Model Airplane News
May, 1931


Model Airplane News Cover for May, 1931 by Jo Kotula Caproni Ca.3 and Pfalz D.III

Caproni Ca.3 and Pfalz D.III
Model Airplane News Cover Art for May, 1931
by Jo Kotula
Click to Enlarge


This month's cover shows two types of aircraft, the Caproni Ca.3 and Pfalz D.III. We shall take them up in turn.

Caproni Ca. 3

The Caproni Ca.3 was an Italian heavy bomber of World War One. It was a three-engined biplane of wooden construction, with a fabric-covered frame with tricycle landing gear. The crew (front gunner, two pilots and rear gunner-mechanic) rode open central nacelle. In defense, the mechanic/rear gunner manned upper machine guns, standing upon the central engine in a protective "cage", just in front of a propeller. . Armament consisted of two to four machine guns, one in front ring mounting and one, two or sometimes even three in an upper ring mounting. Bombs were suspended under the hull.

 The Caproni Ca.3    The Caproni Ca.3     The Caproni Ca.3

Caproni Ca.3
Click to Enlarge

The prototype flew in late 1916 and was soon put into production. Somewhere between 250 and 300 of these aircraft were built, supplying the Italian Army and Navy (the latter using the type as a torpedo bomber), and the French Army. Late in the war, Robert Esnault-Pelterie built the type under licence in France, building an additional 83 aircraft. The Ca.1 entered service with the Italian Army in the middle of 1915 and first saw action on in August 1915, attacking the Austrian air base at Aisovizza. Apart from the Italian Army, Caproni Ca.3s were also used in British squadrons, before the introduction of the Handley Page Type O bombers. Original and licence-built ones were used by France and the American Expeditionary Force. Some of the Ca.36Ms supplied after the war were still in service long enough to see action in Benito Mussolini's first assaults on North Africa.

Here is a video of the Caproni Ca.3:



Click Here for more information about the Caproni Ca.3 .

Pfalz D. III

The Pfalz Flugzeug-Werke GmbH ("The Pfalz Aircraft Factory, Inc.") was established at Speyer-am-Rhein, Germany, in 1913 by the Everbusch brothers. The company initially built aircraft under license, such as the Morane-Saulnier Type H and Type L.

 The Pfalz D.III

Photos of the Pfalz D.III
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Here is a video of the Pfalz D.III in action:



Click Here for more information about the Pfalz D.III.

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