts of large transport aircraft, serving as a cautionary example of the engineering challenges of multi‑wing, multi‑engine designs.
Only a single airframe was completed. The prototype made its first hop on 12 February 1921, but a violent dive during a test flight at Lago di Garda caused it to break apart and sink, ending the program. Although never entering service, the Ca.60 demonstrated the limits of scale in early aeronautics and influenced later concepts of large transport aircraft, serving as a cautionary example of the engineering challenges of multi‑wing, multi‑engine designs.
Classification
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 1
- First Flight
- 1921