{{More citations needed|date=June 2009}} <!-- This article is a part of Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft. Please see Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout. --> {{Infobox aircraft | name=Ca.2 (1915) | image=Caproni biplane, 300 horse power Biplan Caproni, 300 HP (33189872732).jpg | caption= | type=Heavy day bomber | national_origin=Italy | manufacturer=Caproni | designer= | first_flight=Late 1915<ref name="BTS">{{cite book |last= Sharpe |first= Michael |title=Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes |year=2000 |publisher=Friedman/Fairfax Books |location=London|isbn=1-58663-300-7 |page= 112}}</ref> | introduction= | retired= | status= | primary_user= | number_built=9 | developed_from= Caproni Ca.1 | variants= }}
The '''Caproni Ca.2''' was an Italian heavy bomber of the World War I era.
==Development== The Ca.2 was a minor development of the Caproni Ca.1 twin-boom bomber of 1914. It had become evident early in the Ca.1's service life that the design could benefit from more power. Caproni therefore replaced the central, pusher engine of the aircraft with a more powerful one. Caproni referred to this as the '''Caproni 350 hp''' at the time, and the Italian Army dubbed it the Ca.2. No separate number seems to have been allocated to it in Caproni's postwar redesignation scheme.
Only nine aircraft were built, supplied to the Italian Army alongside deliveries of Ca.1s between August 1915 and December 1916.
The benefits of increased power encouraged Caproni to continue in this direction, leading to the definitive Caproni Ca.3.
==Description== The Caproni Ca.2 was a trimotor biplane with an engine mounted on the rear of the central nacelle, and two others mounted on the front of twin booms, which held the tail. It was largely of wooden construction, covered with fabric. The crew of four were in an open central nacelle (front gunner, two pilots and rear gunner-mechanic). The rear gunner manned upper machine guns, standing over the central engine in a protective "cage," just in front of its propeller. It was fitted with tricycle landing gear.
Armament consisted of two to four Revelli 6.5 mm or 7.7 mm machine guns, one on a front ring mount and one, two or sometimes even three on an upper ring mount. Bombs were suspended under the central nacelle.
==Operators== ;{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}} *Corpo Aeronautico Militare
==Specifications (Ca.2)== {{Aircraft specs |ref={{citation needed|date=April 2012}} |prime units?=met <!-- General characteristics --> |crew=four (pilot, co-pilot, front gunner, and rear gunner/mechanic) |length m=11.05 |span m=22.74 |height m=3.7 |wing area sqm=95.6 |empty weight kg=3,302 |max takeoff weight kg=4,000 <!-- Powerplant --> |eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Fiat A.10 |eng1 type=six-cylinder, water-cooled, in-line piston aero engine |eng1 kw=75<!-- prop engines -->
|eng2 number=1 |eng2 name=Isotta-Fraschini V.4B |eng2 type=six-cylinder, water-cooled, in-line piston aero engine |eng2 kw=112<!-- prop engines --> <!-- Performance --> |max speed kmh=133 <!-- Armament --> |armament= *2 × 6.5 mm FIAT-Revelli machine guns * Bombs mounted under the hull }}
==See also== {{aircontent| |related= *Caproni Ca.1 (1914) *Caproni Ca.3 *Caproni Ca.5 |similar aircraft= |lists= * List of bomber aircraft * List of World War I Entente aircraft |see also= * Push-pull configuration }}
==References== {{Commons category}} {{reflist}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20040629164625/http://www.aerei-italiani.net/SchedeT/aereoca2.htm Aerei Italiani] (Italian)
{{Caproni aircraft}} {{Portal bar|Italy|Companies|Aviation}}
Ca.002 Category:1910s Italian bomber aircraft Category:Three-engined push-pull aircraft Category:Biplanes Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915 Category:Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear Category:Three-engined piston aircraft