Photograph:
Caproni Ca.100 “OK O ?” ‘Hoof Arte’ captured by 450 Squadron RAAF personnel in Sicily in 1943 (Australian War Mem0rial MEA0594)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Two-seat training biplane
Power Plant:
One 97 kw (130 hp) Colombo S.63 six-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan [upper]: 8.38 m (27 ft 5 in)
- Wingspan [lower]: 10.04 m (32 ft 10 in)
- Length: 7.25 m (23 ft 8 in)
- Height: 2.74 m (9 ft)
- Wing area: 21.24 m² (228.7 sq ft)
- Stalling speed: 66 km/h (41 mph)
- Service ceiling: 4,938 m (16,200 ft)
- Range: 949 km (590 miles)
- Empty weight: 469 kg (1,034 lb)
- Loaded weight: 748 kg (1,650 lb)
Max speed: 200 km/h (124 mph)
History:
The Caproni Ca.100 was produced in Milan, Italy from 1929 and was a licence-built variant of the de Havilland DH.60 Moth. It differed from that aircraft in a number of ways, particularly having short span upper wings of 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) less span than the lower, the fuel tank in the centre-section having the same aerofoil as the wings, and the interplane struts being splayed inwards.
The prototype was flown in May 1929 and was demonstrated in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria. A seaplane model fitted with a 78 kw (105 hp) Cirrus Hermes engine set a Category I record for seaplanes in February 1931 by reaching 5,324.8 m (17,470 ft). Some 2,000 were built during its production life from 1930 to 1937. Five are known to survive, four with the Colombo S.63 six-cylinder in-line engine and one with a Fiat A.50 seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engine.
Prior to World War II the Ca.100 was extensively used by flying clubs in Italy. Three examples which had been in operation for training pilots with the Catania Aero Club in Sicily were captured by Allied forces, and put into use as squadron hacks by allied pilots. One was flown by personnel of No 112 Squadron RAF, and two examples were operated by Nos 3 and 450 Squadrons, RAAF. It is believed all were civil aircraft and the example used by No 3 Squadron was I-GUAS which was used by squadron pilots during the months of August to September 1943 from a base at Agnone and was used by fighter pilots to take maintenance personnel for rides. Like other captured aircraft used by Australian units, the aircraft were eventually abandoned at airstrips as the unit moved on.