Italian fighter projects

what was Caproni Bergamo Ostro II ?.
The text says it's a figther studied by Cesare Pallavicino between 1935 and 1937. On a side note, ironically Pallavicino was the designer of the Lambretta scooter, the main rival of the Vespa produced by the rival aviation firm Piaggio.

Yep. AFAIK, the Roman numerals were added later to rationalize Pallavicino's Ostro design series. The Ostro II dates to August 1936. It was powered by a 835 hp Isotta Fraschini Asso XI RC V-12 and had a span 12.00 m. Armament was twin 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns.

The Ostro III of December 1936 was similar but powered by an Hispano-Suiza 12Y cdrs moteur-canon V-12. The Ostro IV of June 1937 returned to the I-F Asso engine but with its span reduced by a metre.
 
Yep. AFAIK, the Roman numerals were added later to rationalize Pallavicino's Ostro design series. The Ostro II dates to August 1936. It was powered by a 835 hp Isotta Fraschini Asso XI RC V-12 and had a span 12.00 m. Armament was twin 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
From, Caproni-Abate-Rosario-Gli-Aeroplani Della Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca-Vol-1,

The Ostro I and Ostro II drawings.
 

Attachments

  • 1.png
    1.png
    240.4 KB · Views: 285
  • 2.png
    2.png
    204.5 KB · Views: 295

Attachments

  • Alamy.png
    Alamy.png
    892.1 KB · Views: 269
Project for Cassani barrel shaped diesel engines
 
You are right Hardada55,

and maybe it had been done by supercharge of Caproni-Bergamo ?!;

B8 / 110 motor mounting drawing pat. Cassani on hunting, 1938.
[SDF Historical archive of technical drawings, Treviglio (Bergamo)].

- I beni storico-aeronautici nel contesto del patrimonio culturale
 

Attachments

  • 1.png
    1.png
    444.8 KB · Views: 249
Last edited:
... maybe it had been done by supercharge of Caproni-Bergamo ?!; ...

This has no relationship with Caproni-Bergamo ... except for by being in the same province. Here, the reference is to the town of Treviglio in the province of Bergamo. Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca was based 25 km away in Ponte San Pietro - in the western outskirts of the town of Bergamo (the capital of the province of the same name).

A minor point but drawings read 'SPICA GENOVA' ... and I'm finding this Tuscan location for SPICA S.p.A. (Società Pompe Iniezione Cassani e Affini) confusing.

Most other sources place SPICA in Tuscany. FWIW, it seems that from 1938 to the sale of SPICA S.p.A. in 1941, SPICA offices were in Livorno with its injection pump factory nearby Ardenza district. So, where does Genoa come into all this?

___________________________________________

Relazioni internazionali, 7 Settembre 1940 - A. XVII, page 1681

"... l'ampliamento degli implanti de Livorno della Società anonima Spica [sic] per la produzione di pompe de iniezione per motori Diesel..."
 
... maybe it had been done by supercharge of Caproni-Bergamo ?!; ...

This has no relationship with Caproni-Bergamo ... except for by being in the same province. Here, the reference is to the town of Treviglio in the province of Bergamo. Caproni Aeronautica Bergamasca was based 25 km away in Ponte San Pietro - in the western outskirts of the town of Bergamo (the capital of the province of the same name).

A minor point but drawings read 'SPICA GENOVA' ... and I'm finding this Tuscan location for SPICA S.p.A. (Società Pompe Iniezione Cassani e Affini) confusing.

Most other sources place SPICA in Tuscany. FWIW, it seems that from 1938 to the sale of SPICA S.p.A. in 1941, SPICA offices were in Livorno with its injection pump factory nearby Ardenza district. So, where does Genoa come into all this?

___________________________________________

Relazioni internazionali, 7 Settembre 1940 - A. XVII, page 1681

"... l'ampliamento degli implanti de Livorno della Società anonima Spica [sic] per la produzione di pompe de iniezione per motori Diesel..."

I'm guessing that SPICA had a subsidiary factory or supplier in Genova at some point. The company was based in Livorno after 1938, which is both in Tuscany and just down the coast from Genova.

Spica (Cassani & Associates Pump Injection Company) was established in 1936 in Milan to produce injection pumps for diesel engines. In 1938, Count Ciano bought the company to support Mussolini's anticipated war effort and moved it to Livorno. In 1941, the Fascist government's Institute for Industrial Reconstruction nationalized the company and placed it under the control of Alfa Romeo.

After the war, SPICA continued as an Alfa subsidiary, making automobile parts such as water and oil pumps, spark plugs, steering components, and mechanical fuel injection systems for diesel and gasoline engines. SPICA gasoline fuel injection was used mainly by Alfa's competition department until the late 1960s, when SPICA injection helped Alfa pass US emissions standards. In 1988 SPICA was absorbed into FIAT, along with Alfa, and soon sold off and closed.

I still regret failing to convince a boss of mine to NOT replace the SPICA injection on a beautiful, red Alfa GTV 2000 with Weber carburetors. He'd bought the car cheap from an ignorant used car dealer, and it ran perfectly. Like lots of US owners at the time, he thought he'd get more power by replacing "emissions stuff". He spent a lot of money, but the car never ran right.

See:

https://news.museofratellicozzi.com/spica/

 
Last edited:
Planned version of G.55 (and G.56) with 4 wing guns. This predisposition was maintained on postwar G.59
 

Attachments

  • G.55 quadriarma.jpg
    G.55 quadriarma.jpg
    397 KB · Views: 212
  • G.59 struttura alare.jpg
    G.59 struttura alare.jpg
    816.6 KB · Views: 200
Hi!
Fiat G.56.


"•General characteristics ◦Crew: 1
◦Length: 31 ft 4 3/8 in (9.56 m)
◦Wingspan: 38 ft 10 17/32 in (11.85 m)
◦Height: 10 ft 3 15/64 in (3.13 m)
◦Wing area: 227.12 ft² (21.1 m²)
◦Empty weight: 6,393 lb (2,900 kg)
◦Normal takeoff weight: 8,497 lb (3,854 kg)
◦Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A (1,750 hp)

•Performance ◦Takeoff power rating (1943): 1489 hp @ 1.21 ata (2500 rpm and 3900 kg TO weight)
◦Maximum speed: ◾At sea level: 341.8 mph (550 km/h)
◾At 1000 m: 360.4 mph (580 km/h)
◾At 4000 m: 397.7 mph (640 km/h)
◾At 7000 m: 425.6 mph (685 km/h)

◦Range: 795 mi (1,280 km)
◦Service ceiling: 43,963 ft (13,400 m)
◦Time to altitude: ◾1000 m: 48 seconds
◾2000 m: 1 minute 38 seconds
◾4000 m: 3 minutes 33 seconds
◾5700 m: 5 minutes
◾6000 m: 5 minute 27 seconds
◾7000 m: 7 min 30 seconds


•Armament ◦Guns: ◾1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon mounted through engine (250 rounds)
◾2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon mounted in wings (200 rpg)"

Fiat G.56
A G.55 with a more powerful DB 603 engine. Proved to be far superior to the Bf 109K and Fw 190D, but was not allowed for service by the Germans. Their own stupidity that helped us win...
Also these statistics you list ARE ACTUALLY MARKEDLY INFERIOR TO THE Bf109K6 and Ta152 series (Fw190D series was an interm solution/ stopgap)
 
Hi!
Fiat G.56.


"•General characteristics ◦Crew: 1
◦Length: 31 ft 4 3/8 in (9.56 m)
◦Wingspan: 38 ft 10 17/32 in (11.85 m)
◦Height: 10 ft 3 15/64 in (3.13 m)
◦Wing area: 227.12 ft² (21.1 m²)
◦Empty weight: 6,393 lb (2,900 kg)
◦Normal takeoff weight: 8,497 lb (3,854 kg)
◦Powerplant: 1 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A (1,750 hp)

•Performance ◦Takeoff power rating (1943): 1489 hp @ 1.21 ata (2500 rpm and 3900 kg TO weight)
◦Maximum speed: ◾At sea level: 341.8 mph (550 km/h)
◾At 1000 m: 360.4 mph (580 km/h)
◾At 4000 m: 397.7 mph (640 km/h)
◾At 7000 m: 425.6 mph (685 km/h)

◦Range: 795 mi (1,280 km)
◦Service ceiling: 43,963 ft (13,400 m)
◦Time to altitude: ◾1000 m: 48 seconds
◾2000 m: 1 minute 38 seconds
◾4000 m: 3 minutes 33 seconds
◾5700 m: 5 minutes
◾6000 m: 5 minute 27 seconds
◾7000 m: 7 min 30 seconds


•Armament ◦Guns: ◾1 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon mounted through engine (250 rounds)
◾2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon mounted in wings (200 rpg)"

Fiat G.56
A G.55 with a more powerful DB 603 engine. Proved to be far superior to the Bf 109K and Fw 190D, but was not allowed for service by the Germans. Their own stupidity that helped us win...
Also these statistics you list ARE ACTUALLY MARKEDLY INFERIOR TO THE Bf109K6 and Ta152 series (Fw190D series was an interm solution/ stopgap)
G.56 performances using a standard DB603A without MW50 nor GM-1... and considering wing load her better, respect Me109 and FW190, comes above 7000 m... Ta152 is an era after...
 
Last edited:
Hi,

I can't ID this Italian biplane Fighter.maybe a Project ?.


Now,can we consider this fighter was from Cassani creation himself ?.
 

Now,can we consider this fighter was from Cassani creation himself ?.

I don't think it is safe to make that assumption.

First, we don't know exactly who "himself" is. Does 'Cassini' refers to the firm Società anonima Officine Italiane Cassani or to one of its erstwhile owners - Francesco or Eugenio Cassani.

Second, this Società anonima Officine Italiane Cassani was not associated with airframe design. Instead, its primarily interest was in diesel engines (albeit later focused on fuel pumps) and agricultural vehicles.

Third, this 'Caccia' may simply be the invention of the artist who created these patent drawings for the Cassini B8/110 diesel engine. It would, therefore, simply be illustrative of potential engine applications. And let's face it, diesel-powered fighters are the proverbial hen's teeth!
 
Checking with my Italian brother in law the text on the patent drawing, as Apophenia correctly said, it does indeed say that this is an illustrative example of fitting the B.8/110 to a fighter. As a aside, I took up the search for more info and found this illustration of the B.8/110 aeronautical engine on http://www.archiviostoricosamedeutz.com/. From what I can see Cassani was a designer for the SPICA concern and was looking at various applications for diesel engines including tractor propulsion so this aero engine seemed to be a big departure!

B8 110 engine.jpg
 
The Aerei Nella Storia artist obviously thought that spare P-51 cowlings would be available to Macchi ;)

My guess is that the nose of the proposed C.208 would have looked rather more like that of the Fiat G.59.
At least this version is easier to do for modellers like myself! ;)
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom