Photograph:
Line-up of Caproni Ca.164s of the Regia Aeronautica at Taliedo, Italy in about 1941 (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
Italy
Description:
Two-seat touring and training biplane
Power Plant:
One 138 kw (185 hp) Alfa Romeo 115-I six-cylinder in-line air-cooled piston engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.45 m (31 ft)
- Length: 7 m (22 ft 11½ in)
- Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: 23.5 m² (252.96 sq ft)
- Max speed: 230 km/h (143 mph)
- Cruising speed: 185 km/h (115 mph)
- Service ceiling: 4,200 m (13,780 ft)
- Rate of climb: 216 m/min (708 ft/min)
- Range at cruising speed: 530 km (329 miles)
- Empty weight: 850 kg (1,874 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,175 kg (2,590 lb)
History:
The Caproni Ca.164 was designed and developed as a training and touring biplane and was produced in Italy for the Italian Air Force and Italian aero clubs shortly prior to World War II. It was a largely conventional biplane intended as a follow-on to the Ca.100 training aircraft and shared that aircraft’s inverted sesquiplane layout. Flight testing revealed some poor handling characteristics and it was not accepted initially in the training role. Nevertheless, the Regia Aeronautica put some 280 examples into use in the liaison and communications roles and these aircraft were attached to units operating various bombers. At least one example by necessity was pressed into use in the short-range tactical reconnaissance role during the campaign carried out in Croatia in 1942, being based at Grobnico.
The French Air Force [Armée de l’Air] also purchased 100 aircraft. After the Italian capitulation on 8 September 1943 surviving aircraft were put into use by the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force and operated alongside Allied squadrons.
Power was provided by an Alfa Romeo 115-I six-cylinder in-line inverted air-cooled engine, this unit being based on the de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. The fuselage and tail surfaces were welded steel tube, the whole, other than the engine cowling, being fabric covered. The wings were of wooden construction and were also fabric covered.
One example was captured by personnel of No 3 Squadron RAAF at Castel Benito at Tripoli in Italian Libya in 1943 and was operated by pilots of the unit as a squadron hack for some time. Its ultimate fate is not known.