reconnaissance Caproni S 16A/B

[Wiggly_Armed_Man 2,383]

Caproni Spaning 16A / B

A replica S 16 made for the show "Tre kärlekar" and now resides at the Flygvapenmuseum.

 

Classification

Military

Long Model Designation: Spaning 16A or Spaning 16B

Short Model Designation: S 16A or S 16B

 

History

Purchase

In 1939 the Swedish air force had a problem. Due to the advent of World War II, export from the United States has been cut off and they couldn't purchase from either the present Tripartite Pact or the Allied powers, more specifically the United Kingdom; and they didn't have the industry in Sweden itself to support any meaningful domestic production. To rectify this they went to, at the time, the last "neutral" country left that was in close enough to be feasible. They did consider Japan and purchasing planes like the Ki-27 but that presented obvious enough problems. As such they turned to Italy and in 1940 they came to agreement. For nearly 40 million Swedish kronor they purchased 84 Ca. 313 of which 38 would become S 16As. This was apart of what was called the "emergency purchase", which also gained Sweden the J 11, the J20, and Italian engines to use in the B 17Cs.

 

Deployment & Service

The S 16As were the largest purchase of the original Ca. 313 stock and would come to be the only types in service. Like the B 16As and the T 16Bs, the early mechanical and engine problems were fixed by the lengthening of the exhaust ducts, revising the fuel ducts, installing fire guards, and installing air intakes. After that they were pressed into service to the F 3, based out of Malmen, and to the F 11, based out of Skavsta. Shortly afterwards the S 16A stock was reinforced by thirty aircraft, converted from all of the B 16As, and an identical variant of fourteen aircraft called the S 16Bs which were converted from all the T 16As. The only other member of the series to remain in service alongside the S 16s were two Tp 16As; transport aircraft converted from S 16As. The service of the S 16s was marked by frequent maintenance and patrol along the coast and the Arctic Sea. Nineteen aircraft crashed over its service period from 1941 to 1945 with three cases having been due to run-ins with the German Luftwaffe.

 

Fate

The last flight was done in the April of 1945 before they were withdrawn from service. No S 16A, S 16B, or Tp 16A survived as they were all either scrapped or used for training in fire drills or as bombing and shooting targets. The aircraft wasn't revived until 1989 or 1991 when a replica was built, with some original parts, for the TV series "Tre kärlekar" (Three Loves) which was later donated to the Flygvapenmuseum where it can be found now.

 

General
Place of Origin		Kingdom of Italy
Designer		Caproni
Builder		Caproni
Type		Reconnaissance (S)
Service Period		1941-1945
Number Built		38+30 (S 16A); 14 (S 16B)
Dimensions
Weight (empty/takeoff)		4,300 kg/5,900 kg
Length		11.8 meters
Width		16.65 meters
Height		3.7 meters
Propulsion
Powerplants		Isotta Fraschini Delta RC35 piston engine	2
Output		1,120 kW
Rotor		3-bladed	2
Speed (cruise/maximum)		N/A / 445 km/h
Endurance		Over 1,700 km
Service Ceiling		8.5 km
Rate of Climb		N/A
Protection
Armour		N/A	N/A
Crew		?
Firepower
		8 mm kulspruta m/22 Fast höger and Fast vänster or 13,2 mm automatkanon m/39A	2
		8 mm kulspruta m/22-37 Rörling	2
Ammunition		13,2x99 mm Cartridge m/39	?
		8x63 mm sk ptr m/32	1,400*

*If forward-firing ksp m/22 are equipped, this is increased to 2,500

 

Design

The S 16As and S 16Bs are essentially stripped down B 16As and T 16Bs with a longer range. The conversion either reduced or removed their capability to equip bombs and replaced the load with more fuel tanks, increasing the range of the aircraft, and equipped it with cameras for reconnaissance duties. The other armaments, flight characteristics, and airframe remained identical to their predecessors. 

Pictures of the S 16 replica.

 

Implementation

The S 16s, depending on if they get a bomb load or not as the external bomb racks shouldn't of been affected by the transition, would perform as heavy fighters. I don't think they should be placed in any of the three lines, i.e. the fighter (jakt) line, the attacker (attack) line, and the bomber (bomb) line, but rather be the start of a new one where the few heavy fighter equivalents that Sweden had could be placed. Optionally, it could also be a premium due to its odd nature despite it being the most numerous of the Caprino 16 series even in the original order. It would be up to Gaijin if it would be called the "S 16A" or the "S 16B" since, as far as I can tell, they are identical aside from which aircraft they were modified from.

 

Note

I've seen mentions that the original name of the aircraft was actually "S 16", and that "S 16A" only refers to the aircraft modified from the B 16A rather than both them and the original order of S 16s, but I have seen nothing to confirm it yet. Also, if I do find differences between the S 16A and the S 16B in the future then a separate suggestion will be made for both of them rather than it being unified as it is now.

 

Sources:

Spoiler

Bomber:

• S 16 Caproni Ca 313, avrosys.nu
  • Page 2
• B 16 - Caproni Ca 313, avrosys.nu
• Caproni Ca.313, Swedish Wikipedia
• Caproni Ca.313, The use in the Flygvapnet, Italian Wikipedia

History:

• Östgöta air flotilla, Swedish Wikipedia - F 3
• Södermanland Air Fleet, Swedish Wikipedia - F 11

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Wiggly_Armed_Man

[leroyonly 4,300]

Open for discussion. 

[Borotovas 4,493]

+1

[Milocat 4,829]

+1, interesting variant I would like to fly.

[hienapunk 1,051]

It's kinda goofy and I like it.

[Fireraid233 4,252]

+1

[blockhaj 3,557]

S 18B had the top turret removed and couldnt mount bombs due to its bombing equipment being moved to the B3D. The S 16A could only mount external bombs due to the bomb bay being replaced with extra fuel tanks. Externall loads: 4x 50 kg, 2x 250 kt, 1x 500 kg.