Caproni
Caproni Ca.90
The Caproni Ca.90 was an Italian heavy transport aircraft constructed by the Caproni company in the early 1930s. Designed by Gianni Caproni’s team as a scaled‑up version of the earlier Ca.73, the Ca.90 first flew on 8 July 1934 at Taliedo, near Milan. Its most striking characteristic was the unprecedented size for its era: a six‑engine, four‑wing layout with two tandem pairs of Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines mounted on the lower wing and two on the upper wing, driving a massive 34‑meter (111‑ft) wingspan. The aircraft could carry up to 16,000 kg (35,200 lb) of cargo or 70 soldiers, and its reinforced undercarriage featured ten wheels to distribute the load. Although only a single prototype was built, the Ca.90 demonstrated the feasibility of very large, multi‑engine transports, influencing later designs such as the German Junkers Ju 90 and the Soviet ANT‑20. The aircraft’s record‑setting payload capacity earned it a place in the Guinness Book of Records and highlighted Caproni’s innovative engineering approach. The Ca.90 remains a symbol of interwar ambition, illustrating the transition from biplanes to the giant transport concepts that would dominate World War II logistics.
Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1929