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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1712.PDF
JUNE 13, 1940 CAPRONl (BERGAMASCHI) A.P.I. Duties: Ground Attack. An obsolescent low-wing cantilever monoplane two-seaterwith a fixed undercarriage, the A.P.I has an Alfa-Romeo 125 RC 35 radial engine. The normal armament comprisestwo fixed machine guns and one free gun in addition to internally and externally stowed bombs. It is thought thatlour fixed guns can be carried in all. The top speed can be little more than 210 m.p.h. and the ceiling about 24,500ft.Data: Span, 42ft. 8in.; wing area, 258 sq. ft.; all-up weight, 5,130 1b. FIAT C.R.25. Duties: Bombing, Reconnaissance and Ground Attack. A twin-engined low-wing monoplane, the C.R.25 is armedwith two or four fixed guns in the nose of the fuselage and another in a retractable turret on top of the fuselage. Theengines are of the Fiat A 74 RC 38 type and a crew of three is normally carried. With the turret retracted the machinemight easily be mistaken for a civil type due to the windows in the cabin. Data : Span, 51ft. ioin.; length, 44ft. 3in.;disposable load, 5,070.1b.; top speed at 14,500ft., 285 m.p.h.; service ceiling, 30,800ft. SAVOIA-MARCHETTI S.M.81. Duties : Bombing. An obsolescent three-engined bomber resembling the civil S 73transport machine. Tn several respects it resembles the Ger- man Junkers Ju 52, but the construction is actually verydifferent. Engines are three Piaggio Stella X RCs of 700 h.p. There are two SAFAT guns in a retractable Breda turretbehind the pilot's cockpit and two more in a lower turret. Data: Span, 78ft. 8Ain.; top speed, 210 m.p.h. at 9,850ft.;climb to 9,850ft., 12 rain.; ceiling, 22,500ft. SAVOIA-MARCHETTI S.M.79. Duties : Bombing and Reconnaissance. One of the most successful of the Italian bombers this three-engined machine is especially notable for its high wing-load- ing of over 35 lb. /sq. ft. Most of the machines in servicehave the Alfa-Romeo 126 RC 34 engines (Bristol Pegasus licence). Use is made of Handley Page slots and slottedflaps. There is one fixed 12.7 mm. gun, a similar gun on a flexible mounting on top of the fuselage and a third gunbelow the fuselage. Data: Span, 66ft. 3m.; weight loaded, 23,100 Ib.; top speed, 270 m.p.h. at 12,450ft.; climb to13,000ft., 13 min. 20 sec; service ceiling, 22,900ft. FIAT B.R.20. Duties : Bombing and Reconnaissance. A widely employed twin-engined monoplane, the B.R.20 isarmed with one 12.7 mm. gun in a powered Breda nose turret; two similar guns in a retractable turret on top of the fuse-lage; and another gun in a position beneath the fuselage. The engines are Fiat A 80 RC 41 18-cylinder radials giving1,000 h.p. at 13,450ft. The wing is heavily tapered and the braced fins are set well inboard from the tips of the tail-planes. Data: Span, 70ft. 6in.; wing-loading, 28 lb./sq. ft.; top speed, 263 m.p.h. at 13,100ft.; climb to 16,400 ft., 18 min.(The B.R.20M differs in detail design.) CAPRONl Ca 135. Duties: Bombing and Reconnaissance. This twin-engined mid-wing monoplane is believed to belargely superseded by the Ca 135 bis, from which it differs mainly in the type of engine fitted. It has two water-cooledIsotta Fraschini Asso Xi RC 40 vee-twelves giving 900 h.p. each at 14,750ft. A 12.7 mm. gun with a limited arc of fireis fitted ia the nose and there are retractable turrets above and below the fuselage. Data: Span, 61ft. 8in.; wing-load-ing, 25.2 lb./sq. ft.; top speed, 265 m.p.h. at 16,400ft.; climb to 9,850ft., 9 min. 20 sec; absolute ceiling, 26,200ft. CAPRONl Ca 135 bis. Duties : Bombing and Reconnaissance. This aircraft is generally similar to the Ca 135 except in thematter of engines. These are Piaggio P Xi RC 40s, giving 1,000 h.p. each at 13,100ft. The wing is of wooden construc-tion but the fuselage is of mixed construction, the nose being of monocoque and the middle and rear sections of weldedsteel tube. The Piaggio radials give the following perform- ance: Top speed, 273 m.p.h.; climb to 13,100ft., 12 min.53 sec; take-off run, 380yd.
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