Caproni Ca.97

Caproni · Italy · first flew 1927 · transport aircraft

The Caproni Ca.97 was an Italian high-wing trimotor transport of the late 1920s designed for short-haul passenger and cargo work. It offered straightforward construction and reliable performance on regional routes.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	3 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Corrugated metal fuselage skin
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Trimotor high-wing monoplane
Corrugated metal fuselage skin
Fixed spatted undercarriage

Identify by its high-wing trimotor layout with a wide, angular fuselage and spatted fixed undercarriage typical of late-1920s Italian transports. The central nose engine and two wing-mounted engines in tractor configuration are distinctive.

Specifications

The Caproni Ca.97 has a length of 11.35 m (37 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16 m (52 ft).
Its maximum speed is 230 km/h (143 mph).
Typical crew: 2 crew, up to 8 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed by Caproni in the mid-1920s, the Ca.97 first flew in 1927 and was operated by Avio Linee Italiane and other Italian carriers. The type served through the early 1930s on domestic Italian routes before being superseded by more modern designs.

Variants

Several sub-variants were produced with different engine fits including the Alfa Romeo D.2 and Gnome-Rhône Jupiter radials, altering performance somewhat across the production run.

Where you'll see it

The Ca.97 served primarily with Italian domestic airlines during the late 1920s and early 1930s; examples also flew in South America on pioneer air mail routes.

Related aircraft

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