Caproni Bergamaschi PL.3
| PL.3 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Long distance racer |
| National origin | Italy |
| Manufacturer | Caproni Bergamaschi
|
| Designer | Cesare Pallavicino |
| Number built | 1 |
The Caproni Bergamaschi PL.3 was designed and built in Italy to compete in the 1934 London-to-Melbourne air race. It was a single-engine cantilever monoplane with clean lines, retractable undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two.[1] Though it was registered as a race entrant, late delays prevented it from competing.
Design and development
The PL.3 had a
In contrast the fuselage of the PL.3 was mostly of metal construction. From
Operational history
The PL.3 was one of many types entered into the London-Melbourne race of 1934 for the MacRobertson Trophy and £10,000 prize. The race was scheduled to start on 20 October 1934 The PL.3 was entered in May 1934.[3] By early September it had a race number, 61, and the crew had been elected; though it had not flown it was still an expected competitor. The crew were known: both Francis Lombardi and Vittori Suster were experienced flyers with careers beginning in the First World War. Lombardi had made many competitive long-distance flights and Suster had spent the last seven years as an airline pilot, latterly as chief pilot.[2]
The exact reasons for its non-participation are not known, but the PL.3 was one of many registered competitors which cancelled early or failed to appear at RAF Mildenhall, the starting point, in the week before the start.
Specifications
Data from Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Length: 9.04 m (29 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 11.89 m (39 ft 0 in)
- Height: 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 24.0 m2 (258 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 1,696 kg (3,740 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,493 kg (7,700 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 2,080 L (550 US gal; 460 Imp gal)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Hornet, 520 kW (700 hp)
- Propellers: 2-bladed variable pitch
Performance
- Maximum speed: 360 km/h (224 mph, 195 kn) at 3,660 m (11,152 ft)
- Range: 3,098 km (1,925 mi, 1,673 nmi)
- Time to altitude: 17 min 30 s to 4,300 m (13,120 ft)
References
- ^ a b Thompson, Jonathan (1963). Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc. p. 99.
- ^ a b c "Who's who in the MacRobertson race". Flight. XXVI (1341): 617–8. 6 September 1934.
- ^ "MacRobertson News". Flight. XXVI (1326): 547. 31 May 1934.
