Ca.2

The Caproni Ca.2, designed and built by Giovanni Battista Caproni in the early 1910s, was one of Italy’s first purpose‑built military aircraft and a direct evolution of the pioneering Ca.1 prototype. First flown in the spring of 1914, the Ca.2 was a two‑seat, unequal‑span biplane powered by a 70 hp Gnome rotary engine driving a pusher propeller mounted behind the pilot and observer. Its wooden frame was covered with doped fabric, and the wing structure employed a mix of wire bracing and interplane struts that gave the machine a sturdy yet lightweight character. A modest 10‑minute endurance and a top speed of 100 km/h suited it for short‑range reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and pilot training, roles that the Italian Army quickly adopted as the conflict in the Balkans intensified. The Ca.2’s straightforward construction allowed small workshops to produce it in limited numbers, helping to establish a domestic supply chain for aircraft components. Although it was soon eclipsed by larger, more powerful Caproni bombers, the Ca.2 demonstrated the feasibility of indigenous aviation design, laid the groundwork for Italy’s wartime aircraft industry, and cemented Caproni’s reputation as a visionary aeronautical engineer.

Giovanni Battista Caproni

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Production & History

Design & Classification