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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2090.PDF
JULY 25, 1940 A line-up of Ca 135 bombers with Fiat engines in service with a squadron of the Italian Air Force. The type of Fiat engine speci- fied is the A 80 RC 41 18-cylinder two-row radial, which has a total displacement of 45.72 litres. A nor- mal output of 1,000 h.p. is claimed at 2,100 r.p.m. at 13,400ft., the power at sea level being 885 h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m. At 2,200 r.p.m., 1,030 h.p. are available for take-off. A Fiat Hamilton constant-speed airscrew is used with this engine. The Piaggio P XI RC 40, which is an alternative power plant, is a 14-cylinder engine giving 1,000 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. at 13,100ft. The dry weight is 1,433 lb- Tankage Engine mountings are of steel tubes connecting with front and rear spars. Fuel (473 gallons) is carried in the centre section. For strategical recon- .naissance work the capacity may be increased to 605 gallons by installing extra tanks in the bomb bay. The pilots' cockpit is approximately in line with the leading edge of the wing and has side-by-side seats. It is possible to disengage the starboard controls to allow access to the bomb- aimer's position, which is situated in 1 CAPRONI : Two Piaggio PXI Ca 135 I RC 40 Engines : • DIMENSIONS. : : Span • Length• Height • Wing area • WEIGHTS AND ; Weight empty : Weight loaded• Wing loading ... 61 ft. 8 ia. : .. 46 ft. 10 in. :... 11 ft. 3 in. • ... 646 sq. ft. : LOADINGS. • ... 13,337 1b. ! ... 21,054 lb. :... 30.2 lb./sq. ft. ! : , PERFORMANCE. | : Top speed at sea level j Top speed at 15,740 ft: Minimum speed : Climb to 3,280 ft. ...: Climb to 6,650 ft. ... : Climb to 9,84(1 ft. ...: Climb to 13,120 ft. ; Climb to 16,400 ft. : Take off run • Landing run1 Range (at 217 m.p.h.) ... 229 m.p.h. : ... 273 m.p.h. :... 80 m.p.h. : ... 2 Tnin 29 sec. •... 6 min. 17 sec. • ... 9 min. 20 sec. |... 12 min. 53 sec. I ... 17 min. 23 sec. j380 yd. i ... 270 yd. =... 1,240 miles. • : N.B.—It is claimed that the machine will : i climb from 5,570 ft. tc: on a single engine : 4,400 lb. 10,500 ft. in 40 min. •carrying a load of : the bottom of the nose section. Wire- less apparatus is installed behind the pilots' position, and there is provision for a camera behind the radio com- partment. Oxygen equipment is oi the independent type, which means that there is an individual supply and regulator for each member of the crew. Armament Set about two feet back from the extreme nose of the fuselage is a hori- zontal slot from which the barrel of a single 12.7 mm. Breda SAFAT gun pro- trudes. The horizontal traverse pos- sible is about 160 deg., but elevation is very restricted. Aft of the pilots' position is a semi-retractable power- driven turret with two 12.7 mm. guns, which are arranged to fire in oppo- site directions, though they are operated by one man. This arrange- ment is explained by the fact that the turret turns only through 180 deg. The arrangement of the lower floor gun is certainly neat and is said to be quite practical. The gun is placed on a mounting which is retractable into the fuselage. Large windows in the walls of the fuselage admit ample light to this position. In the plane of the wing there are two compartments in the fuselage which will accommodate up to 2,425 lb. of bombs. Several combinations are possible. The bomb doors are four On the left is a viewof a Ca 135 which may soon becomefamiliar to British fighter pilots. Below is one of theearlier Ca 135s in '•• semi-mock-up form. '.!The unusual top turret with opposedguns and the in- stallation of the gunin the nose can be seen.
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