AHC: Make the Caproni Ca.60 Fly

Captain Jack

Have the Caproni Ca.60 be successfully flown and at least a few built and used commercially. I mean just look at! If ever there was a plane that needed Alternate History this is it.

Here's the wiki article on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Ca.60
caproni_ca60_transaereo.jpg
 

MattII

I think you'd have to invent anti-gravity to allow it to happen, because that is never going to make it otherwise.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Oh, you thought it was an aeroplane?

Oh, you thought it was an aeroplane?

No, no...it is a hydro-plane...

Or a floating bridge for small children.

Or a very large diving platform.

Perhaps a raft?

I think Caproni's reach eluded his grap on that one.

Best,
 
Driftless

Driftless

Donor
Jeez, that thing is something Jules Verne might pulled from a fevered delerium. I can see the notion of big lift from nine wings, but good lord, there's a couple of miles of wires and struts that had to have an enormous amount of drag and disturbed airflow. That must have been a doozy to control.

I'm not sure that even if you had sufficient horsepower, that you could maintain control
 

Captain Jack

johnboy said:
How many knots does it do?
Click to expand...

Wiki lists a figure of 70 knots but I'm doubtful seeing as the plane only ever had one short test hop and then crashed after reaching a height of only 60ft on it's second flight (first "official" flight).

The Ca.60 crashed after experiencing a sudden nose dive into the water. In the comments of a youtube video of the plane someone mentioned that the first test showed the plane needed lead ballast and that this shifted, causing the later crash. I have no idea if it's true but assuming it is might that be a place to start for making it successful?
 

MattII

It does less knots in the air than are in the string holding the monstrosity together. And a monstrosity it is, to the point that while the Spruce Goose elicited the comment, "well, that's Howard for you", I don't think the same could have been said about Giovanni in this instance.
 

Errolwi

Monthly Donor
Simreeve said:
An airplane... that "needs" lead ballast?!?
:eek:
Click to expand...

It is common for aircraft to need lead (or depleted uranium) ballast, both for overall balance, and to balance individual control surfaces.

I asked the restorer of DH Mosquito KA114 what issues the (much lighter than real) resin cannon and MGs caused. He said that the cannon weren't a problem, being in the forward bomb-bay meant that they were near the centre of gravity anyway, while the MGs (in the extreme nose) would be offset by reducing the considerable amount of lead in the tail cone.
 

Nick P

Donor
Errolwi said:
It is common for aircraft to need lead (or depleted uranium) ballast, both for overall balance, and to balance individual control surfaces.

I asked the restorer of DH Mosquito KA114 what issues the (much lighter than real) resin cannon and MGs caused. He said that the cannon weren't a problem, being in the forward bomb-bay meant that they were near the centre of gravity anyway, while the MGs (in the extreme nose) would be offset by reducing the considerable amount of lead in the tail cone.
Click to expand...

When they restored Vulcan XH558 and got her flying again they took out the old radar and radio setup in the nose for easier access. Doing this upset the centre of gravity so they installed a metal weight in the nose.
It was a painted steel plate nicknamed Red Square.... :D

Back in 2010 the Vulcan XL319 at the North-East Air Museum was covered in snow. The weight of that caused the plane to tip back onto the tailcone and sit with her nose in the air. The damage was not wanted.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8468087.stm
 
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