Caproni Ca.97
# Caproni Ca.97

The Caproni Ca.97 was a civil utility aircraft produced in Italy in the late 1920s and early 1930s. As originally designed, it was a high-wing braced trimotor monoplane of conventional configuration with one engine mounted on the nose and the other two carried on strut-mounted nacelles at the fuselage sides. Examples were also produced with only the nose engine or only the two nacelle-mounted engines.

## Operational history

Some aircraft were used by airlines in small numbers. Military versions were used by the Regia Aeronautica in colonial policing roles, particularly in Libya from November 1929.

## Variants

### Ca.97

    Prototype 3-engined powered by 3x 75 kW (100 hp) Lorraine-Dietrich 5P 5-cylinder radial engines; one built.

### Ca.97 C.Tr.

    (C.Tr. - coloniale trasporto - colonial transport), colonial transports similar to the Ca.97, powered by 3x 108 kW (145 hp) Walter Mars radial engines;two built.

### Ca.97 C.Mo

    Powered by a single 370 kW (500 hp) Alfa Romeo Jupiter VIII Ri.

### Ca.97 M

    Powered by a single 310 kW (420 hp) Alfa Romeo Jupiter IV.

### Ca.97 Co

    Colonial reconnaissance-bomber, powered by a single 310 kW (420 hp) Alfa Romeo Jupiter IV; five aircraft built.

### Ca.97 Ri

    Armed reconnaissance aircraft, powered by a single 370 kW (500 hp) Alfa Romeo Jupiter VIII Ri; four built for the Regia Aeronautica.

### Ca.97 Idro

    Twin-float seaplane version, powered by a single 370 kW (500 hp) Alfa Romeo Jupiter VIII Ri; one aircraft built.

## Operators

### Civil

**Italy**

* Salvatore Castelli
* Società Aerea Mediterranea
* Ala Littoria

**Hungary**

* Malért (Magyar Légiforgalmi R.T.)

### Military

**Italy**

* Regia Aeronautica

**Hungary**

* Magyar Légierő (Hungarian Air Force)

## Specifications (Ca.97 Ri)

Data from Aeroplani Caproni, Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1928

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Capacity: 4-5 crew
* Length: 11.35 m (37 ft 3 in)
* Wingspan: 16 m (52 ft 6 in)
* Height: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
* Wing area: 40 $m^2$ (430 sq ft)
* Empty weight: 1,650 kg (3,638 lb)
* Gross weight: 2,650 kg (5,842 lb)
* Powerplant: 1 × Alfa Romeo Jupiter VIII Ri 9-cyl air-cooled radial piston engine, 370 kW (500 hp)
* Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch propeller

Performance

* Maximum speed: 230 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
* Range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 5,750 m (18,860 ft)

Armament

* Guns: 2x 7.7 mm (0.30 in) machine-guns in dorsal and ventral positions
