Caproni Ca.71

Caproni · Italy · first flew 1927 · fighter

The Caproni Ca.71, originally the Ca.70L, was a two-seat biplane night fighter produced in Italy in 1927. It was derived from the Caproni Ca.70 of 1925.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.55 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Two wings of unequal span
Pusher engine in place of the tractor engine of the Ca.70
Tailskid undercarriage with main wheels that could travel forward in their linkage

A two-seat biplane with wings of unequal span and a pusher engine, unlike the tractor-engined Ca.70. Its landing gear had an oleo-pneumatic shock absorber on each main leg.

Specifications

The Caproni Ca.71 has a length of 9.55 m (31 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft).
Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

It was designed after the Regia Aeronautica showed little interest in the Ca.70 night fighter. Like the Ca.70 it gave good low-speed handling and good visibility from both cockpits. Armament was two fixed forward-firing 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns and a flexible Lewis gun on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit.

Variants

It differed from the Ca.70 mainly in engine installation, with a pusher engine replacing the Ca.70 tractor Bristol Jupiter. The single Ca.71 built had a 298 kW Lorraine-Dietrich V-12, and the design could take engines of 298 to 373 kW.

Where you'll see it

It first flew in 1927 and was slightly slower than the Ca.70, with a slightly lower rate of climb. The Regia Aeronautica ordered no more, so only the one was built.

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