Borel C.A.P. 2

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Role High altitude fighter/reconnaissance
National origin France
Manufacturer
Etablissements Borel
First flight May not have flown
Status Abandoned
Number built 1
Developed from Borel-Boccacio Type 3000

The Borel C.A.P. 2, later

sesquiplane
fighter and reconnaissance aircraft with a supercharged engine, built in France around 1920. It was displayed, uncovered, at the 1922 Paris Salon.

Design and development

The C.A.P. 2 shared many external features with the earlier Borel-Boccacio Type 3000, or Borel C.2, a two-seat fighter tested too late for World War I, in 1919.[1] Intended for high altitudes, the C.A.P. 2 had a wing area increased by 23% through an increase in span and was also about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) longer.[1][2] However, unlike the wood-framed C.2, the C.A.P. 2 had a fabric covered all-metal duralumin structure.[2]

It was a two-bay sesquiplane, with 4° of wing sweep and two parallel spars in each of the equal span wings, though the lower wing had 63% of the chord of the top wing. The top wing had 2° of dihedral and the lower wing none.[2]

The C.A.P. 2 was powered by an upright, water-cooled,

fin which carried a broad rudder of rounded profile which extended down to the lower longerons. Its semi-elliptical tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and braced from below with a pair of parallel struts. The elevators were rounded in plan, with a gap between for rudder movement.[2][3]

The fighter had a conventional fixed undercarriage with wheels on a single axle joined by rubber links to a transverse strut mounted on the lower longerons by a V-strut at each end. Its tailskid was wood, unlike the rest of the structure. [2]

Operational history

It is not known if the C.A.P. 2 was ever flown. It had arrived too late for World War I and may have been exhibited at the 1922 Salon solely for its metal construction, then quite novel. No records of it are known from after the Salon.

Specifications

Data from Les Ailes, February 1923[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two
  • Length: 8.17 m (26 ft 10 in)
  • Upper wingspan: 13 m (42 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 2.88 m (9 ft 5 in)
  • Wing area: 39.9 m2 (429 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
  • Gross weight: 1,750 kg (3,858 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: 325 kg (717 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 ×
    V-8
    , 220 kW (300 hp)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Pierre Lavasseur, 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 248 km/h (154 mph, 134 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft) (estimated)
  • Stall speed: 102 km/h (63 mph, 55 kn) at ground level
  • Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft) (estimated)

See also

Related lists

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Green, 1994, p.81
  2. ^ a b c d e f Serryer, 1923, pp.2-3
  3. ^ L'Avion Borel, type C.A.P.-2, 1924, p.403

Bibliography

  • "L'Avion Borel, type C.A.P.-2". L'Aéronautique. 1922 (December): 403. 1–15 March 1924.
  • Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 81.
    ISBN 1-85833-777-1
    .
  • Serryer, J (8 February 1923). "L'avion Borel C.A.P. 2". Les Ailes (88): 2–3.
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