The Caproni Ca.310 Libeccio, an Italian monoplane with twin engines, served as a reconnaissance aircraft during World War II.
It was based on the Ca.309 model and saw its first combat action in the Spanish Civil War before being used in the initial stages of World War II in Libya.
A few were even incorporated into attack squadrons as a stopgap measure for the inadequate Breda Ba.65.
The Italian Air Force phased out the last Ca.310 in 1948.
The Ca.310 was developed as a low-wing monoplane reconnaissance/bomber, essentially a modified version of the semi-military Ca.309 with retractable landing gear and upgraded engines.
The fuselage was constructed from welded steel tubes covered with light alloy panels and fabric, while the empennage/tail unit was made of wood with plywood skin on the fixed parts and fabric covering on the control surfaces.
Positioned above the fuselage, in line with the wing trailing edges, was a manually operated dorsal turret equipped with a single 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine gun.
Variants
Ca.310
Twin engined reconnaissance aircraft, powered by two Piaggio Stella P.VII C.16/35 seven-cylinder radial piston engines.
Ca.310 Idro
Twin-float seaplane version.
Ca.310bis
Effectively, the prototype of the Caproni Ca.311 with the unstepped all-glazed nose and two Piaggio Stella P.VII C.35 engines
Ca.318
Proposed derivative powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14K engines
Specifications
Crew
3
Length
12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
Wingspan
16.2 m (53 ft 2 in)
Height
3.52 m (11 ft 7 in)
Wing area
38.7 m2 (417 sq ft)
Empty weight
3,040 kg (6,702 lb)
Max take-off weight
4,650 kg (10,251 lb)
Powerplant
2 × Piaggio Stella P.VII C.16/35
9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,
350 kW (470 hp) each
Propellers
3-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
365 km/h (227 mph, 197 kn)
Cruise speed
285–312 km/h (177–194 mph, 154–168 kn)
Range
1,690 km (1,050 mi, 910 nmi)
Service ceiling
7,000 m (23,000 ft)
Armament
Guns
3 × 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns
(2 fixed forward firing mounted in the wing roots; 1 in a dorsal turret)
Bombs
up to 450 kg (992 lb).
Sources
Axis aircraft of World War II-D Mondey.
Gianni Caproni, Una storia italiana- F Bianchessi.
Una storia dell’aviazione italiana-M Civoli.
Aeroplani Caproni Gianni Caproni and His Aircraft-R Abate, G Alegi, G Apostolo.
Profiles in Norway No.1, Caproni Ca.310-A Kjaeraas.
Brevduen – Caproni Ca.310, LN-DAK, DNLs jakt på et postfly-RJM Mulder.
La Caproni Di Taliedo Storia Di Unindustria Aeronautica-Claudio De Biaggi.
