Caproni Ca.1 (1910)

This article is about the pioneering biplane of 1910. Not to be confused with the World War I bomber Caproni Ca.1 (1914).

Caproni Ca.1
Rear view of Gianni Caproni's first experimental biplane, the Caproni Ca.1, in Malpensa (Varese) in 1910.
Role Experimental aircraft
Manufacturer Gianni Caproni
Designer Gianni Caproni
First flight 27 May 1910
Status On display at the Volandia aviation museum
Number built 1

The Caproni Ca.1 was an experimental biplane built in Italy in 1910. It was the first aircraft to be designed and built by aviation pioneer Gianni Caproni, although he had previously collaborated with Henri Coandă on sailplane designs.

The Ca.1 had an uncovered rectangular truss as a fuselage; its two-bay wing cellule featured unstaggered mainplanes of equal span. Although the engine was mounted in the nose, it drove propellers mounted in front of the wings on long struts. The landing gear consisted of a dual mainwheel and skid arrangement, with outrigger wheels at each wingtip and a tailwheel.

The Ca.1 flew for the first time on 27 May 1910; although the flight was rather successful, the aircraft crashed while landing and was heavily damaged; it was repaired, but never flew again. The Ca.1 is now on display at the Volandia aviation museum in Italy.