AQV and Italian high altitude projects

Nico

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As the well-known Italian aviation historian Gregory Alegi wrote on 'Aero Fan' # 71 (Oct./Dec. 1999), one of the greatest dreams of all aircraft researchers is to find an aircraft-that-nobody knows.
In the quoted feature, Gregory describes the SCA (Società Costruzioni Aeronautiche Guidonia) AQV or Tipo 3 (perhaps for SCA.3). On that issue of 'Aero Fan' are three photographs of the AQV (that I enclose). How was possible that an aircraft was built and testes by a state organisation without any trace in public archives is another interesting question...
My post it's only to remember to our community that the aircraft had the Matricola Militare (serial number) 422 but that there are indications of a second prototype under construction in 1937 (apparently withhout MM) and that in military archives are also quoted two SCA.2, perhaps a previous iteration of the same project but I lack any information about.
Moreover, one post about Caproni designations listed a Ca.340 as projected pressurized biplane designed for altitude record: someone can do more light about it?

Nico
 

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Thanks Nico. Most interesting!

Nico said:
Moreover, one post about Caproni designations listed a Ca.340 as projected pressurized biplane designed for altitude record: someone can do more light about it?

No but my guess is that the Ca.340 was a further extrapolation by CAB on the Ca.113 AQ/Ca.161 theme.
 
Hi Nico,

thanks for this nice aircraft...
Do you have some technical data?

Servus Maveric
 
Yes, friends
according to researachs done by Gregory, the misterious AQV performed 36 flights (the first on July 6, 1940, when Italy had just entered WW II, and the last one on November 7, 1941); tha max altitude reached was 7,000 m: evidently no altitude record was attempted.
From a technical point of view, the aircraft was of all-metal construction. Its power plant was a Piaggio P.XS Stella (S, perhaps, stood for Stratospheric), a 9-cylinder radial engine that was a modified copy of the Gnome-et-Rhône GR.9K Mistral, with reduction gear and two-speed supercharger, rated at 700 HP.
The only known technical specifications are:
Span 9.36 m
Length 7.93 m
Height 3.00 m
Wing area 22.52 sq. m
Take-off weight 1,950 kg
Max speed (project) 485 km/h
Maximum ceiling (project) 8,000 m (ma there are also indications of 13,600 m)
Range (project (1,060 km)
 
Hi all,
I can add this rather crude three-view drawing of the SCA AQV.
Surely our friends Archipeppe and MC.72 will be able to do better...
As we can see in the pictures I posted some months ago, the aircraft was painted silver aluminum (Alluminiata in Regia Aeronautica parlance) but the airframe sported also a flamboyant trimming that I think could be azure blue; the pictures are reworkd several times but is seems to me that the grey tone of the trims was lighter than the ones of the Italian flag on the rudder. Moreover, we know that the Ca.161bis of the the same high altitude unit was painted ivory with azure blue trims...


Nico
 

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According to the typescript of the unpublished third volume of "Gli aerei della Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca" by the late Rosario Abate, the Ca-340 was a biplane for high-altitude record flights powered by a FIAT A.80 RC.41 (double-row 18-cylinder radial 1000 Hp) driving a four-blade propeller with a diameter of 3.5 meters.The wing used a NACA 23-series profile and sported a Mechelli-type pressurized cabin. Project work started in November 1938 and by August 1939 Air Ministry was interested and urged CAB to supply a formal offer, but all work ended due to lack of personnel in the design office of CAB (war was coming). Rosario says that in the Caproni archive there are two 3-views (1:20 scale) drawings, differing by some details. Some data: span 17.00 m; lenght 10.00 m; height 3.38 m; wing surface 48 sq/m. Empty weight: 1,850 Kg; MTOW 2,275 Kg . No hints that it was a development of the Ca-161 series. Please cite Rosario if someone of you uses this info.
 

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