Caproni Ca.335

Caproni

Industry	Aerospace
Founder	Cesare Pallavicino (Chief Engineer, design responsibility)
Headquarters	Ponte San Pietro , Italy
Products	Military aircraft

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The Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (named after the Mistral wind) was a 1930s Italian single-engine, two-seat aircraft designed for both fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles.

Development and design

In October 1937, the Belgian aircraft firm Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA) entered into a commercial agreement with Italy's Caproni, allowing SABCA to market several Caproni military planes in specific regions. These included the Caproni Ca.135, Ca.310, and Ca.312, which SABCA rebranded as S.45bis, S.46, and S.48 respectively. Under this partnership, Caproni was tasked with creating a successor to the Belgian Air Force's aging Fairey Fox biplanes, which served as two-seat fighters and reconnaissance aircraft but were becoming outdated.

The design responsibility for this new model, the Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale, was assigned to Chief Engineer Cesare Pallavicino. He based its design on his earlier work with the A.P.1 attack aircraft. The Ca.335 featured a low-wing cantilever monoplane configuration constructed from mixed materials: a steel-tube fuselage with metal skinning combined with wooden wings covered in fabric. It was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs V12 engine. The aircraft had hydraulically operated retractable tailwheel landing gear, with the main wheels folding rearward into the wings.

The cockpit arrangement consisted of two widely spaced, separate stations for the pilot and observer. Defensive armament included a single machine gun operated by the observer, while the pilot controlled a centrally mounted Hispano-Suiza HS.404 moteur-canon firing through the propeller hub along with two additional machine guns mounted in the wings. The plane incorporated a small internal bomb bay capable of carrying two 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, supplemented by provision for ten more 50 kg (110 lb) bombs mounted externally under the wings.

Construction of the prototype took place at Caproni’s facility in Ponte San Pietro, where it completed its inaugural flight on 16 February 1939. Following this, it was disassembled and transported by rail to SABCA’s factory in Brussels. After reassembly, it flew again on 19 September 1939. Early evaluations were promising, prompting SABCA to acquire a manufacturing license and present the aircraft—now designated SABCA S.47—to officials from the Belgian Ministry of Defence as well as representatives from other countries.

Although the Belgian Air Force expressed interest in procuring 24 units of the S.47, production was delayed due to SABCA’s existing commitments producing 41 Breguet 693 aircraft for Belgium and France and 10 Koolhoven F.K.58 fighters for France.

On 14 March 1940, while being demonstrated to the French Armee de l'Air at Orléans, the prototype sustained minor damage during landing and remained unrepaired when German forces invaded France and neighboring countries during the Battle of France. This invasion halted SABCA’s manufacturing plans entirely. The prototype was seized by German troops on 13 June 1940 and remained in France until 1943 before ultimately being dismantled and scrapped despite Caproni’s efforts to recover it.

Specifications (S.47)

File:SABCA S.47 3-view L'Aerophile March 1940.jpg

Three-view illustration of the SABCA S.47 from L'Aerophile, March 1940

Armament:

• One 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon mounted to fire through the propeller hub.
• Two 7.62 mm M1919 Browning machine guns installed in the wings.
• One 7.62 mm FN Browning machine gun positioned in the rear cockpit.

Bomb Load:

• Up to 200 kg (440 lb) carried beneath the wings and fuselage.

Sources

• Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Seven Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft. London: Macdonald, 1967.

External links

• Caproni Photo
• 1000aircraftphotos.com
• УГОЛОК НЕБА (Russian language)