Caproni Ca313

Il_Signor_Regio · March 6, 2024, 5:49pm

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Description: The Caproni Ca313 was an Italian twin-engine light bomber/scout aircraft of the thirties. It was designed by the Italian engineer Cesare Pallavicino from the already existing Ca311. The main difference between the two aircraft were the engines, which happened to be a pair of Isotta Fraschini Delta R.C.35 I-DS II Serie, far more powerful engines compared to the previous Piaggio P.VII C.35. The first prototype, a modified Ca310, flew for the first time on December 22, 1939. Unironically, the first nation to show interest was Great Britain, which ordered 300 units, but this plan was stopped when Italy entered the Second World War. Even France ordered 200 units, but only five were delivered before Italy entered the Second World War. The Regia Aeronautica, after various positive tests, initially ordered 235 units that were later increased to 345. The production of the units for Italy started back in 1941, and they became operational around the end of the same year. But it was not used directly against the enemy since it showed various issues. It was mainly used for reconfiguration and convoy escort. When the armistice arrived, 53 units were still operational, and so a part was taken by the RSI, which only used one unit, and the rest was used by the Cobelligerants. At the end of the war, no Ca313 were operational. But Gianni Caproni tried to sell it one last time, this time to the newly formed Italian Air Force. The units offered were from a batch of 20 aircraft ordered by the Luftwaffe but never finished. One of the aircraft was completed and used for evaluation by the AMI, but at the end of those tests in 1949, none was purchased.