Caproni PS.1

Infobox Aircraft
name=PS.1


caption=
type= Sportsplane
manufacturer= Caproni
designer=
first flight= 1934
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user= Italy
more users=
produced= 1934
number built= 2
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Caproni PS.1 was an Italian sportsplane, designed and built specifically to compete in Challenge 1934, the European touring plane championships. It was also known as Pallavicino PS-1. It was a four-seater low-wing monoplane.

Design and development

The plane was designed by Cesare Pallavicino, the former designer of Breda, after he had moved in 1933 to Caproni. Only two prototypes of the PS-1 were built. They carried registrations I-FRAN and I-MELO.

Operational history

Both aircraft took part in Challenge 1934 contest, flown by Armando François and Ugo Vincenzi. In a technical evaluation, the PS-1 took second place behind the Messerschmitt Bf 108 (PS-1 and Bf 108 were the only Challenge aircraft with retractable landing gear). The aircraft were completed only shortly before the contest, so their pilots had little time for training. During a short landing trial, Vincenzi damaged his engine and propeller, and he had to withdraw. Armando François completed the contest in 18th place (for 34 starting and 19 finishing crews).

pecifications

Description

Metal construction cantilever low-wing monoplane. Steel framed fuselage, covered with canvas. Single spar trapezoid wings with rounded tips, of steel construction, canvas covered. Wings could be folded aft. The cabin had two side-by-side seats in front with dual controls, and two seats in the rear, under a common multi-part canopy. Retractable conventional landing gear with a rear skid. The main gear wheels protruded from the wing's lower surface. Radial engine in fuselage nose, with a cowling. Two-blade propeller. 160-l fuel tank.

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=1
capacity=3 passengers (incl. 2nd pilot)
length main=7.19 m
length alt=23 ft 7 in
span main=10.69 m
span alt= 35 ft 0¾ in
height main=2.21 m
height alt=7 ft 3 in
area main=17.5 m²
area alt=188 ft²
empty weight main=560 kg
empty weight alt=1,200 lb
loaded weight main=1,050 kg
loaded weight alt=2,310 lb
useful load main= 490 kg
useful load alt=1,078 lb
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (prop)=
number of props=1
type of prop=Fiat A.70 air-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine
power main=147 kW
power alt=200 hp

max speed main=230 km/h
max speed alt=124 knots, 143 mph
cruise speed main=190 km/h
cruise speed alt= 103 knots, 118 mph
stall speed main= <65 km/h
stall speed alt= 35 knots, 40 mph
range main= 804 km
range alt= 434 nm, 499 mi
ceiling main=6,498 m
ceiling alt=21,313 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 60 kg/m²
loading alt= 12.3 lb/ft²
power/mass main=0.14 kW/kg
power/mass alt= 0.087 hp/lb

References

*Marian Krzyżan: "Międzynarodowe turnieje lotnicze 1929-1934", Warsaw 1988, ISBN 83-206-0637-3 (Polish language)
*Thompson, Jonathan W. (1963) "Italian Civil and Military Aircraft 1930-1945". Aero Publishers.

ee also

aircontent
similar aircraft=
*Messerschmitt Bf 108 - Fieseler Fi 97 - Breda Ba-42 - Aero A.200
sequence=

lists=