Caproni Ca.314

Caproni Ca.314
Company type	Aircraft
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1940
Headquarters	Italy
Products	Attack aircraft, torpedo bomber

Template:Infobox aircraft

The Caproni Ca.314 was an Italian twin-engine aircraft designed for attack and torpedo bombing roles during World War II.

Evolving from the earlier Ca.310, the Ca.314 primarily fulfilled ground attack and torpedo bombing tasks. It represented the most widely produced model among the Ca.310 variants, featuring versions tailored for light bombing, convoy escort and maritime patrol, torpedo bombing, and ground attack operations.

Design and development

The Caproni Ca.314 was developed alongside the Ghibli, specifically the Ca.310 Libeccio model. It shared a similar framework with its predecessor, powered by two 350 kW Piaggio P.VII C.35 radial engines. The prototype known as the Ca.310bis served as a foundation for the Ca.311's development. While closely resembling the Ca.310bis, most units were later upgraded with windshields and subsequently transformed into redesigned Ca.311Mis models.

Operational history

Variants

File:Caproni Ca.314 on ground.jpg

Ca.314

Ca 314A: Designed as a light bomber.
Ca 314-SC (Scorta): The "Scorta" variant was intended for convoy escort and maritime patrol missions, introduced in 1942. Production faced challenges at the manufacturing plant, resulting in limited and irregular deliveries.
Ca 314B: Also referred to as Ca.314-RA, this torpedo bomber variant could carry a single torpedo weighing up to 900 kg, a 500 kg bomb, or two bombs of 250 kg each. A total of 80 units were produced.
Ca 314C: This version provided close air support to ground troops, equipped with two 12.7 mm machine guns mounted beneath the wings. To accommodate increased bomb loads, fuel capacity was reduced. Most of these aircraft featured Delta RC.35I-DS engines of series III, delivering 780 horsepower. Production reached 254 units.

Ca.314G

This model was outfitted with the heaviest armament; however, its increased weight adversely affected overall performance.