Caproni Ca.43
Caproni · Italy · first flew 1917 · bomber
The Caproni Ca.43 was a single-example Italian floatplane heavy bomber of 1917, a maritime adaptation of the Ca.4 triplane that replaced the wheeled undercarriage with twin main floats for operation from water.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 3 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 13.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Floatplane conversion of the Ca.4 triplane: twin floats replace the wheeled undercarriage beneath the twin booms
- Three engines — two tractors and one pusher — in the characteristic Ca.4 twin-boom layout
- Three equal-span wings spanning nearly 30 metres with a central nacelle and twin tail booms
The Ca.43 is distinguished from its land-based siblings by the twin floats occupying the space normally taken by the wheeled undercarriage between the lower nacelle and the ground. The triple-wing layout, twin tail booms, and push-pull-tractor engine arrangement are identical to the Ca.4 family and remain highly distinctive: very few aircraft of any era combined triplane wings with a twin-boom configuration.
Specifications
- The Caproni Ca.43 has a length of 13.1 m (43 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 29.9 m (98 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 140 km/h (87 mph).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Ca.4 series was Caproni's largest WWI bomber, and the Ca.43 represented an attempt to give the type an amphibious capability for operations over the Adriatic. Only one example was completed and it appears to have made at least evaluation flights, though no operational record survives. The programme did not advance to production, the land-based Ca.4 variants being preferred.
Variants
The Ca.40 through Ca.47 designations cover the Ca.4 family; the Ca.43 is the sole floatplane member. The Ca.42 was the main production standard with Liberty engines.
Where you'll see it
No operational service recorded; used only for evaluation. The concept of a triplane floatplane heavy bomber was not pursued further by any of the Italian services.
Related aircraft
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