Caproni Ca.4 - Operational History

Operational History

Ca.4s were tested by the Italian Air Force in 1917 and began operations in 1918. They were used for attacking targets in Austria-Hungary. In April 1918, 6 Ca.42s were used by the British RNAS (No. 227 Sqn). At least three CA.42s were sent to the United States for evaluation. After the war, the Ca. 4 was replaced in Italy by the Ca.36.

Despite its unstable and fragile appearance, the Ca.4 was well-designed. Its size, without regards to its height, was not any larger than that of other foreign heavy bombers. With Liberty engines, it had a fast speed, similar to other heavy bombers, while its bomb load had one of the largest capacities of that era, surpassed only by that of the Imperial German: Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI. If it had been flown with other engines, its performance would have suffered.

A Ca.48 airliner crashed at Verona, Italy, on 2 August 1919, during a flight from Venice to Taliedo, Milan, after its wings apparently collapsed in mid-flight at an altitude of 3,000 feet (912 meters). All on board – reported as 14, 15, and 17 people by different sources – died. It was Italy's first commercial aviation disaster and one of the earliest heavier-than-air airliner disasters.