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Caproni Ca.3 (Ca.33) **** weight and performance calculations for the Caproni Ca.33 (Ca.3) world war one medium-weight bomber biplane three engined bomber entering service February 1917
Caproni Ca.3 (Ca.33)
role : medium-weight bomber
first flight : operational : February 1917
country : Italy
design :
production : 269 aircraft
general information :
The Ca. 1 was followed by the Ca. 2 in which the central engine was replaced by a 150 hp engine. Total power came with this at 350 hp. Of the Ca. 2 only 9 pieces were built. It was followed by the Ca. 3, equiped with three 150 hp engines.
12 Ca. 3 's raided Cattaro (now Kotor in Montenegro), German U-boat base and naval Base, 04 Oct 1917. Ascended from Gioia del Colle, Puglia. Distance trough the sky 236 km. calculated range of action with 800 kg bombs is 194 km, with 730 kg bombs it is 250 km. U-boat base, torpedo storage and seaplane hangars hit (www130). Can also that 1 crwe member was left behind to save weight > was Nightraid
users : Italia
crew : 4
armament : 2 movable 6.50 [mm] (0.256 in) FIAT Rivelli machine-guns
engine : 3 Isotta-Fraschini liquid-cooled 6 -cylinder inline engine 150 [hp](110.3 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 22.74 [m], length : 11.05 [m], height : 3.7[m]
wing area : 95.6 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 3800 [kg]
empty weight operational : 2300 [kg] bombload : 800 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 137 [km/hr] at sea-level
service ceiling : 4844 [m]
endurance : 3.5 [hours]
estimated action radius : 216 [km]
description :
4-bay biplane with fixed underwing landing gear with nosewheel and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two fabric/plywood covered tail booms
2 engines attached to the wings 1 in the fuselage, landing gear attached to the wings, bombload attached to fuselage
fuel tanks in the fuselage
airscrew :
two fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrews and one fixed pitch pusher propeller with max. efficiency :0.64 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.48 [m]
angle of attack prop : 15.08 [ ]
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1450 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.57 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 192 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 2.10 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 2.25 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 10.82 []
estimated gap : 2.11 [m]
gap/chord : 1.00 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 930 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 5.0 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 81.4 [kg/hr] (111.0 [litre/hr]) at 66 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.52 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 441 [litre] (323 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 827.4 [kg] = 2.50 [kg/KW]
weight 32 litre oil tank : 2.7 [kg]
oil tank filled with 2.5 litre oil : 2.2 [kg]
oil in engine 18 litre oil : 16.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 2 litre fuel : 1.7 [kg]
weight 47 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 7.1 [kg]
weight radiator : 47.4 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 14.8 [kg]
weight cowling 4.4 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 57.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 979 [kg](25.8 [%])
***************************************************************
tail boom plywood covering (monocoque) : 65 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 4.24 [cm]): 104 [kg]
houtdikte wordt erg dun !!!!!
bracing : 8.1 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 32.3 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 10.3 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 8.4 [kg]
weight seats : 12.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 13.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 56.0 [kg]
weight bomb sight : 1.0 [kg]
weight three 131 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 31.5 [kg]
weight oxygen/compressed air flasks for high altitude : 15.2 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 140 [kg]
weight engine mount and firewall : 6 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 469 [kg](12.3 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 61 [kg]
total weight ribs (148 ribs) : 226 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 11 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 553.5 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 442.7 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 134 [kg]
weight wings : 421 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 4.41 [kg]
weight 16 interplane struts & cabane : 69.9 [kg]
weight cables (155 [m]) : 32.9 [kg] (= 212 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 5.9 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (6.0 [m2]) : 27.3 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (10.8 [m2]): 48.1 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 610 [kg] (16.1 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 34.0 [kg]
weight pivot mounting mg :13.8 [kg]
weight armament : 48 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 418.0 [kg]
weight 10 wheels (770 [mm] by 96 [mm]) : 115.4 [kg]
weight tailskid : 2.2 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 60.5 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 178.1 [kg] (4.7 [%]
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********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 2284 [kg](60.1 [%])
weight oil for 4.2 hours flying : 20.9 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 71.5 [kg]
weight 2 drums empty : 3.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (800 rounds) : 21.5 [kg]
weight signal pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 2403 [kg] (63.2 [%])
published operational weight empty : 2300 [kg] (60.5 [%])
weight crew : 324 [kg]
weight (electrical heated) clothing for high altitude : 24.0 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 163 [kg]
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operational weight : 2914 [kg](76.7 [%])
bomb load : 800 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 3714 [kg]
fuel reserve : 86 [kg] enough for 1.06 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 3800 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 77 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 3800 [kg] (100.0 [%])
calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 11.48 [kg/kW]
total power : 331.0 [kW] at 1450 [r.p.m]
This plane is also remembered for a tragedy on May 4, 1919, which killed the French General Dr. Milan Rastislav Stefanik, who was the minister of war in the Czechoslovak Republic at the time. The accident occurred at the conclusion of a flight from Campoformido near Udine to Bratislava (capital of Slovakia). On his initial approach, the pilot determined that the ground was too wet to land on, so he increased power to the engines and began to aim the plane to a landing patch further afield which appeared to be dry. While doing so, one of the engines exploded, causing the aircraft to nosedive. General Stefanik and the three Italian crew members were pronounced dead at the scene. A subsequent investigation determined that the most likely cause of engine failure was a failure of the airblast cooling of the engine, probably induced by the increased strain cause by the pilot's sudden demands on the engine after the aborted landing. There were allegations that a Czech anti-aircraft artillery company had fired on the aircraft, either because they mistook the plane's Italian markings for Hungarian markings or that they had done so as part of a conspiracy to see Gen. Stefanik killed, in order to prevent him from instigating proposed changes in the Czech government. These allegations were never proven, and the failure of the engine's blast cooling is widely accepted as the best explanation for the accident.
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.4 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 0.9 [g]
design flight time : 2.80 [hours]
design cycles : 143 sorties, design hours : 400 [hours]
wing loading (MTOW) : 390 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 259 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
Fuel is carried centrally in the fuselage, not in the tail booms!
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.10 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 11.04 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 2.63 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.11 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.34 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0061 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0649 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0588 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 76 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 91 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 94 [km/hr] at 2422 [m] (power:43 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 94 [km/hr] at 2422 [m] (power:43 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 83.4 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 123 [km/hr] op 2422 [m] (power:65 [%])
design speed prop : 130 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 137 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:99 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 229 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 286 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.01 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 5925 [m] with flying weight :2498 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 4950 [m] with flying weight :2914 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 3225 [m] with flying weight :3719 [kg]
published ceiling (4844 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 7.29 [min]
climb to 3000m (without bombload) : 17.76 [min]
max. dive speed : 392.3 [km/hr] at 2225 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.57 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 78 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 16.1 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.36 [hours] with 4 crew and 800 [kg] bombload and 84.5 [%] fuel
published endurance : 3.50 [hours] with 4 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 788 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 798 [km] with 4 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 1831 [litre] fuel : 2034 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 743 [kg]
production : 91.63 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.94 [kg]
Literature :
Wikipedia Ca.3
Bombers 1914-19 page 158
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 226,227
Warplanes WW1 page 130
Jane’s fighting aircraft WWI page 200
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
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(c) B van der Zalm 23 September 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4