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Caproni Ca.133

Topic: Engineering

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Short description: Italian transport and bomber aircraft (1935–1948)
Caproni Ca.133
General information
ManufacturerCaproni
Management and usageRegia Aeronautica
Ala Littoria
Number built505 + 1 prototype [1]
History
Introduction date1935
First flight1934
Retired1948

The Caproni Ca.133 was a three-engined transport/bomber aircraft used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica from the Second Italo-Abyssinian War until World War II.[2]

Originally developed as a civilian airliner and successor to the Ca.101, the Ca.133 prototype first flew in December 1934, and production began in 1935. The military versions of the aircraft were used as transports and light bombers and saw action on all fronts.

A stretched transport version of the aircraft was produced as the Caproni Ca.148.[3]

Design

Designed by ingegnere Rodolfo Verduzio, the Caproni 133 was aerodynamically and structurally an improved Ca.101.[4] Like its predecessor, the Ca.101, was a robust and inexpensive aircraft, designed to be easily maintained in difficult conditions and economical to operate. It had a welded steel-tube structure, mixed construction, with metal and fabric covering, main wheel spats, flaps and modified tail surfaces.[5]

The wing was high-mounted, roughly elliptical, and made of wood and steel. The undercarriage was spatted and fixed. The aircraft was powered by three engines, one in the nose, and one under each wing mounted in faired nacelles, with NACA cowlings, supported by steel tubes.[3]

The civil version could accommodate up to 16 passengers.[3] It was used by Ala Littoria.[3] The military version was widely used by Regia Aeronautica, mostly in Italian East Africa.[6] As a bomber it incorporated two small internal bomb bays where it could hold up to 500 kg (1,100 lb).[3] Larger ordnance could be mounted externally. It was armed with four 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, one dorsal, one ventral, and two lateral.[3] Bomber aircraft operated as military transports, redesignated Ca 133T, had their interiors modified to accommodate 18 fully equipped soldiers.[5]

Operational service

Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1935–1936)

The Ca.133 was well-suited for colonial use, and it became the most successful of all Italian colonial aircraft.

The more advanced Savoia-Marchetti SM.81s were too valuable to be used in 'low level wars' and were also more costly. The war was thus fought mainly with the Ca.101, Ca.111 and Ca.133.

Around 100 Ca.133s took part in the conflict, and as well as 'normal' bombing and strafing, they were often equipped with mustard gas and Phosgene chemical bombs. These weapons were forbidden by the Geneva Protocol of 1925, but in this war (and in Libya) Italy ignored the convention.

The Ca.133s were also used as transports to support the army, as well as reconnaissance aircraft.

Without any air opposition, and flak almost exclusively based on small-calibre arms, air power was a decisive factor in Italy's final victory, culminating in the capture of Addis Ababa in early 1936. Even so, COIN (COunter INsurgency) operations continued until the start of World War II.

Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

World War II (1939–1945)

In mainland Italy, the Ca.133 was used mostly as a light transport aircraft supporting fighter and bomber squadrons by carrying supplies, personnel and spare parts. The Regia Aeronautica soon realized that due to improvements, the type was suitable for combat in North and East Africa. At the outbreak of war the Ca.133 equipped 14 Squadriglie da Bombardamento in these theatres.[7]

In East Africa, it was still used as bomber and attack aircraft. Occasionally it even managed to shoot down enemy aircraft.[8] On 12 June 1940, in the south region, three Ca.133s of 66ª Squadriglia from Yavello attacked an Allied column of half a dozen trucks and 200 men. Ca.133s of 65ª Squadriglia, from Neghelli, attacked the Allied positions around Moyale on two occasions, each time with three aircraft. That night, ten Caproni Ca.133s bombed the port of Aden and Khormaksar airfield, already attacked during daylight hours by seven SM.81s of 29° Gruppo. Three other Capronis attacked Cassala airfield in the Sudan.[9] On 23 January 1941 a Ca.133 shot down an Avro Anson flown by Lt E.A. Gebhardt of 60 SAAF Squadron; the Anson crashed before anyone could bale out.[8]


Postwar

Variants

Caproni Ca.148
Ca.133
Bomber and transport; 76 aircraft produced
Ca.133S
Medical transport, 30 aircraft produced
Ca.133T
Troop transport, 283 aircraft produced
Ca.148
Stretched eight-seat civil/military transport, 54 aircraft produced[1]

Operators

Military operators

 Austria[6]
  • Kommando Luftstreitkräfte received five aircraft.
    • Fliegerregiment 1
    • Fliegerregiment 2
 Kingdom of Italy (Wartime)
  • Regia Aeronautica[6]
  • Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force[6]
 Italian Social Republic
  • Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana[6]
 Spain[6]
  • Spanish Air Force
 United Kingdom (Wartime)
  • Royal Air Force
    • No. 117 Squadron RAF
 Italy (Postwar)
  • Italian Air Force[6]
    • Air Staff Liaison Flight

Civil operators

 Italy
  • Ala Littoria operated a fleet of at least twelve Ca.133s, using them on routes to East Africa.[10][6]

Specifications (Ca.133)

Data from World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft[11]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 5 (bomber); 2 (transport)
  • Capacity: 16 pax (transport)
  • Length: 15.36 m (50 ft 5 in)
  • Wingspan: 21.24 m (69 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 4 m (13 ft 1 in)
  • Wing area: 65 m2 (700 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 4,190 kg (9,237 lb)
  • Gross weight: 6,700 kg (14,771 lb)
  • Powerplant: 3 × Piaggio Stella P.VII C.16 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 343 kW (460 hp) each
  • Propellers: 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 230 km/h (140 mph, 120 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 200 km/h (120 mph, 110 kn)
  • Range: 1,350 km (840 mi, 730 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
  • Wing loading: 100 kg/m2 (20 lb/sq ft)
  • Power/mass: 0.210 kW/kg (0.128 hp/lb)

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 R. Stocchetti. "Caproni Ca.133, Aerei militari, Schede tecniche aerei militari italiani e storia degli aviatori". alieuomini.it. http://www.alieuomini.it/catalogo/dettaglio_catalogo/caproni_ca,65.html. 
  2. ↑ Harvey, A.D. (2015). "A Slow Start: Military Air Transport at the Beginning of the Second World War". Air Power History 62 (1): 6–15. ISSN 1044-016X. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26276562. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Caproni Ca.133". http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/Caproni%20Ca.133.htm. 
  4. ↑ Mondey 2006, p. 34.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mondey 2006, p. 76.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 "Caproni Ca 133". http://www.pilotfriend.com/photo_albums/timeline/ww2/Caproni%20Ca%20133.htm. 
  7. ↑ Sharpe 2000, p. 143.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sutherland and Canwell 2009, p. 94.
  9. ↑ Sutherland 2009, p. 32.
  10. ↑ Stroud 1966, p. 409
  11. ↑ Angelucci, Enzo (1982). World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-54724-4. https://archive.org/details/worldencyclopedi00ange. 

References

  • Ca.133 reconnaissance table, Storia militare magazine n.83. Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
  • Alegi, Gregory (2005) (in it, en). Caproni Ca 133. Ali d'Italia. Turin: La Bancarella Aeronautica. 
  • Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. London: Bounty Books, 2006. ISBN 0-7537-1460-4.
  • Sharpe, Mike. Aircraft of world War II. Rochester (Kent) Grange Books, 2000. ISBN 1-84013-366-X.
  • Stroud, John (1966). European Transport Aircraft since 1910. London: Putnam. 
  • Sutherland, Jon & Diane Canwell: Air War East Africa 1940–41 The RAF versus the Italian Air Force. Barnsley (South Yorkshire) Pen and Sword Aviation, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84415-816-4.

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