The Caproni Vizzola F.5, manufactured by Caproni, was an Italian fighter plane featuring a single-seat, low-wing cantilever monoplane design and retractable landing gear.
The F.5 and the Caproni Vizzola F.4 were developed simultaneously, sharing the same airframe.
The design process was initiated in late 1937 by a team led by F. Fabrizi.
The aircraft featured a welded steel-tube fuselage, wooden wings, and a fuselage covered with flush-riveted duralumin, while the wing had a stressed plywood skin.
Unlike the F.4, which was intended to be powered by a water-cooled engine, the F.5 was equipped with a two-row 14-cylinder Fiat A.74 R.C. 38 radial engine.
Although the F.4 project was initially put on hold due to the disfavour of its proposed engine by the Italian Air Ministry, the development of the F.5 continued.
The F.5 prototype took its first flight on 19 February 1939.
It showed exceptional manoeuvrability during official testing, leading to an order for a second prototype and 12 preproduction models.
The final preproduction aircraft was chosen to be used as a prototype in a revised F.4 program, while the remaining F.5 order was delivered to the Regia Aeronautica.
Caproni ultimately decided not to produce any F.5 production models, opting instead to focus on the more advanced Caproni Vizzola F.6M fighter.
Variants
F.5
The prototype and preproduction aircraft were powered by a Fiat A.74 R.C. 38 radial engine.
Thirteen units were built, in addition to a fourteenth airframe that was completed as the Caproni Vizzola F.4.
F.5bis
One re-engineered F.5, equipped with a 1175 h.p.
Alfa Romeo R.A.I000 R.C.44-la Monsonie engine,
A licence-built version of the DB 601A-1.
Specifications
Length
7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
Wingspan
11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Height
3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Wing area
17.6 m2 (189 sq ft)
Empty weight
1,850 kg (4,079 lb)
Gross weight
2,238 kg (4,934 lb)
Powerplant
1 × Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cyl.
Air-cooled radial piston engine,
649 kW (870 hp) at take-off
Performance
Maximum speed
510 km/h (320 mph, 280 kn)
Range
770 km (480 mi, 420 nmi) at 455 km/h (283 mph)
Service ceiling
9,500 m (31,200 ft)
Time to altitude
6,500m (21,325ft) in 6min 30s
Armament
Guns
2 × 12.7 mm (0.5 in) forward-firing Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
Sources
The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown-W Green and G Swanborough.
La Caproni Di Taliedo Storia Di Unindustria Aeronautica-Claudio De Biaggi.
